Sixers

First Take Thinks Dwight Howard Will Be Starting for the Sixers

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Nov 24th, 2020 · 3:07 PM EST

---

I don’t have a lot of context for this graphic.

Apparently it was shown on ESPN’s First Take today, and whomever put it together is obviously way off:

https://twitter.com/biidslegion/status/1331310918106550276?s=20

Dwight Howard is not starting at power forward on this team. He is center depth to back up Joel Embiid.

This is what I’d do with the starting five:

• Ben Simmons – PG
• Seth Curry – SG
• Danny Green or Terrance Ferguson – SF
• Tobias Harris – PF
• Joel Embiid – C

 

They’ll push Tobias Harris down to the four. Seth Curry actually played most of his minutes off the bench for Dallas (only 25 starts), but I think you start him on this team and then either go Green or Ferguson at small forward.

Why Ferguson?

Well, he actually started 112 games over the past two seasons and I don’t think most people realize that. He had a down year in 2019 but in 2018 was a 36.6% three point shooter and solid contributor for OKC. He can start in this lineup and give you good wing defense and execute a lower usage three and D role, and if the guy just doesn’t have it, you go to Green or Matisse Thybulle at the three. Off the bench comes Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey and that’s a pretty good group of nine players.

We’ll see. They are definitely not starting Dwight Howard after a year of smash mouth bully ball that amounted to a first round sweep.