By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Sixers starting five of Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid has been among the most effective units in the entire NBA this season.
Where the Sixers have lacked is in bench productivity. The Sixers bench ranks 28th in the NBA in points per game, 22nd in field goal percentage, 26th in three-point percentage, 23rd in rebounds per game, and 26th in efficiency.
Aside from occasional strong outings from Jerryd Bayless, the Sixers bench has been atrocious both defensively and offensively along the wing. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has heaved far too many threes for a player shooting 31.8% from long range. Justin Anderson provides defensive energy when on the floor but leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end. Bayless is often abused on defensive with the 6-foot-2 guard often stuck guarding bigger players, and Nik Stauskas has barely seen the floor.
When the starters leave the game, namely Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, the Sixers seem to always allow a run from the opponent that erases any lead that the team held. The bench has very much been the team's Achilles heel this season.
The Sixers' bench has only outscored the opposing bench twice this season in 23 games played. Both times the Sixers' bench outscored the Houston Rockets' bench who were using an eight man rotation and had reigning sixth man of the year Eric Gordon in the starting lineup because of an injury to Chris Paul.
The Sixers' bench has been outscored by the opponents bench 857-604 this season. The opposing bench is averaging 11 more points per game than the Sixers' bench, presenting a consistent scoring and defensive problem from the bench players.
Markelle Fultz could provide a boost to the bench when he returns from a shoulder injury that has forced him to miss the last 19 games. This piece examines five players aside from Fultz who could fix the Sixers bench problems.
Lou Williams
Lou Williams is the first of two ex-Sixers on this list. Williams is showing that age is just a number in his 13th NBA season. The 31-year-old is currently averaging a career-high 18.9 points per game with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the Clippers are not a contender and Williams is entering the twilight of his career – a time when he will not want to waste away on a sub-par team.
Williams was a second-round pick of the Sixers in 2005, spending his first seven NBA seasons in Philadelphia. Williams is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and will likely be available at the trade deadline if the Sixers do not want to wait until the offseason to bring Williams in.
Williams would be a phenomenal addition to the bench as he ranks 16th in the entire NBA in offensive plus-minus and has the 39th highest player efficiency rating in the entire NBA of player with at least 100 minutes played as of December 5.
Aside from his familiarity, Williams would join the team and immediately become the team's best foul shooter with his 90.1% success rate at the line this season. That is an attribute that can help the Sixers close games late, especially if teams opt to foul Ben Simmons like Scott Brooks told his team to do last Wednesday night. Williams would be second to only J.J. Redick in free throw percentage if he joined the Sixers.
Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart is part of an overloaded backcourt in Boston. Smart is the Celtics sixth man but a string of absences early in the season due to injury allowed Terry Rozier to thrive with more minutes, and better shooting than Smart provides. With Smart able to go to restricted free agency this offseason, he could be available as the Celtics look to make room for all of the pieces of their team financially and on the floor.
Smart solves a couple issues for the Sixers. First, Smart brings an elite defensive presence off of the bench. When Simmons and Embiid exit the game Smart can help prevent those backbreaking runs by stifling the ball-handler and making life difficult for the opponent while the Sixers' stars rest.
Smart also gives the Sixers an additional ball handler. The Sixers ran into an issue last Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards when T.J. McConnell injured his shoulder. As Ben Simmons was fouled repeatedly, nearly costing the Sixers the game, Brett Brown was without a viable ball handler to replace him with. Brown could have put Bayless in that spot, but Bayless had worked exclusively has an off-ball guard up to that point in the season.
Smart's lockdown defensive ability combined with his skill as a facilitator make him a cost effective option for the Sixers' bench.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Although born in Philadelphia, there is more appeal to getting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to wear a Sixers uniform than just for the hometown connection.
Like Smart, Kidd-Gilchrist is an excellent wing defender, and would limit the drop off on the wing when Robert Covington exits the game in favor of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot or Justin Anderson.
Kidd-Gilchrist is shooting above his career marks with a 49.2 field goal percentage and a 73.1 free throw percentage this season.
Kidd-Gilchrist has averaged 9.1 points, and 4.4 rebounds in 25.9 minutes a night this season. The only player on the Sixers' bench averaging more points is Jerryd Bayless. Bayless averages 9.5 points per contest but does so with more minutes and while being a liability on defense.
The downside to adding Kidd-Gilchrist to the fold would be a contract that runs for two more seasons after this one at a cap hit of $13 million per season. While Kidd-Gilchrist would resolve many of the Sixers' bench issues he would jeopardize any long-term plans that the Sixers have in relation to free agent additions. Kidd-Gilchrist is the only player on this list whose contract extends past this season.
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews is a remarkable long-range shooter that is having his best season from beyond the arc at age 31 in his ninth NBA season shooting 40.9% from three.
Matthews has always had this potential, but was hampered by injuries early in his career. Now healthy, Matthews is thriving with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks however are not thriving this season, as they sit at the bottom of the league standings.
It is highly likely that a 31-year-old set to enter free agency will not be a priority for Mavericks' management as they continue their rebuild and Matthews should be made available by the trade deadline.
Matthews is averaging 11.8 points, three rebounds and 2.9 assists in 34.4 minutes a night for the Mavericks and would give the Sixers a legitimate sharpshooter off of the bench and not sacrifice long term financial stability.
Matthews does hold a player option for 2018-2019 that will pay him $18.6 million, so the Sixers may want to wait until he hits the open market before pushing for him if they decide that he is a target.
Jodie Meeks
Jodie Meeks is not often thought of as one of the best shooters in Sixers' history, yet he ranks among the top ten in a number of offensive categories on the team's all-time list.
He is eighth all-time in true shooting percentage, seventh in offensive rating, seventh in three-point percentage, and is the top free throw shooter in team history – all things that the Sixers need to improve on their bench.
Although Meeks was the beneficiary of a depleted roster that afforded him more opportunities than he would have gotten anywhere else, Meeks did take advantage of his time on the floor with an efficient offensive game.
Now in his ninth season Meeks has settled into a bench role with the Washington Wizards, and the Sixers have seen that the 30-year-old still has got it as Meeks has scored 14 points and 21 points in two matchups with the Sixers this season.
Meeks is a career 37.4% shooter from three-point range, and is one year removed from shooting a career-high 40.9% from three. Meeks is also shooting over his career mark this season with an 88.5% success rate at the free throw line.
Meeks will never be an impactful defender, but he would bring an improved offensive to the anemic Sixers' bench, and more importantly meeks makes the least of any player on this list with a $3.29 million cap hit.
Meeks has a player option and could join Lou Williams and Wesley Matthews as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
