By Chris Morris, Sports Talk Philly Staff Writer 
The Sixers start their final stretch of the regular season tonight. Between the new look of the team that debuted against the Clippers and their spot in the standing still not set in stone, there is still a lot to keep an eye on is these final 27 games. With that being said, here are some trends to keep an eye on as the regular season comes to a close.
Al Horford’s Role
We all know how awkward the Horford fit has been at times this season. His lackluster three-point shooting along with his clogging of the paint for Embiid and Simmons have been consistent issues this team has faced on offense. These are all reasons why a move to the bench for the highly paid forward/center was a necessity. Horford seems to be making the move to the bench in stride, as one would expect of the supremely professional veteran.
The rest of the regular season will give Horford and Brett Brown the chance to solidify and define his role going into the postseason. Will he continue to come off the bench? Will he go back to starting against the better teams left on the schedule? Will we continue to see his minutes with Embiid be limited? These are all important questions for the Sixers to answer between now and the end of the regular season so that when that playoff time comes, they are not still searching for a clearly defined role for Horford.
Ben Simmons’ Free Throw Shooting
This has been a pleasantly surprising development over the last month or so. In his past 11 games, Simmons is shooting nearly 74% (68/92) from the line. This is by far the most consistent stretch of free-throw shooting over an extended period during his young career. This recent trend also proves that he is staying aggressive more frequently throughout the game. 92 free throw attempts over an 11 game stretch equating to nearly 8.5 attempts per game. It is extremely encouraging to see Simmons not shy away from the basket or contact and attack the rim at will. By doing this, he is not only getting to the line more, but becoming more comfortable shooting free throws since his volume has skyrocketed.
The Sixers are going to need Simmons to hit free throws at a fairly high clip in the playoffs, most importantly down the stretch of games. At too many points over the last three seasons he has become gun shy at the end of games and has played hot potato with the ball, usually leading to sloppy and unforced turnovers. 70% should be the benchmark goal for Simmons to shoot from the line for the remainder of the regular season and in the playoffs. It would increase his confidence and lessen the risk of teams willing to intentionally foul him.
Furkan Korkmaz’s Shooting
Korkmaz closed out the first half of the season incredibly strong. In his final 14 games before the All-Star Break, the third year swingman shot a blistering 42.5% from beyond the arc. Like Simmons’ free-throw shooting, this was by far the most consistent stretch of shooting in Korkmaz’s young career. Now the key for him is to continue it after the All-Star break. Korkmaz’s shot-making and willingness to let it fly is essential on a Sixers team that lacks space and more players of Korkmaz’s ilk. Whether he continues to start as he did in the Clippers game or come off the bench, he is going to get consistent minutes because this team frankly does not have another choice.
I am still somewhat skeptical of Korkmaz’s ability to contribute come playoff time even with these recent improvements. While his defense has certainly improved, it is still nowhere near good enough to be relied on to play heavy playoff minutes. However, if his recent hot streak continues for the remainder of the regular season, Brown may give him a chance to play when it counts. Regardless of whether he is a firm fit for the playoff rotation, his spacing and shooting will be essential in taking care of the abundance of bottom feeders the Sixers have remaining on their regular-season schedule. Korkmaz can certainly help this team to a higher seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, albeit if he is still not suited for the playoffs.
Burks or Robinson… Which One Will Emerge?
The Sixers were relatively quiet at the trade deadline this year, especially when you compare it to last year's blockbuster, which saw the acquisition of Tobias Harris and the departure of a young fan favorite in Landry Shamet along with some draft picks. While these were not flashy moves, they were certainly shrewd ones. Elton Brand knew this team needed a scoring punch and some more consistency off his bench. Players like Mike Scott and James Ennis were not able to duplicate last year’s playoff production.
In comes Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson to hopefully give this team a scoring jolt off the bench. Burks has not always been the most efficient player but he has been a reliable three-point shooter over his career. He also brings more toughness and a bigger body at backup guard than what the Sixers previously had in Raul Neto and Trey Burke. He should fit well both backing up and playing next to Simmons.
As for Robinson, he was having a career year with increased minutes on a tanking Warriors team. He also brings consistent three-point shooting and toughness defensively. My guess is he will be taking most of the minutes at the backup power forward spot, which was previously occupied by Mike Scott. Robinson is younger, quicker, and a more consistent shooter than Scott.
If I had to predict which of these new deadline acquisitions will have a bigger stamp on the team for the rest of the season, it would be Robinson. I like his game better and his ability to be more of a low usage offensive contributor. I also trust his defense more than Burks’, which we all know is the key to consistent minutes in Brett Brown’s rotation. This will assuredly be an interesting development to watch for over the remainder of the season.
