5 Things The Philadelphia 76ers Need To Reach The NBA Finals

1 A shooter who can create his own shot

The Sixers lacked a guard or wing that could dribble-drive and create his own shot. Ben Simmons has the ability to create but does not have a jumper yet. Not having a player like this really hurt the Sixers in their playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

2 A lock-down defender

What would be great is if the player described above could also defend. Philly didn’t have an answer for Boston’s guards and wings. They were able to drive and create shots at will. The Sixers best perimeter defender is Robert Covington but he was exposed against the C’s. He had a hard time guarding quicker and more athletic guards. When JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli are on the floor, you can forget about any defense being played.

3 Ben Simmons must develop a jump shot

Without a jumper, teams will continue to sag off him, play the passing lanes and dare him to shoot. If Ben can be at least an average shooter, his name will be mentioned with the best in the league for a long time.

4 Joel Embiid must work on his post game

Too many times this season Embiid would get the ball in the post and either turn it over or allow himself to be pushed off the block. There were a lot of instances where Joel just didn’t look fluid but like Ben, if Joel can improve his game in the post, he’ll be an All-Star for many more years.

5 Production from Markelle Fultz

The Sixers were hoping that Markelle would be #1 on this list, but with the mysterious shoulder injury and coming back at the end of the season, it was no way that their rookie would be ready for the big playoff lights. Markelle must prove that he deserved to be the #1 pick. It’s vital to the Sixers' chance of reaching the NBA Finals.