In win over Raptors, Sixers flashed why their offseason roster revamp also applied to the bench
The reserve trio of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anfernee Simons, and Jabari Walker combined for 37 points, including a blistering 9-of-13 mark from three-point range.
When an off-target shot left the basketball wedged behind the backboard for the second time Thursday night, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope wound up with the broom in his hands.
It took “too many tries” for him to get it dislodged, the 76ers’ veteran wing quipped after the game. But when he finally poked it free, he raised his arms to acknowledge the cheering crowd.
“It was a lot of pressure, actually,” Caldwell-Pope told The Inquirer from his locker.
» READ MORE: Sixers overcome slow start, Joel Embiid’s injury scare in 123-112 win over Raptors
That was one way the Sixers’ bench provided a lift in their 123-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The reserve trio of Caldwell-Pope, Anfernee Simons, and Jabari Walker combined for 37 points — including a blistering 9-of-13 mark from three-point range — while also impacting the game as rebounders, facilitators, and defenders. They sparked the Sixers following an awful start, then supplied key fourth-quarter moments to help put away the shorthanded Raptors playing without stars Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes and on the second night of a back-to-back.
The bench’s collective performance was evidence of why many outsiders believed the Sixers’ roster revamp did not just pertain to adding superstars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, but improving the overall depth.
“It’s very gratifying, for sure,” Simons said after the game. “[Our responsibilities are] going to change in every game. . … Obviously, the starting unit’s got great players, and [any player] can go for 30 each and every game if they wanted to.
“As a bench unit, we’ve got to continue to bring the energy each and every night.”
That loaded starting lineup featuring James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid is at least partially why the Sixers (10-3) rank last in the NBA in bench points (23.7 per game) entering Friday.
But against Toronto, Simons went 5-of-6 from three-point range and finished with 17 points. Caldwell-Pope added a balanced line of 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while also playing physical defense and being trusted with down-the-stretch minutes. Walker had nine points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes, many of them abrupt when Embiid briefly exited with a knee injury and then sat for the end of the first half with three fouls. Those outputs kept the starters in their normal minutes range before two welcomed days off Friday and Saturday.
After the Sixers fell behind by 17 points in the opening frame, Simons jolted his team to life by hitting a three-pointer to beat the quarter buzzer. Caldwell-Pope then sank two deep shots in the second quarter, helping the Sixers swiftly close the gap and tie the score at halftime.
Then, those reserves’ fingerprints were all over the final frame.
Walker buried a corner three-pointer on the Sixers’ first possession and then converted a putback. Simons and Caldwell-Pope both finished at the rim. When the Raptors cut a double-digit deficit to 111-105 with less than five minutes to play, Simons answered with another make from beyond the arc. And after enthusiastically directing teammates while waiting at the scorer’s table to check back in for crunch time, Caldwell-Pope nailed a deep shot to give the Sixers a 121-108 lead with 2:02 remaining.
» READ MORE: Sixers star Tyrese Maxey has urged VJ Edgecombe to ‘go do that VJ stuff.’ Edgecombe is listening.
“[Teammates] encourage us to keep shooting the ball,” Simons said. “And knowing that the team has that much confidence in us to keep shooting it, it makes the game that much easier.”
The Sixers needed down-the-roster upgrades after last spring’s playoffs exposed their lack of depth. Those players also can provide reinforcements on load-management days for James or Embiid. Dean Wade slid into the starting lineup in James’ place Thursday and went 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Simons agreed to sign as a free agent between the stunning blockbuster trade for Brown and James choosing the Sixers. Caldwell-Pope, who won NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and Denver Nuggets teams in 2023 but had struggled in recent seasons with the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies, was a late addition to the group. Walker is a returner from last season, after parlaying a two-way contract into a standard deal.
Nurse still did not have his full complement of bench options Thursday, with Adem Bona (spine) sidelined for a fourth consecutive game and Dominick Barlow (back) waiting to play his first game of the season. Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr., who was expected to be an immediate rotation player before the Sixers’ flurry of moves following the NBA draft, also did not play meaningful minutes Thursday.
Sharpening chemistry among those bench players — who play in a variety of lineup combinations with starters and fellow reserves — has been a work-in-progress during the season’s initial weeks.
Simons said he now recognizes when defenders try to prevent downhill drives from Maxey by hanging out at the top of the key, prompting him to space further outside the arc in order to step into his three-point shot. Caldwell-Pope said he and teammates have made their biggest early-season strides in defensive communication. When outside shots from Simons or Caldwell-Pope do start falling, that opens up lanes for Maxey and fellow electric guard VJ Edgecombe to get to the basket.
» READ MORE: Jabari Walker keeping Sixers’ backup center group afloat and making ‘impactful plays’ for star-studded roster
Simons also emphasized the non-scoring ways he and others can help. Cutting. Making a crisp pass to Embiid down low. Boxing out.
“Just being in the right position and making the right play each and every time,” he said.
After Thursday’s victory, Simons and Walker sat side-by-side for a joint news conference. They both began their NBA careers with the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers, with whom they probably logged heavier minutes and compiled more consistent statistical production but were part of fewer wins.
While reflecting on that period, Simons acknowledged that they have “been through a lot.”
“You feel appreciative of the times where you go into a situation where your role might be a little bit less, but you’re winning,” Simons said. “And so that’s something that you can’t take for granted, for sure, because it’s hard to win in the NBA. We’ve seen it first-hand.”
That perspective is needed from the players who complement the Sixers’ stacked starting lineup. But their chance to provide the collective lift arrived Thursday — and illustrated why the Sixers’ offseason roster revamp also applied to the bench.
“[Put] our best foot forward,” Simons said, “and be able to impact winning.”
Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine go behind the scenes of covering LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Sixers’ star-studded roster, and debate what’s real and not real about the team’s hot start. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
