Sixers' Three-Point Shooting Shines Heading Into Playoffs

Many have complained about the Sixers' three-point shooting abilities before the NBA's suspension. After seeing them let it fly through eight games during the restart, Philly has look much improved from deep.

When you think of the Philadelphia 76ers, you probably don't envision a bunch of sharpshooters from deep. In previous years, the team has employed players such as JJ Redick, Marco Bellinelli, Landry Shamet, and Robert Covington, all of who were able to knock down deep shots for Philly consistently.

This year, however, the offense changed. The Sixers' front office went with a bigger lineup, which caused Philly to seemingly neglect shooters. All year long, it was assumed the Sixers' most significant issue heading into the postseason was going to be that they don't shoot well enough from three.

But at this point, shooting from beyond the arc isn't necessarily as concerning as it was before the NBA's suspension. During the eight-game stretch down in the Orlando bubble, the Sixers had an opportunity to get back into a groove. Although they failed to move up in the rankings and even lost one of their All-Stars to an injury, the Sixers still had shining moments during the restart.

After wrapping up the final seeding game on Friday night with a blowout win over the Houston Rockets, the Sixers ended up becoming the third-best offense down in the bubble, statistically, as they averaged 118.6 points per 100 possessions. 

And after a slow start shooting from deep, the Sixers finished the restart shooting over 41-percent from three. Before the season suspended, many believed the Sixers didn't have any reliable shooters to help contribute in the playoffs. The final eight games down in the Orlando bubble are now proving doubters otherwise, however. 

Through eight games, the Sixers have eight players who have managed to knock down at least 40-percent of their threes from long-range. Players such as Josh Richardson (42.9%), Furkan Korkmaz (43.6%), Tobias Harris (41.2%), and Alec Burks (57.1%), have drained over 40-percent of their threes while attempting four threes-per-game.

The Sixers were particularly solid while shooting from deep when playing in Philly throughout the year, but on the road, they struggled significantly. Many questioned whether a fan-less environment would affect the Sixers' three-point shooting negatively or not in Orlando, but the numbers prove they've been doing just fine without the extra motivation or distractions coming from the stands. While a lot can change for better or for worse in the postseason, Philly heads into the first round of the NBA Playoffs with much more confidence shooting from beyond the arc. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_