GM Elton Brand Says Sixers Have Three Top 20 NBA Players After Jimmy Butler Trade
In the official press release announcing Philadelphia's acquisition of Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler, Sixers general manager Elton Brand explained how the 76ers have a championship window "centered around the continued progression of our talented young core, as well as our ability to add elite players who elevate our program."
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Brand continued: "In Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, we have two of the NBA's top 20 players. Now, we've added a third top-20 player in Jimmy Butler, who is one of the NBA's very best at both ends of the floor."
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There is currently no unanimously-recognized statistic which solely defines an NBA player as a top-20 performer. For what it's worth, Simmons was ranked 26th in Sports Illustrated's 2019 NBA Top 100 ahead of the season. Butler was ranked 10th and Embiid was ranked ninth.
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There are myriad advanced metrics, such as PER (Embiid, 17th; Butler, 29th; Simmons, 52nd), and simpler stats, such as points per game (Embiid, 4th; Butler, 20th; Simmons, 70th) that help make a case for whether or not Brand's statement is true.
What is true, however, is that the Sixers sit in third place in the Eastern Conference and are adding a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player and four-time All-Defensive performer to their roster. That sounds good.
