What an Anfernee Simons-Labaron Philon Backcourt Looks Like for the Sixers

When Anfernee Simons joined the 76ers in early July, Philadelphia had recently drafted a combo guard who could come off the bench alongside him. Together, the two guards will play an important role in how far the Sixers can go this season.

Player profiles

There is some overlap between the players in a few areas—shooting ability, height, and crafty ballhandling. Simons primarily functions as a shooter who can let it fly from anywhere on the court. Philon is a better defender than Simons is and gets to the rim more often.

While some rookies enter the NBA and receive very limited playing time, Nick Nurse plans to utilize Philon's talent. The coach offered his thoughts on what the pairing could look like with the two coming off the bench.

"I think Anfernee and Philon are both going to be important," he said. "I think both of them are handlers that can play some pick-and-roll and score the ball...It seems like we've gotten faster and a lot more athletic."

During the 2025-26 regular season, the 76ers ranked 13th in pace. Adding two players who can push the ball up the court will give Philly more possessions and scoring opportunities in transition.

In addition to their pace, both players offer more spacing on the floor for the team. Philadelphia was just 23rd in three-point percentage last season—a shortcoming that Simons and Philon can elevate. Simons is a career 38.1% three-point shooter over his eight seasons in the league. Although Philon has yet to play in a real NBA game, he shot 36.7% on threes in college—including 39.9% in his sophomore season.

Both players are needed

On paper, the Sixers are loaded at the guard position with Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe also in the mix. There could be an initial experimental period in which various lineups are tested to decide the best combinations.

Nurse acknowledged that while the new Sixers bring plenty to the table, there will still be some challenges.

"Of course, there are some other issues," he said. "We might be a touch small at times, but I certainly take the speed and athleticism."

Nurse is right that the second unit's backcourt may limit how big they can play. But having bigger forwards like 6-foot-9 Dominick Barlow and Dean Wade will help cover some of the size deficiencies. The scoring prowesses of the new guards is worth the issues that may come with being small. The reserve unit is in dire need of an offensive jolt, especially given that Philly was 27th in bench scoring last season.

Simons and Philon are scoring upgrades from the previous backcourt, which shape-shifted around sixth man Quentin Grimes. The big test will be whether or not they can limit damage on the defensive end.

Philon has shown he is a capable defender with a strong propensity to steal the ball from opponents. Simons, on the other hand, has been regarded as a defensive liability throughout his career. In his brief stint with the Celtics, he grew on that end of the floor. He credited his time in Boston for helping him understand how to jump into passing lanes and better navigate around screens.

To Simons, he improved defensively in Boston because he was no longer at the top of opponents' scouting reports. In Portland, Simons needed to carry the team on his shoulders as the primary option after Damian Lillard departed. His increased offensive load caused him to slip defensively. With Boston, he didn't have to be the go-to guy. He won't have to in Philly either.

Both want to contribute to winning

Simons' time with the Celtics showed that he can step up his performance when there is something worth competing for.

Every championship team needs contributions from the bench. And luckily for the 76ers, Simons and Philon are ready to do whatever it takes to win.

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