By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly Staff 
Every year before the NBA season begins, Sports Illustrated releases a list of their Top 100 NBA Players. You may be looking at the headline wondering why Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid aren't included, but SI.com only released numbers 100-51 so far.
While it's no doubting that Simmons and Embiid are the heartbeat of the Philadelphia 76ers, the supporting cast around them cannot be forgotten. One of the most integral parts of their success and improvement last season was the addition of veteran sharpshooter JJ Redick and the long-range shooting bump from Dario Saric.
Redick, 34, averaged a career-high 17 points last season for the Sixers last season, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 42 percent from beyond the arc. He was/is the best pure shooter that the Sixers have had in a while, and despite his misses in the playoffs, they would not have gotten there had it not been for his regular season contributions. Redick comes in a No. 62 on SI's rankings. Here's what they had to say about the Sixers veteran:
It makes perfect sense that Redick (17.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.0 APG) would leave the most comfortable fit of his NBA career at age 33 and go on to have his best season yet. Philadelphia made Redick a focal point; he might not have led the Sixers in shot attempts or usage, but Redick’s movement without the ball gave the entire offense its shape. Not many shooters could bear the weight of that kind of role. It works for Redick because of how fluidly he transitions from sprint to shot, making some of the hardest shots in the game look easy.
Redick could bring that skill set anywhere, modulating his role as necessary to fit whatever his circumstances require. There is an immutable baseline value for a career 42 % three-point shooter who can hold his own defensively. Redick is more than that. The way he takes the ball in a dribble hand-off and reads the next play in sequence opens up the scope of the entire offense. His screens—yes, screens—throw defenders completely out of sorts. It all comes from the versatility of Redick’s form and release, which allow him to touch so many more aspects of an offense than you might expect
Meanwhile, Saric, in his second season with the Sixers since coming over from Anadolu Efes, saw jumps in his scoring (14.6), rebounds (6.7) and assists (2.6). Dario's shooting percentage went from 41.1 percent to 45.3 percent from his first season to his second and his three-point percentages jumped 42 points from 31.1 percent to 39.3 percent. The Homie might be the most underrated member of the Sixers' young core and he comes in at No.54 in SI's rankings:
For Saric (14.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG), instinct is a propulsive force. The 24-year-old has a preternatural sense of where to be and when. By the time Ben Simmons commits to making a pass, Saric has already raced through the backdoor on his way to the rim. He has a knack for turning up around any loose ball. If the defense is careless enough to box out without securing the rebound, Saric will be the first to it. Should an opponent get careless with a dribble hand-off, Saric might sniff out their negligence and poke the ball away.
It’s not easy for a team to build off of that kind of situational awareness, but we saw in the postseason just how fruitful it can be. Saric was completely undaunted by his first playoff run. He stuck to his game—a dynamic mix of cutting, shooting, and playmaking—and found room to contribute across the board. There were always higher priorities for the Sixers than to get Saric involved, and yet he constantly worked his way into the mix. For all the careful planning that goes into an NBA game, sometimes it’s up to players like Saric to help a team find their flow.
Expect Sports Illustrated to release the rest of their rankings as the week progresses.
