UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Philadelphia 76ers - Good if it Goes
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NBA Team Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

Offseason:

Draft Picks: 1. SF. Ben Simmons, 24. SG. Timothe Luwawu, 26. SG. Furkan Korkmaz

Key Acquisitions: PG. Jerryd Bayless, SG. Gerald Henderson

Key Losses: PG. Ish Smtih, PF. Carl Landry, PG. Tony Wrotten

Player Profiles

Projected Lineup

PG. Sergio Rodriguez: 6’3, 176

  • Veteran European PG taking his 2nd stab at the league
  • Biggest strengths are shooting and passing the ball
  • Don’t expect him to be able to handle the top-caliber PGs defensively. Will be a major adjustment for him from the guys he was defending in Europe

SG. Gerald Henderson: 6’5, 215

  • Athletic 2-guard that loves to slash
  • Inconsistent shooter who has improved his J over the years but still far from reliable
  • Has to physical tools to play defense but not overly effective

SF. Ben Simmons: 6’10, 240

  • Phenomenal passer and playmaker capable of playing multiple positions on offense.
  • Jump shot is an unknown commodity and so is his mindset about taking them.
  • Has the physical tools to play some defense but showed a lack of interest in college.

PF. Nerlens Noel: 6’11, 228

  • Athletic, long, physically gifted big man that is on the verge of being a defensive star.
  • Blocks shots, gets steals, defends on the perimeter and in the interior.
  • Will never be a star on offense but has some potential to do more. Can be an elite finishing big.

C. Jahlil Okafor: 6’11, 275

  • Budding offensive star that flashed big time scoring ability in his rookie season.
  • Horrendous defender that doesn’t move laterally well or protect the rim.
  • Physically strong, but lackluster rebounder giving his size and physical profile.

 

Bench

C. Joel Embiid: 7’0, 250

  • Unknown commodity who hasn’t played since being drafted 2 years ago due to severe knee troubles.
  • Was an elite defensive prospect coming out of college it remains to be seen if he can do it at this level, especially after being out so long.
  • Low post offensive scorer with developing shooting ability, maybe even out to 3 point range. (Check Youtube)

PG. Jerryd Bayless: 6’3, 200

  • Shoot first combo guard with a scorers mentality that can fill it up when he gets hot.
  • 3 point shooter that can put points on the board with the 2nd unit but not much of a playmaker.
  • Not a good defender at either guard spot.

SF.  Robert Convintgon: 6’9, 215

  • Big 3 and D wing that shoots a ton of 3s.
  • Off ball player that plays mostly without the ball and is an above average shooter.
  • Good defender that can guard either wing spot.

PF. Dario Saric: 6’10, 223

  • Raw young combo forward that doesn’t naturally fit either forward position.
  • Best traits on offense are currently spot up shooting out to 3 point range and his passing ability. Doesn’t have much of a post game and isn’t explosive.
  • Defensively he struggled overseas to defend on the interior and needs to get stronger but has potential to defend away from the paint. Decent lateral quickness for a big.

SG. Hollis Thompson: 6’8, 206

  • Long 2 guard that offers some value as a lower level reserve 3 point specialist.
  • Doesn’t offer much on offense outside of spacing the floor as a good 3 point shooter.
  • Doesn’t defend at a high level despite his physical profile.

PG. T.J. McConnell: 6’2, 200

  • Overachiever PG who can contribute at the NBA level off the bench.
  • Good passer with good instincts, averaged over 8 assist per 36 last year.
  • Just doesn’t have the ability to defend most of the PGs in the NBA.

SF. Jerami Grant: 6’8, 210

  • Elite physical profile for a wing with the size to play small ball 4. 7’2 wing span and nearly 9 ft standing reach. Good athlete for his size.
  • At his best offensively as a slahser where he can utilize his physical traits and finish around the rim.
  • Still getting adjusted to defending in the NBA after playing zone at Syracuse but has the tools to be a good NBA defender.

SG. Nik Stauskas: 6’6, 205

  • Fringe NBA talent who looks to contribute as a shooter.
  • Unable to contribute much on offense outside of shooting and wasn’t that great at that.
  • Can’t defend at the NBA level.

 

Breakdown

The Sixers have been the worst team in the NBA for years now. However, I think that changes this season as they finally have a real NBA roster. Development should be the primary focus for the Sixers organization this upcoming year. First and foremost they have to see what they have in Joel Embid. And if Embid is the real deal then they have to try and move Noel or Okafor. All eyes will be on Simmons but it’s those 3 bigman that I’ll be paying the most attention too. The Sixers flirted with the idea of trading either Okafor or Noel during the offseason but simply didn’t get an offer that they felt was good enough returning value. I believe they were right as I expect both players to show tremendous growth from last year. Will Simmons actually start shooting the ball from the outside is another key thing to keep an eye on with this team. With Simmons playing the 3 instead of the 4 at the NBA level and neither of the bigs having 3 point range, the Sixers’ spacing could be really bad if Simmons can’t or won’t shoot. As for the backcourt – it actually improved and yet still it’s one of the least worst in the NBA. Rodriguez and Henderson aren’t exactly on par with some of the top tandems like the splash brother, Lowry and Derozan, or even Russell and Clarkson in LA. That is why it will be so important for all 3 of the Sixers bigs to play well so that the Sixers can leverage 1 of them in a trade to either land a young talented guard or the resources to get 1 next off-season.

Expectations

The Sixers are still nowhere near ready to contend for a playoff spot or anything like that but with actual competent NBA players throughout the entire roster things should look immediately better this season. Offensively, with Ben Simmons running the show I expect to see the Sixers look better on offense but I also expect the Sixers to be one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA which is why they’ll ultimately still be near the bottom of the standings.

 

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