The Philadelphia 76ers are by far the most interesting team in the NBA to me. Being a lover of the inner workings of trading, scouting, drafting and free agency, I would obviously be drawn to the most talked about deal making team in the NBA. We all remember “Trust the Process” (or, for the adventurous Tas Melas fan, “Trust the Furkan Process”), or the legendary chant of “We got draft picks!” (what other team’s fans would possibly chant that?), or #ThankYouHinkie (a sad moment for many Philly fans, myself included).
If you really know my work, you know I once called the Sixers “the NBA’s cross between death row and a temp agency” when I was confused about the trading of Jrue Holdiay (who I thought could be the next Iverson-type player in Philly), but that was before I understood the greatness that is the process. Once I truly fathomed just how great this process really was, I knew exactly what was going on with the organization. Now, I will do my best to deliver to you a progress report on just how well the process has been working out. Going player by player, I will break down why I like them, why I don’t, and why this Sixers team will be in the Eastern Conference playoffs in no more than four seasons.
Jerryd Bayless, Guard, Age 28:
Bayless, a new signee for Philly this year, is a journeyman combo guard with elite shooting ability and above average defense. With a defensive rating between 103 and 114 for every season of his career, and a .437 3PT% last season, I’d say he’s a part of the new breed of “3 and D” players in the NBA. For the short term, he should serve as a serviceable guard for the Sixers while their younger players mature. Due to injury concerns and a hefty contract, however, I doubt if he’s part of the long term plan.
Elton Brand, Forward, Age 37:
One of only two players in NBA history named Elton, this 17 year NBA veteran isn’t even a lock to play next year. He is one of my favorite NBA players ever, but right now he’s basically a coach on the floor (more often on the bench, playing only 13.2 minutes per game). I love his ability to help out guys like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor (if they are still on the team with all these trade rumors), but he’s not an impact player on the court in any stat detectable way.
Robert Covington, Forward, Age 25:
As a rookie in Houston a few years back, he was undetectable and average aside from a good three point percentage. Now, entering his third season with the Sixers, RoCo always seems to be a big part of the Philly offense. A strong shooter and improving rebounder, Covington could make an impact on those fronts. However, he is very one dimensional. His field goal percentage hasn’t risen above 40% in his two seasons with Philly, and he had a bit of a foul issue last season. He isn’t lost on defense, and always averages good steals and defensive rating, but overall he’s a pretty good player who needs to sharpen his weak areas to have a key role on a playoffs 76ers roster.
Joel Embiid, Center, Age 22:
Ah, Embiid. What more can I say that hasn’t been said? He was drafted right after Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker (neither of whom I was very high on during draft day to be honest), and while they are making strides as NBA players, we are still yet to see Joel’s rookie campaign. However, I think he can be an impactful player with his size and all the time he’s had to study the game. Plus, it’s not like he wasted the best years of his career on the IR, so we should see what he has in the tank right from the start. I really like Embiid, and I feel like (and equally hope) he can defy the haters this year.
Jerami Grant, Forward, Age 22:
Grant is a future great player, maybe an All-Star to me. He has amazing bounce, he’s an excellent defender, and he’s made leaps and bounds from his first to his second season. Consider the fact that his field goal percentage jumped almost seventy points, his rebound, assist and block percentage have all improved, and his turnover percentage has gone down, while playing for the team with the worst record in the NBA. The only real issue I can see with Jerami is his shooting. 100% of his threes were assisted last year, and he shot only 24% from long range. That tells me he was stopping the movement of the ball by taking a shot that isn’t high percentage for him. That’s something many great players do (think Melo, Curry, even LeBron sometimes), except they turn it into a high percentage shot. If Grant is open and has to let it fly, he needs to be a better shooter. Regardless, I expect big things here for this guy in Philly.
Gerald Henderson, Guard, Age 28:
Gerald Henderson, to me, is one of the most underrated NBA players today. He made countless clutch shots for Portland last year, and was once a big time impact player for Charlotte (his best line with the Bobcats was 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists). The crazy thing is, he was delegated to a reserve role with the Blazers, and he isn’t even that old. Last time he averaged 30 minutes a contest, he put up 14 a game and shot 35% from long range. Here is another guy who can help the Sixers now, but maybe not as a long term piece. However, I wouldn’t mind keeping Gerald around for a while as a deep bench guy as he gets older.
Richaun Holmes, Forward, Age 22:
In a teeny tiny sample size last season, Holmes really looked nice. He shot 51.4% from the field, and showed a little bit of range from the outside (he shot less than .200, but still it’s a nice thing to have if need be). He doesn’t necessarily need to be a vastly improved shooter to be a much better player, like Grant does, because Holmes has the advantage of being 6’10” and nearly 250 pounds. He can stretch the floor a little, and be strong on the inside, and those are two things that Philly could use on the deeper part of their bench going forward.
Furkan Korkmaz, Guard, Age 19:
You can imagine the shock I encountered when I looked at my draft board and realized that one of my projected lottery picks, young Turkish athlete Furkan Korkmaz, was still available at pick number 26. You can also imagine the elation when Philly added their third top 15 player (in my rankings Simmons was #2, Luwawu was #11, and Korkmaz was #14) of the night. While Korkmaz is staying overseas this year, I see a bright future ahead of this young man. Korkmaz is a former dunk contest champion, has point guard handles, is an insanely good long range shooter, possesses above average court presence and knowledge of where he is at all times, and is an improving defender at 6’7”. His only real weakness is his defense, and that is only because he is a pretty skinny player for his frame. Honestly I think this kid has a ton of Klay Thompson in him, and once he comes over to the NBA in a season or two with a bigger body and more training, he is certainly a high level young player for this Sixers franchise.
Carl Landry, Forward, Age 32:
Hey, he had a good season once. In all seriousness, Carl Landry is a fun player to watch but not really a consistently important player barring one really solid season in which he averaged nearly 17 points and 6 boards for Houston. In an attempt to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks, as well as to maintain his relevance in the league, Landry has started shooting some jumpers from further distance with relatively good success in a small sample size (he made six threes last season at a .462 clip, more than in every one of his seasons combined), but it isn’t going to keep Landry in a considerable role for very long. He’s getting older, and while his versatility is a decent asset off the bench, versatility is something that you are seeing more and more of in the NBA. In short, it’s a lot easier to find than it was in 2007 when Carl was a rookie. You could make the case that Carl averaged over 30 points per 100 possessions last season, but that’s exactly the point. He can only do that in a reserve role at this point, and that’s where he should stay.
Shawn Long, Forward, Age 23:
To be quite frank with you, I have no clue who this rookie is out of the U of Louisiana Lafayette. In fact, when I searched his name, a basketball player wasn’t even the first result. It was a doctor. However, this kid is seriously good. He was one of the best double double machines in the NCAA, averaging 18.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game his senior year (against questionable opponents, much like Pascal Siakam or Egidijus Mockevicius). He also, apparently, has a pretty good feel for his jump shot. So this young player, under contract for a slender $65,000 this season, is a feast or famine prospect who I am frankly shocked I didn’t know more about.
Timothe Luwawu, Guard, Age 21:
Luwawu is one of my favorite prospects from this year’s draft, and I think the Sixers landed a gem here late in the lotto. He is a mixed bag of skills, and appears to be coming over from France right away to play in Philly. In my opinion, he can be an important player in the Sixers rotation as soon as he gets his bearings in the NBA. I suspect he will be ready to play at peak performance before the halfway point of next season, and once that happens, I believe we all will see why this guy is probably part of the future success of this team (weather by playing for them, or as a trade piece).
Kendall Marshall, Guard, Age 25:
Marshall is actually a very good distributor out of UNC, and if he is put in a certain role, he could shine. He averaged 8.8 assists per game for the Lakers a few years back, and if he is surrounded by shot hungry players, he has no problem finding them. Unfortunately for Kendall, he isn’t in that position. He is a solid long range shooter, but he thrives as a late option in the offense. If Philly is high on this guy’s talents, then hold him until he has someone to pass to. If not, he’s a fine guy to fill a roster spot and get some minutes here and there.
T.J. McConnell, Guard, Age 24:
Finally I get to talk about T.J. and his potential greatness. What’s not to like about the starting point guard from “Point Guard University” (Arizona) who earned his keep passing to two first round picks, and averages more assists and rebounds per 100 possessions in the NBA than Reggie Jackson, Derrick Rose, Damian Lillard or Mike Conley ever did (barring one season for D-Rose where he averaged more boards)? He is a virtuoso with the ball, and I think he could be John Stockton 2.0 when given the chance. I have done tons of work on McConnell for other pieces, and I truly believe this kid is a great player. I really hope Philly sticks with this kid, he could be a real talent.
Nerlens Noel, Center, Age 22:
Noel is a seriously athletic forward-center, and he could be a really consistent elite rebounder. His only issue is, he is not versed in the offensive side of the ball from outside ten feet. He is a really eye catching player who passes the visual test, but with his injury history and lack of multi-dimensional offensive ability, I think he’s some high end trade bait. Boston chose the #3 overall pick over Noel, but I’m sure he will land somewhere (I have heard plenty of Cleveland rumors, but Noel is a commodity wherever a center is needed).
Jahlil Okafor, Center, Age 20:
This guy out of Duke is a legitimate talent on the inside. His understanding and feel for the game is an impressive trait for someone this young. He has plenty of room to grow if given the proper water, fertilizer and classical music, if you know what I mean. You can see the potential of an All-Star big man all over the place when he plays, finishing his rookie season averaging 17.5 points and 7 rebounds. If Elton Brand can teach him the ins and outs of being a dominant rebounder (if anyone knows the tricks of the trade, it’s the undersized Brand), he already has the scoring to go along with it. He is in a similar boat with Noel in that he could be used as trade bait, but I would rather see Noel go and make room for this guy to have free run of the paint (unless one of them can suddenly become passable in the midrange, which would more than likely be Okafor, however the chances of him being moved to power forward are slim to none). If you do trade him, you are at least trading a more mature and skilled Okafor, and therefore are getting more in return.
Brandon Paul, Guard, Age 25:
I watched this guy in summer league, and while he sometimes seemed inefficient, he played well enough to earn a roster spot. He is another one of those versatile guys who can play the point, shooting guard or small forward position (in a small ball set), but I don’t see anything that tells me he will get consistent minutes in the NBA.
Sergio Rodriguez, Guard, Age 30:
Sergio was one of the key components on Spain’s bronze medal team in Rio this year. He played in the NBA for four seasons back in 2006-2010, but he truly wasn’t ready for that level (by his own admission). He was a below average point guard, and didn’t last very long. However, he is back and seems to be better than ever. Sergio figures to play some minutes for Philly and act as a guide to the younger players, someone who knows what it’s like to underperform, get cut and claw his way back. I consider him a very nice addition, and I am excited to see what Sergio in the NBA round 2 has in store.
Dario Saric, Forward, Age 22:
The Sixers have a ton of players who have never played in the NBA, and Saric is one of them. He is finally coming over from Croatia, and from what I saw in the Olympics, he could be an instant impact guy. The Sixers traded Elfrid Payton for this guy, and I think it was more than worth it. Saric is a big, athletic player with nice touch and tons of versatility. We saw him block 7’1” Pau Gasol’s game winning shot in one game, and put up some insane numbers over the course of the games. Saric is another example of the new breed of versatile players to hit the NBA. To me, he is certainly a part of the future of this organization, and might be a pillar of their franchise at some point.
Ben Simmons, Forward, Age 20:
The #1 overall pick (you already knew that) and #2 overall player on my draft board, Simmons is going to be a big part of every aspect of this team from the get go. Listed at 6’10” (weather this is true or a “Paul Pierce measurement” remains to be seen), Simmons has smooth handles and top notch court vision for his size. I suspect he may have some scoring woes early on, but he could be a Draymond Green type player for Philly at some point. Simmons was the start of a winning draft for the Sixers, and if he’s trained right and improves his jump shot, he could be a mainstay on the top of the 76ers box scores for years to come.
Nik Stauskas, Guard, Age 22:
I liked Nik coming out of college, but his elite shooting game in the NCAA hasn’t really transitioned to a trustworthy player in the NBA as of yet. He hasn’t shot better than 32.6% from long range in either of his NBA seasons, and his career field goal percentage is stuck at a measly .378. He shows flashes of a great shooter, but he doesn’t seem to have an understanding of when to shoot and when not to. Remember, he shot under 33% from long range last season, but still attempted four and a half threes per game. If he can get his shooting back to where it was in college, I suppose there is room for him in some team’s rotation, but he is so one dimensional at this point that I can’t see Philly spending too much more time on his development.
Hollis Thompson, Guard, Age 25:
Hollis Thompson really intrigues me. He has played a consistent role for Philly since his rookie year (which I really don’t think he was ready for coming out of his Junior season at Georgetown), and hasn’t been outstanding thus far. He has averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 boards and 1.1 assists in 25.2 minutes per game in his career, as a supplementary player on offense. However, last year he started to really gain steam nearing the end of the season, and I actually picked him up in my fantasy league. From what I’ve seen, we may not have witnessed everything this guy has to offer in the NBA. I’m really interested to see if Thompson can continue to get better, because if he can, he has already shown that he can play a role as a spot starter of sorts in the NBA. I hope Philly sticks with this kid a little bit longer, to see if those flashes really were of brilliance to come.
All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com and nba.com.
