Philadelphia 76ers
Team Outlook:
The 76ers have long been a laughing stock and last year was no exception with their 10-72 season. This team has been picking at or near the top of the draft for the past couple seasons and it has not paid dividends as they continue to be plagued by injury. The team finally parted ways with its GM and has adopted a newer philosophy going forward. There is finally a better mix between young and veteran players and they hope to make some positive strides this year. One of the biggest issues is just that, the team has decided to go big rather than with the smaller lineups you see across the NBA. It is going to be hard for Philadelphia to keep up on the court and to have enough minutes to go around for their young guys to develop. Do not expect much from this team this year, but if their young guys ever meet their potential they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Projected Lineup:
Jerryd Bayless: Point Guard
Bayless was signed to a 3-year $27 million deal in the offseason for a team that desperately needed help in the backcourt. He has been a reserve and come off the bench for most of his career and is going to be asked to put up points and distribute the ball for this young team. When looking at names on this roster, Bayless is more of an afterthought, but he is going to be asked to be the glue to keep it together all season. Bayless averaged 104 points a game last season and should expect to see that number increase as his minutes rise.
Gerald Henderson: Shooting Guard
Henderson is another guy brought in during the offseason to help fill a need. This roster is plump with big men and does not have much in the ay of outside shooters. Henderson is going to be asked to fill that role this season and it will be interesting to see how he steps up. Teams are going to run out small lineups to try and run circles around the 76ers and Henderson is going to have to keep them honest and guard the outside. His role is going to increase since coming over from the Trail Blazers and so should his overall point total.
Robert Covington: Forward
Despite being the third leading scorer last year, Covington started camp without a guaranteed contract. There are four open slots and Covington is more or less a lock to slide into one of them. This team is ripe with forwards and at some point, the likes of Simmons, Noel, and Okafor are going to take over. Covington is not a guy you are going to stick into your lineup, but he is going to fill a need for the 76ers this season.
Dario Saric: Forward
The time has finally come. After being drafted by the 76ers in 2013, Saric is finally making his way over from the Euroleague in Turkey. He averaged 11.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds and it will be interesting to see how his game translated to the NBA. He has good size at 6-foot-10 and shot 50% from the field and 40% from three. With Simmons being out indefinitely with the foot injury Saric looks to be the guy as he fits better with Embiid than Okafor or Noel. The 76ers will tweak and play with the lineup in the early going to see what the best fit is and we will have to watch Saric’s minutes. The 76ers have invested a lot in their big men and it is going to be tough to get them all minutes.
Joel Embiid: Center
Embiid has yet to play an actual game for the 76ers after being picked third overall in 2014, but the team is hoping that he is finally healthy and ready to contribute. The front court is very crowded for the 76ers and bodies are going to be moving around to get everyone minutes. With the uncertainty surrounding his health and the wealth of big guys they have, Embiid is not a sure thing. The potential is definitely there, but the team needs to see healthy production before they can truly commit. Watch Embiid and the injury report as the season gets closer but at the moment he seems to have the green light.
Key Bench:
Sergio Rodriguez: Guard
Rodriguez has not played in the NBA since 2010 and has spent the last six seasons playing for Real Madrid. This did not stop the 76ers from signing him to a 1 year $8 million deal. This team is so desperate for perimeter shooting that they are going to give Rodriguez a chance to show if he can still play in the NBA.
Timothe Luwau: Guard
Luwau comes over from Serbia after being selected 24th overall this past summer. He was drafted for his ability to play defense and shoot the three, but there is not much to show how his game will translate into the NBA. Look for the 76ers to bring him along slow and see how he plays. There is a lot of competition at the forward position, but if he can prove to be a viable outside shooter, his minutes will rise of a team that desperately needs one.
Nik Stauskas: Guard
Stauskas was a first round pick in 2014 and has yet to live up to that status. He comes over from Sacramento in the hopes that he can provide help on the outside. He only shot 32.6% from three last season and is going to need to see a steep increase in that number if he wants to see the court.
Jahlil Okafor: Forward
Okafor was the leading scorer for Philadelphia last season, averaging 17.5 points per game to go with 7 rebounds. It seems shocking he would not be deemed a starter, but some off the court controversy and needing to refine his defensive game has him as one of the first options off the bench to start the season. Okafor is still young and has some maturing to do. His 50.8% shooting from the field will get him on to the court, but he still has a lot to clean up before he can take over his rightful spot in the starting lineup.
Ben Simmons: Forward
Simmons season has been cut short with a Jones Fracture in his foot and there is no timetable for his return. Simmons was very productive at LSU and taken number one overall ahead of Brandon Ingram. It is going to be a wait and see game with Simmons as the injury curse in Philadelphia continues.
Nerlens Noel: Forward/Center
Noel seems to be the odd man out in Philadelphia as this team just as too many big men. The injury to Simmons and uncertainty with Embiid is going to prolong his time with the team, but it is hard to pinpoint his exact role. One of these guys will have to change positions or teams entirely, but everyone needs to be healthy and play together first. Noel averaged 11.1 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds. Minutes will be at a premium when everyone is healthy, but until that point Noel should still get his fair share.
Key Losses: N/A
Key Additions: Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, Sergio Rodriguez