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Ranking the Sixers: No. 16, James Michael McAdoo

By Christopher Kline

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: James Michael McAdoo #20 of the Golden State Warriors waves to the crowd during the Victory Parade and Rally on June 15, 2017 in Oakland, California at The Henry J. Kaiser Convention. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: James Michael McAdoo #20 of the Golden State Warriors waves to the crowd during the Victory Parade and Rally on June 15, 2017 in Oakland, California at The Henry J. Kaiser Convention. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Sixer Sense is kicking off it’s biggest series this offseason, where we’ll rank each and every player on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster — starting with two-way signee James Michael McAdoo.

As a way to fill the dead space of September, we here at The Sixer Sense are diving head first into one of the more controversial debates surrounding any NBA team: How does each play stack up against one another.

With the Philadelphia 76ers boasting such a unique group of young talents and veteran leaders, coming to a conclusion on universal rankings for every player is virtually impossible. So we improvised, and averaged the rankings from 14 different staff members into one composite list of the team’s best players, in order from No. 1 through No. 16.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

All members of the 15-man roster, as well as the team’s two-way contract signee (James Michael McAdoo) were included. McAdoo’s the man to kicks off the rankings at 16.

There isn’t too much to be said here. McAdoo’s role with the team, for the time being, feels temporary. He’s only allowed up to 45 games with the Sixers on his current deal, while Philadelphia’s glut of bigs up front leaves little room for him to carve out a significant role.

There’s as argument to be made that McAdoo’s game holds more value than Jahlil Okafor‘s in the moden NBA — as high-energy rim-running and defensive hustle certainly has it’s place — but McAdoo hasn’t shown enough to warrant that status in most circles.

During his tenure in Golden State, McAdoo’s playing time was heavily limited as the fourth string center. He had plenty of time to learn behind veterans like Zaza Pachulia and David West, but seldom saw the floor for an extended period of time — especially once the playoffs rolled around.

As an undersized-but-long five, McAdoo’s value is tough to gauge. He’s the most noteworthy name signed to a two-way contract this offseason, but many of the fleeting glimpes of success we saw at Golden State could easily be attributed to the Warriors’ basketball machine.

We still haven’t seen what he’s capable of outside of Golden State’s megaoffense, and that’s why his stock was so low this offseason. 

McAdoo spent three successful seasons at North Carolina during his collegiate career, where he thrived as a plus athlete who was willing to put in work on both sides of the ball. He’s aggressive on the boards and has the mobility and lift needed to make plays above the rim. It legitimately boils down to whether or not he’s capable of surviving outside of Steve Kerr‘s system.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0

In terms of value signings, McAdoo could be a nice find considering the flexibility and low risk of a two-way contract. But he’s still an uninspiring player with a lot to prove, and isn’t somebody we should expect much from come next season.