Anxiety is starting to take its toll on Philadelphia 76ers fans in the very middle of the offseason. We just want more basketball. With the regular season still months away, let us get you even more hyped to see the boys in red, white, and blue show why trusting the process is still right, with some 2015-16 Sixers regular season predictions.
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Season Record: 27-55
27 wins might seem like a bit of a stretch, considering the past two seasons gave a combined win total of just 37 (19 wins in ’13-’14, 18 wins in ’14-’15), but this is the year for the Sixers to take a step forward in development and win record. The 2015-16 Sixers hold more offensive talent than the teams who took the court the previous two seasons. The Sixers have finished last in offense the past two seasons, but with the additions of offensive maestro Jahlil Okafor and free shooters Nik Stauskas, Pierre Jackson, and Scottie Wilbekin, look for the offensive firepower to improve. Brett Brown has gained valuable experience and looks to finally mold together a rough (and I mean very rough) copy of a contending team. With at least a season of experience under the belts of some core guys like Nerlens Noel, Robert Covington, and Tony Wroten, more improvement is expected in all areas of play.
This is the season to expect a higher win total and not worry so much about “Tankadelphia”. Sam Hinkie has also shown he is ready to see a more successful team on the court very soon by acquiring the right to swap picks with the Kings in two future drafts. A nine game jump shouldn’t be so ludicrous considering the moves the Sixers have been making to try to improve in the near future. 27 wins. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, FOLKS!
Let’s get into some talk about the players who will standout in 2015-16.
Team MVP: Jahlil Okafor
Yes, this me saying I’m all in on the rookie center. Yes, this is me being overly optimistic. Yes, this is also me realizing he is the building block of the Sixers franchise. So, sorry for the surprising spoiler alert, but Jahlil Okafor will be the best player on the 2015-16 Sixers.
Some may argue that the most valuable player, even if it’s just the team’s MVP, should be a contributor on the defensive side, as well as the offensive end, something that would hurt Jahlil’s case for Sixers’ MVP.. I myself used the same argument for Houston Rockets’ guard James Harden to win the league’s MVP award over Golden State Warriors’ star Stephen Curry. So call me out on being a hypocrite, but I believe Okafor will play formidable defense throughout the season and prove to be the stud we all thought he would be on offense.
Okafor will be the complete focal point of the offense and will serve as the “point guard” from down low, being responsible for creating open looks for himself and perimeter shooters. Expect to see the ball in his hands more than any other player on the court, allowing him to stuff the stat sheet in multiple ways. Okafor will turn himself from the Sixers’ most valuable asset, into the Sixers’ most valuable player in his first season.
Okafor’s Predicted Season Stats (estimate based off of previous year stats and defined role for the team): 13 ppg, 3 apg, 7 rpg, 62% field goal percentage.
Leading Scorer: Robert Covington
RoCo led the team in scoring last season, scoring 13.5 ppg, and expect that number to increase. Covington’s main source of offense is the outside shot, and will get more open looks than last year with the a better low post presence on offense this year. Covington will continue to put up big scoring numbers with his 3-pt ability, but will also look to get to the basket more than last year.
Covington will have a big year on offense and prove he is a key player in the turnaround for the Sixers.
Covington’s Predicted Season Stats: 15.5 ppg, 1 apg, 5 rpg, 39% 3-pt percentage.
Breakout Player: Jerami Grant
Grant is the guy to watch. This season will ultimately decide Grant’s future with the team. The talk surrounding Jerami Grant was his surprising 3-pt success in his rookie season (31.4%), after going 6 for 20 from behind the arch over a two year span at Syracuse. Grant is the victim at a bit of a log jam on the Sixers roster, playing primarily behind Robert Covington at small forward, and saw himself playing some minutes at power forward, a position he is less likely to see this year.
Jerami’s incredible athleticism has always given him the ability to score, and with the continued development of an outside shot, he could prove to be a dynamic scorer.
Grant’s emergence will put the Sixers in a bit of a predicament with Covington and Grant both playing well, so it will be interesting how that would play out. Expect Grant to see more minutes this season, and start to build himself a nice reputation across the league.
Grant’s Predicted Stats: 10 ppg, 3 apg, 5 rpg, 40% field goal percentage.
So, if you weren’t excited before this, then surely you must be excited now. A losing record is never fun, but when a 9 game jump happens season to season, it is encouraging. The pieces are starting to come together, and the future will continue to be bright, expect these Sixers to open some eyes, and even play spoiler to some teams near the end of the season.
As we watch this team grow, keep in mind the amount of valuable assets Sam Hinkie is keeping in his deck of cards, he’ll start to draw them very soon.
Next: How Do The Sixers Match Up Against The Four Atlantic Teams?