The Europeans Are Coming! The Europeans Are Coming!

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA;

(Croatia) gets a hug after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Europeans Are Coming! The Europeans Are Coming!

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, there’s always tomorrow… ” were the words to a classic from the play “Annie”. That theme has been the biggest hope, and detractor, of the Philadelphia 76ers organization. But it’s not simply because they continue to trade today’s players for tomorrow’s draft picks. There’s more. They have Dario Saric, Vasilije Micic and Arsalan Kazemi in Europe, and Jordan McRae returning from Australia.  Furkan Aldemir has joined the team in 2014.  All of this is after surrendering two additional European assets in the Nik Stauskas trade: Lithuanian prospect Arturas Gudaitis and Serbian prospect Luka Mitrovic.

Today the team is struggling to assemble a team with chemistry, talent, and resiliency.  But it is a team with enough talent on paper to have cause for optimism.  With Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel hitting the court this season, and with a Joel Embiid struggling to find the basketball court, the mistake now would be to alter course and over-commit tomorrow’s assets to fix today’s holes.  It takes more to shake the will of general manager Sam Hinkie, however.

With a new roster being built on the fly, centering on the combined talents of “bigs” Okafor and Noel, the plan is to find enough talent to stretch the defense.   Stauskas was coveted a year ago, but after a disappointing season with the Sacramento Kings, became an almost risk free acquisition to the Sixers.   The team is also counting heavily on the point guard competition among Pierre Jackson, Tony Wroten, Isaiah Canaan, and Scottie Wilbekin.

ALSO ON SIXER SENSE: Jerami Grant Could Have A Breakout Year

Both general manager Sam Hinkie and head coach Brett Brown are in synch on the next step for the team’s progress.  They need offense, and they need to stretch the court to generate it.  To do so, they’ve assembled a cast of high ceiling low risk prospects who will compete among themselves, and eventually in the NBA. Those who succeed, will have the opportunity to remain with the team next year.  Why is that important?  Next year the team becomes a force in the NBA.

Next: Any Room For Us?

Apr 11, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Furkan Aldemir (19) reacts to a foul call against the Chicago Bulls during the third quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Any Room For Us?

But what about the Europeans? Do they have a place on this team? Well if you consider the first to arrive is Furkan Aldemir, then the answer is a resounding yes. How so? The Sixers acquired the rights to Aldemir due to his defense and rebounding abilities. But a diamond in the rough, Aldemir displayed a 50% shooting accuracy from the three point range. Considering Sixer summer coach Billy Lange was shopping for long range artillery in the summer league, he had plenty to say about his Turkish player:

"“Well, why not if he’s 3 for 6? That’s 50 percent. That would make him one of the best. So should we not rely on 50 percent from three? The numbers would say I’m doing a poor job. I’ve got to get him more of them.”"

That’s the plan, Stan.  And in case you need a visual reminder, here is some Furkan Aldemir on video:

Aldemir did deliver as expected on defense. He led the summer league with 13.3 rebounds a game(RPG). While that is summer league, it’s a nice back-up to Noel’s 8.1 RPG. Aldemir is slated to slide in for minutes when Noel is not on the floor, particularly if the rumors prove true to the Sixer intent to move Carl Landry. Aldemir is not a finished product, even from his own admission:

"“I know what I have on my defensive side, but I’m not strong enough for the offensive side [in the post],” he said. “So I have to improve my basketball skills. So the most important part is my shot if I’m a power forward.”"

A defensive player who is working on his offense? If he succeeds, the team will as well. If he doesn’t? Sam Hinkie rolled the dice with little risk. However, there’s more where that came from as well.

Next: NBA First

An NBA First Awaits His Chance

The Sixers are stacked in the front court. They have loaded up, whether by the randomness of the draft or by choice, to the point where they now have an impressive front court. With players like Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Furkan Aldemir, Joel Embiid, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Richaun Holmes all competing for the post, is there any room on the roster for an undersized 6’7″ power forward? The odds are stacked against Iranian Arsalan Kazemi, but that is par for the course.

Much like Pierre Jackson, he has fought an uphill battle to get this far. So far, he’s made it.

"“He started at Rice, transferred to Oregon, played in the Pac-12 and played well. That’s why he’s here. He’s a competitive player. He’s an energetic player. Any level of basketball needs a guy like that.” – assistant coach Lloyd Pierce"

But it’s not enough to be talked up by a coach in this league. You need to believe in yourself. That is where Kazemi stands tallest.

"“I can’t talk about (making it to the NBA) enough. (Iranians) are really excited, and this was my dream since 15 years ago. I get to (fulfill) my dream. And this keeps everyone else’s dream alive back in, not just my country, but the region of the Middle East. I’m just trying to do that to perfection. I’m hoping that . . . it leads to being a part of this team. (GM Sam Hinkie) knows what I can do and what I can bring to the table. Some players play the game with heart. You can’t teach someone to have a heart to play the game. I play with heart and I don’t mind getting dirty. Everyone knows what I do best — I’m a defensive guy. I get a lot of rebounds and make a lot of hustle plays. I’ve been trying to add a little bit of a jumper and I’ve been working on that.”"

What does he bring to the table?  Check out this video:

With the Chongqing Soaring Dragons in the China Basketball Association, Kazemi was second in the league with 3.1 steals per game, averaged 15 points per game. He was also fifth in the league with 13.7 rebounds per game. He shot 67% from the field and 58.1 % from the foul line. Competition is welcome in Philadelphia.  With Kazemi attempting to become the first NBA player from Iran, this competition could become fierce.

Next: Land Down Under

I Come From The Land Down Under

Yes… Australia is not Europe… but don’t fail me on geography because I’m including the hopes of this young man’s NBA career in this article. Jordan McRae is a young man who had been stashed by the Sixers in Australia for a year. Now rumor has it that he’s coming home to compete for a roster spot.

McRae is a 6’4″ shooting guard from the University of Tennessee and averaged 21.0 points per game with the 76ers summer league team in 2014. McRae was tendered a one-year league minimum by the Sixers in 2014, and rejected the offer. That gave him the right to sign in Australia, and gave the Sixer’s the right to his play in the NBA.  In Melbourne, McRae averaged 21.8 points per game. That’s offense, and that is sorely needed on this team.

Melbourne is also a city quite familiar to head coach Brett Brown:

"“[McRae] plays in a city that I lived in for 12 years and for the team I started my coaching career.  I know his situation intimately.  It does not have the skill of Europe.  It has a physicality unlike most leagues around the world. China is a free flowing … 120-110 games happen all the time. Europe is more chess match, a little more surgical and deliberate.  Australia is a hybrid of all that. There is a physical presence in the game. You get tough Australians who are going after [McRae] every night because he is the leading scorer in the league. He must be doing a pretty good job on how to get a shot off and take the punishment because that is a very physical league.We are always paying attention to Jordan. He is in a good situation. He is playing a lot of minutes. He continues to score. He is always in the back of our minds. What that means with what we intend to do with him now, that doesn’t change too much. We are aware of his success. We are aware of the successes of all our guys overseas.”  – Brett Brown discusses McRae in Melbourne"

So could Jordan McRae be assigned to a foreign league?  The team would need to tender an offer and be rejected again.   If no contract is tendered, he would be free to negotiate elsewhere.

What will Sam Hinkie do?  Only time will tell.

Next: Brats, Beer, and Basketball

Brats, Beer, and Basketball

Point guards are in heated competition on the Philadelphia 76ers this season.  And in any competition, there are those who win, and those who do not.   No matter who wins the start at point guard, they will need to keep an eye out for the player parked in Germany.

Vasilije Micic is the 2014 NBA draft 52nd selected player, a 6’5″ 205 pound Serbian point guard who currently plays for FC Bayern Munich of the Basketball Bundesliga.  He missed a full two months between November 28 and January 28 due to an elbow injury.   His return to the court has been slow, getting a mere 5 minutes of play.  In games where he gets over 20 minutes of playing time, he has averaged 9.0 points per game on a 46.2% field goals, 5.0 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game in 23.0 minutes per game.

His role with Bayern Munich is backing up veteran Anton Gavel, and in doing so the 21-year-old has averaged 10.4 points  per game on 41.2% field goal shooting,  35.0% from the three point arc, and 77.4% from the foul line, 3.3 assists per game, 1.9 rebounds per game, and 0.9 steals per game in 19.6 minutes per game.

Next: Duct Tape

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) reacts after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

NBA’s Version Of Duct Tape: Dario Saric

Categorizing Dario Saric is difficult to do.  Not because he does so little, but because he does so much, and does it well. Averaging 25.2 minutes per game in head coach Dusan Ivkovic’s “Spursian” rotation, Saric is averaging 12.7 points per game (PPG), 6.2 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.7 assists per game (APG) while shooting 53.8% on field goals, 39.1% on three pointers, and 68.8% from the free-throw line. His 62.5% effective field goal percentage and 64.4% true shooting percentage are both outstanding and, for the sake of context, would have ranked second and third in the NBA this season, respectively.

To appreciate the young man, we’ll give you a video sampling of his play:

The 6’10” 225 pound forward was a gem of the 2014 draft class. Despite knowing he was destined for European play, he still warranted a top first round draft selection at the chance that he would be returning to play in the NBA someday. His skill set for his size is unique, which is both a blessing and a curse.  He has the attributes of either a 3 (small forward) or a 4 (power forward).   In the European league, he excels at both positions.  In the NBA, he projects as a  power forward position due to his slower foot speed.

But projections are simply trying to categorize his style of play.  He has more than one position’s skills.  He is very good at the transition game, working hard for rebounds and then pushing the ball or making great outlet passes to teammates.  He can also use his size to post up and take it to the hoop.  He played point guard early in his career, which has paid huge dividends for him now with a high basketball IQ.    He understands spacing, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

The best way to describe Saric’s game is versatile.  He has the ability to play several positions very well.  While the old adage “jack of all trades, master of none” have come up more than once in describing him, the versatility make him a strong NBA candidate to have an immediate impact.  He has a full compliment of shots, moves, and determination.

Next: Sixers Deciding No Players Worth Re-signing