Sixers Roster Review

Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard

(18) celebrates after a scoring play in an NBA Summer League game against the Knicks at Thomas and Mack Center. The Knicks won the game in overtime, 84-81. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Sixers Roster Review

Twenty Strong. That’s the limit of the NBA roster entering training camp. But which twenty is it?  Well you might guess that would be a simple matter, but not in the chess game of the general manager genius of Sam Hinkie.
We had approached this topic previously, and had identified that the team had two players to offer contracts to:  J.P. Tokoto before September 5, and Jordan McRae by September 10.   Tokoto got his contract offer, a one year deal.  But at the same time, the Sixers have also extended contracts to point guard Kendall Marshall as well as power forward Christian Wood.

So where does that leave us?

Well, at Center: We have starter Jahlil Okafor, rehabbing Joel Embiid, and center/power forward Nerlens Noel.

At Power Forward: We have Christian Wood, Furkan Aldemir, Richaun Holmes, and veteran Carl Landry.

At Small Forward:  We have Jerami Grant, JaKarr Sampson, and veteran Gerald Wallace

At Shooting Guard: We have Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington, Hollis Thompson.  J.P. Tokoto .  The team also has an option to offer a contract to Jordan McRae which expires after September 10.

At Point Guard:  We have Tony Wroten, Pierre Jackson, Isaiah Canaan, Scottie Wilbekin, and Kendall Marshall.  The Sixers were reported to have signed Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell to a partially guaranteed contract, but is now not signed to a training camp contract with the team.

At this point, it appears that the team is flirting with nineteen contracted players with options to sign either Jordan McRae or T.J. McConnell.  With the Wood signing, it would make sense to see him fill a Nerlens Noel type role in flipping between center and power forward.  It would be a nice chapter to the young man who had hoped to be drafted in the first round and never heard his name called:

Woods is a nice back up to Nerlens Noel on the team. He’s 6’11” 220 pounds and has a far reaching wing span of 7’3″. Wood has great mobility as well as the ability to grab a defensive rebound and go coast-to-coast for a basket in transition, and it becomes clear why general managers are interested in the young forward. And at age 19, he’s got plenty of time to grow up with the other youngster: Jahlil Okafor.

"“Yes, I know I’m based off potential. But I think I can produce at the next level and that’s why I made the decision to come up (to the NBA). I feel like I have to get stronger. Especially at the next level, there are guys that (are more physical). If DeAndre Jordan was guarding me, how am I going to back DeAndre Jordan down in the post? You know? He’s a big guy. So that’s one thing I need to work on.”"

We’ve talked about the Sixers being a cast of misfit toys, and this roster shows plenty of that.  There is a story in the making here.   A player who dreams of it all who had to face the greatest fear of not realizing that dream – that is certainly a wake up call.

Can Wood make this roster?  It’s a numbers game now.  But Sam Hinkie signs players with a purpose.   We’ll know who makes the twenty spot in three days.  The next time we do a Sixers roster review, we may have some answers.

Next: What Does Kendall Marshall Bring To The Sixers?