How Returning Players Can Bolster 76ers

Nov 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard

(1) before action against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center. The Cavaliers won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

How Returning Players Can Bolster 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers just accomplished their first win. But the season is now a mere 20 games old in an 82 game season. The team is last in many NBA categories, but the most important category is the standings. They are currently dead last and are the odds on favorite to finally win the top draft choice in the 2016 NBA draft. But that is a discussion for another place, another time.
The 76ers are still assembling the team that sits on paper.

You see, there have been injured players since the season began.  One such player is Robert Covington, and you have witnessed how much more competitive the team has become since he has regained his shooting accuracy.  In the process, he’s discovered he is very talented on the defensive side of the ball as well.   But the Sixers have Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten Jr., and Carl Landry coming back at some point.  Will that disrupt the fragile team mechanics which are beginning to take shape, or can the returning players help the team?

The fact is that returning players can bolster 76ers this year.  Here’s how:

The Philadelphia 76ers have so much going against them this season, some by design and some simply by a constant throw of bad luck.   The team planned to load up on youth this season, but did not factor in the challenges of managing those young men on a losing team.  Pockets filled with money, struggles on the basketball court, and a deep desire to turn things around as quickly as possible have made this team somewhat volatile.

On that same front, the team did not resign any free agents from last year, and had counted on the few returning players to carry new faces through the early months of the season.  That didn’t happen.  But now that some players have gotten NBA experience, they are ripe for the “next wave” of mentoring.  The team roster of  Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, T.J. McConnell, Nik Stauskas, and Hollis Thompson are raw.  Okafor is a nineteen year old who suddenly has found himself carrying an NBA team on his back, a very bad team.  Noel is a center turned power forward who isn’t meshing on the court with his center. Stauskas is the shooter without accuracy, whose largest problem is finding confidence.  McConnell is a pass first player, but someone who must learn to make his own shots.  Finally Thompson is a solid supporting role player.  But this team is overflowing with supporting role players right now.

What can any of the returning players do for this team?

Next: Take The Heat Off

Sep 28, 2015; Galloway, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten (1) during media day at Stockton Seaview Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Take The Heat Off

From the moment he arrives, the team will turn their attention towards Tony Wroten.  Why?  He’s outspoken, he’s fearless, he will make his own shots, and he’s already developed one of the bet repertoires with Robert Covington.  That sudden infusion of confidence is just what the team needs right now.

Yes it’s just a tweet from a player excited to return to the court. But so was this:

And this:

and even this:

The pattern is undeniable.  The theme is consistant.  Tony Wroten is confident, a tad peeved, and awfully anxious to change the tide.   If you’ve seen the Philadelphia 76ers recently, you’ve seen the immense difference having Robert Covington back on the court has made.  Tony Wroten is capable of adding to that zest, that surge, that production.  Wroten is not just getting off the bus into Philadelphia, he knows this team, he knows the returning players.  When the team needed a man to step up, Wroten was that guy. Check out this video of Wroten last season:

The team needs a guy, “that” guy, in crunch time. Tony Wroten has been that guy.  In recent weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers have had the lead going into the fourth quarter of each game.  But without feeding the ball to Okafor, the offense has been tied to the ever chilling hands shooting from the perimeter.  Wroten brings more than artillery.  He slices and scores at the basket. Then he moves to the basket and can feed the ball to a perimeter guy.   He can also collapse the defense his way, and quick feed or alley oop to a trailer.

Check out this ball movement against the Denver Nuggets:

Tony Wroten is not a savior.  He may not even get more than 15 minutes on the court.  But he brings audacity, and that has certainly been a very missing ingredient to this team so far.

Next: Show Them The Cavalry Has Arrived

Apr 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry (24) passes the ball away from Los Angeles Lakers center

(27) in the second half during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Show Them The Cavalry Has Arrived

Carl Landry is the official godfather of the Philadelphia 76ers.   He’s the player who has seen it all.  He’s been to the playoffs four years: twice with the Houston Rockets, once with the New Orleans Pelicans, and once with the Golden State Warriors.  He’s been on winners – like the Houston Rockets from 2007-2009, and losers, like the Sacramento Kings in the 2009-2010 season.  His best season statistically was the 2009-10 season, where he was traded from the Rockets to the Kings in a three team swap which sent Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks and Kevin Martin to the Rockets.

Landry knows basketball.  But he also knows off-court controversy. On March 17, 2009 at 2:30 am, Landry was involved in an incident in downtown Houston when his car was struck by a vehicle that swerved to hit him. They both collided a second time as they made U-turns. As Landry exited his vehicle to assess the damage, he was shot in the leg and the suspects fled the scene. His teammates were shaken by the news, but rallied to support their teammate.

"“It’s scary,” said Rocket teammate forward Shane Battier. “This is a guy we were joking and riding with on the plane just hours before. My feeling is thankfulness that he’s going to be OK. You have to be careful and be aware of your surroundings. Even then, there’s no guarantee you’re safe. But I’m not going to lock myself in my house with an arsenal of weapons.”"

His coach was also monitoring the situation

"“I’m just thankful that he’s all right,” said Rockets head coach Rick Adelman. “It’s just a situation that all of us have to be aware of. It’s not the same world it was 10 years ago. You’re just thankful that it’s not something more serious.”"

On March 30, Landry returned to practice involvement and played in his first game on April 7, less than three weeks after the shooting.

That type of background, of misfortunes and tragedy off-court, will be priceless experience to bring to this team right now.  The minds of Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and to some part Nik Stauskas, have all been shaken with events of this season.  Three starters, three potential stars, at a crossroads.   With the arrival of Landry, they will see that there is a methodical process to ensuring a long career on the basketball court.  But even moreso, there is a mindset to deal with the challenges which confront any professional sports figure.  There is a structure of controlling only that which you can control.  With that type of message, Landry is more than a teammate.  He’s a wellspring of wisdom and experience on a team seemingly at a deficit in both areas.

The cavalry has arrived.

Next: Team of Us Suddenly Got Bigger and Better

Sep 28, 2015; Galloway, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kendall Marshall (5) during media day at Stockton Seaview Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Team Of Us Suddenly Got Bigger And Better

The Sixers team has been assaulted on all fronts. On the court, they face opponents who have likely played together for years, have more experience, and more players suited up who can enter the game. When the game is over, the media is harsh, describing the team as a developmental league candidate pretending to be an NBA team. Ouch!

But the early woes of this injured team are fading now. Familiar faces are rejoining the team. But Kendall Marshall is not a familiar face. Not yet anyways. A 6’4″ 200 point point guard out from the North Carolina Tarheels, Marshall has spent three years in the NBA on three different teams: the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Marshall is not the guy who will put up an insane amount of points. But he does manage the game well, averaging 5.4 assists per game despite playing on three different teams.

Marshall was selected 13th in the 2012 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, and split his time between the Suns and their D-league team the Bakersfield Jam.  At the end of the 2012-13 season, Marshall was packaged with Shannon Brown, Marcin Gortat and Malcolm Lee in a trade to the Washington Wizards for Emeka Okafor (distant cousin to 76er center Jahlil Okafor) and a 2014 first round pick. The Wizards waived Marshall, who was subsequently picked up by the Delaware 87ers. From there, he was signed to the roster of the LA Lakers.

"“Throughout that first year I had been through so much, mentally and with not playing, when I went to the Sevens I just wanted to be on the court. I just knew, I hoped, that everything would fall into place once I got on the court. And, thankfully, it did. This league is all about opportunity. There’s not one guy in this league that can’t play. It’s just a matter of them getting that opportunity to go out there and show it. The opportunity [with the Lakers] was huge for me,” Marshall described. “When you’re on the court and you’re getting to learn from your mistakes, and learn what you can and can’t do, I think that’s huge for any player.”"

Despite some success with the Lakers, Marshall was released. He then caught on with the Milwaukee Bucks and ended up back with the Phoenix Suns in the trade that sent Michael Carter Williams to the Bucks for the Los Angeles Laker first round draft pick. Once more, Phoenix released Marshall. But this time, its the Philadelphia 76ers who signed him. Does that meant that perhaps Philly should have kept Marshall? 76ers head coach Brett Brown admitted that they may have let him go before they should have.

"“Maybe we did let him go too soon,” Brown said. “It’s probably a little bit easier to assess [him] when you actually see him on an NBA court, instead of in a D-League game. I feel like he had some good NBA games that made us pay attention.“Kendall Marshall can pass the hell out of it,” Brown went on to say. “The pass is king. The pass is everything. When you look at the qualities of successful teams, and especially successful offensive teams, the pass is everything.” -Brett Brown discussing resigning Kendall Marshall"

Next: Top 30 Memorable Philadelphia 76ers Moments Of All Time

In the end, the roster is getting healthy at the perfect time. To end the season with positive momentum, the Sixers will need all hands on deck. It’s not easy to turn a losing team into a winner. It takes several years and effort from virtually everyone in the organization. The Sixers are counting on players returning to help them pull this off.

The good news is, they are coming.