Potential Realized With Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Lineup
By Bret Stuter
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver 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
2016 Roster
It’s the holidays. What does tomorrow look like? It looks pretty good in my crystal ball. Here – see for yourself:
Starting roster
Point Guard Ben Simmons – LSU (Lady Luck give 76ers first pick of the 2016 NBA draft) Shooting Guard Robert Covington Small Forward Dario Saric Power Forward Joel Embiid Center Jahlil Okafor
Then coming off the Bench:
Point Guard T.J. McConnell Shooting Guard Nik Stauskas Small Forward Jaylen Brown – Cal (Lady Luck strikes again with Lakers 1st round pick) Power Forward Jerami Grant Center Nerlens Noel
Rounding out the roster
Isaiah Canaan Richaun Holmes Kendall Marshall .
2016 Potential
Fans’ hopes of any roster is at is most optimistic before the season begins. Unfortunately, it quickly crashes to it’s most disappointed pessimism after the first bad game. But holstering the highs and lows of expectations for a minute, just what does this roster look like in terms of minutes and production on the floor? Can I be missing some guys? Of course. Hollis Thomas is overlooked and may stick with this roster.
Ish That It?
The recent acquisition of Ish Smith for two second round draft picks in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans has his name as a potential for the 2016 season. But the fiber of next year is in the starting five, and a few names from the bench. Articles are coming out of the woodwork now describing a new dictatorial style Jerry Colangelo arriving, placing Mike D’Antoni into a psuedo – general manager role (before he even sees the team), and relegating Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown to nothing more than powerless figure head roles with strings attached – marionettes to Colangelo’s puppet mastery. That’s not what is going on here. What is happening is a carravan of some of the finest NBA talent ever assembled on one team, simultaneously needing to be coached, trained, and set into a formal NBA scheme that makes nearly instantaneous use of their newly arrived skillsets and potential. To do that requires an assembly of brilliant NBA minds. That is what is happening on the 76ers. The architect (Sam Hinkie) plans need someone to help Brett Brown build the team to specifications.
Next: Skycraping Starters