2016 Roster
With the team already sitting on a very young roster, the goal should not be the draft but in fighting for every bit of improvement this roster can muster. The team has a bonus in this off-season with Embiid and Saric, so placing too much hopes into one player in the 2016 NBA draft at the expense of this team right now is not the way to go. Beside that, the team is approaching that fork in the road: do they pursue the 2016 NBA draft in hopes to maximize their picks and prospects, or does success give them the incentive to forego some of the future potential for more immediate success?
With a slight skew in the win loss record of the team towards winning, the Philadelphia 76ers could definitely do the latter. You see, the results of Jerry Colangelo’s influence has shown up on this team already: he was instrumental in bringing Mike D’Antoni in as an assistant head coach, he is logically linked to bringing in point guard Ish Smith at the expense of two second round draft picks to solidify the crucial point guard position, and he’s brought the the team to a point of signing up power forward Elton Brand to serve in a mentor capacity for the young bigs on the team – most importantly center Jahlil Okafor. From the moment Ish Smith has arrived, young undrafted point guard prospect T.J. McConnell’s game has elevated. In short, the position most hoped the Sixers would address in the NBA draft has been met, with an undrafted player from the University of Arizona.
This team will get a boost in their roster next season with no draft picks. That’s the beauty of having Embiid and Saric coming on line for 2016. It also serves to take all the pressure off the pair of yin/yang strategic forces currently at work for the Philadelphia 76ers – Sam Hinkie’s patient strategy with Jerry Colangelo’s tactical maneuvering. Will the team focus on a future, or look to today? Does it really matter? Well, we know the team has a hot handed Embiid tearing up the gym in practice.
Joel Embiid makes a shot from near the half court after #Sixers practice. pic.twitter.com/WJCZwxPGJJ
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) January 22, 2016
We also know that the team is flush with available cash to spend on free agency, if the team ever improves enough to make that a valid strategy. Could they if they win twenty or more games this season? Knowing this roster’s trajectory, conservatively the team should fall into a 30-40 win season next year without factoring in any NBA draft picks. If the team hits on three or four impact players, that win total could project to the 40-50 win area. That’s good enough to factor in a top free agent into consideration.
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