Sitting On The Bubble
With the roster filling up fast, and without clear direction of who the Sixers will draft, the remaining players are on the bubble to various degrees. With the front court of Embiid, Saric, Noel, Okafor, and Holmes, the team will likely be fighting to pare down the roster in the front court. That will mean five players dedicated to two positions. To cure the glut, the team will likely consider Dario Saric for the small forward role. With the starting roles filled, and with the reserve spots filling up rapidly, the team has filled ten roles. Just five remain to fill in the 2016 15 man roster.
Despite his steady production , Carl Landry is fighting numbers he cannot control – an open roster spot. With his 6.8 points per game on just 11.8 minutes, his has been a role of doing everything the team has asked of him. With a PER of 20.1, tops on the team, and shooting at 57.5% from the floor, he warrants some consideration. Add to the fact that he is a veteran who has worked well in his first year as a Sixer, and you certainly can make a case for the team to retain him for next season. ODDS: 50%
Nik Stauskas is a curious situation. He was coveted by the team enough to request his inclusion in a trade with the Sacramento Kings alongside Carl Landry. But the team may have cooled on his upside, as he was part of a reported trade package offered for Atlanta Hawks reserve point guard Dennis Schroder. He is one of Brett Brown’s prodigies, as he has been discussed as a two way player in the same breath as Covington. For now, the team is looking hard to rework the back court, and develop players who can defend well and shoot even better. For now, Stauskas sits in a spot the team has fewer better options. ODDS: 50%
With the commencement of the 2015-2016 season, Isaiah Canaan was hoped to fill the role of point guard for the Sixers. That experiment failed both team and player, as Canaan has since found himself relegated to coming off the bench in hopes of sparking the teams offense. In that new role at shooting guard, he has made serious strides to the good.
He is a niche player, a sixth man who can fill both back court positions in a pinch. Hybrid roles are becoming popular in the NBA, and Canaan is one of NBA’s best. With the undercertainty of the Sixers back court, and the upside of his value both to the Sixers and to other teams in a potential trade, Canaan is likely to remain on the team for now. ODDS: 60%
Another player with some versatility is Hollis Thompson. He is versatile enough to fill both a shooting guard role as well as the small forward position. He is also the most accurate range shooter, burying treys at a 38.9% clip. ODDS: 40%
Next: More Bubbles, Less Champagne