Plant and Grow
The Sixers need to plant their hopes on one player, and grow around him. I suspect that the team has been on hold because that player has taken two years to heal. I believe that the evidence is when the team believes Joel Embiid is about to join them, the roster is shuffled and players are trained to play in supporting roles.
So if Embiid is your centerpiece, who plays around him? Well, if he plays center, I think you assemble Holmes, Okafor, and Noel at power forward to find the right fit, and then place either Okafor or Noel into a reserve center role. But I think his shooting eventually places him at power forward. He is tall, but physical. He can dominate the post game, but he has developed a disturbingly deadly perimeter shot. That, coupled with a rim protector or a offensive tidal wave would set up the Sixers solidly in the front court. Slide newcomer Dario Saric to the three spot, and you’ve got a front court that is better both offensively and defensively.
But it gets better. Four draft picks, four chances to address the back court in a “small ball draft” creates plenty of opportunity to strengthen the roster.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers 2017 Draft Options Are Limited
It’s not that this roster is void of talent. It’s full of talent. It’s simply that the team is heavy on backup players and light on true starting caliber players. Isaiah Canaan is very productive coming off the bench to launch treys from long range. But starting seems to set him too often into facing his defensive limits. Up and down the roster, there are players that need more time to grow, to mature, and to learn their strengths and the nuances of the professional game of basketball.
Perhaps the team can find some help for a Joel Embiid led team. You know that Dario Saric will play a part. But if the team can snag either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, or even both, that would supercharge this team going forward. The key is not just getting the first overall pick, but drafting the best player or players who can give the Sixers production enough to begin winning the close games. Sam Hinkie has shown that he can set up a team to succeed. He’s shown he can make the difficult choices about who to draft, who to trade, and how to set up a team to win in the long haul. Now there is one final leg remaining. He needs to show he can pick the pieces who can congeal into a formidable and long running champion caliber team.
If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Hinkie everytime.