Philadelphia 76ers "Bare Bones" 2016 Roster

If the Philadelphia 76ers must move players to end up with a “core” lineup to move forward with, this is my projection

The Philadelphia 76ers are chock full of players who can excel in the front court, but whose high population is literally choking the hopes of fully developing because of time limits to their playing time. The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to develop wing players and a cohesive back court, but haven’t a true set of day to day starters which the team can rely upon for consistant play.

Much like the dilemma of the 2016 NBA draft lottery scenarios, let’s face this worst case scenario of being forced to name five starters for next season today, knowing what we know. The basic premise is that the players named must be projected at this moment to be on next year’s roster. (I.E. No draft picks can be slotted into starting next year)

Center – Joel Embiid (primary backup Jahlil Okafor)

Power Forward – Dario Saric (primary backup Nerlens Noel)

Small Forward – Robert Covington (subject to upgrade, primary backup Jerami Grant)

Shooting Guard – Nik Stauskas (subject to upgrade, primary backup Isaiah Canaan)

Point Guard – T.J. McConnell (subject to upgrade, primary backup Kendall Marshall)

Now that we have the core, let’s talk about the upgrades. If the Philadelphia 76ers end up with either the first or second pick, you can be certain the team would jump on the chance to bring either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram to the team. Simmons could slot at the point guard, while Brandon Ingram could slide into the small forward spot. That would simply place Covington or McConnell onto the bench. One position to go.

If the team gets the four pick, then I think the wise move is to go Ingram, and then bring in either Kris Dunn or Buddy Hield at point guard. If the team lands Simmons, then the pick at four is likely Jamal Murray. What should the team with this line-up be capable of doing? Well, the team’s offense historically, while still dead last in the NBA, has been strengthening as the season has worn on, averaging 99.5 points per game in March 2016. Despite the absence of leading scorer Jahlil Okafor, and with the team playing despite as many as five players sitting out due to injuries, the team shows signs of progress when shooting. Offensively, this team should and will improve. I can see this team averaging at 100 points per game or better. But defensively, the team needs to make strong strides.

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Anchoring the team’s post role with Joel Embiid should give the team the best of both worlds – the offensive production of Jahlil Okafor married to the defensive stalwart-ness of Nerlens Noel. But he will need help. That is where Dario Saric kicks in. His passing gives him a strong positive contribution to the team, enabling them to push the ball from anywhere on the court. And with that precision passing, it pressures the defense to take away passing lanes, giving Sixers an advantage to shooting. But Saric can defend as well, and he has a good handle to limit turnovers. Covington and Stauskas, while better suited as bench players, can contribute if nothing else, based on the familiarity of the team and another year to invest practice and training into defending at the wing. Both have been making strides on defense, and that should continute going into next season. The final piece as it now stands is that of T.J. McConnell, whose rookie campaign was sensational. It is simply logical to expect improvement in his overall game next season, coupled with the wisdom of shooting when he has the open shot.

That lineup should be stronger defensively then the current team, particularly if the team rotates in Noel and Grant for Saric and Covington. If the team needs an offensive charge, then bring in Okafor and Canaan for Embiid and Stauskas. In either case, work with Noel and McConnell on offense, and with Okafor, Canaan, and Stauskas on defense in the off-season. And then strategize to find and get upgrades for the wings and point guard.

The most direct path is to target a strong mid 20’s prospect who can play both directions at the wing position and get him – either by free agency or by trade. If no avenue appears to yield solid opportunities, then by all means the target in the NBA draft should be a defensive wing who can learn to play offense.

Next: Trading Jahlil Okafor Could Parallel The Charles Barkley Fiasco

Now the bad news is the most critical positions to upgrade this off-season, small forward and shooting guard, are not obvious fixes. But the team should be able to remedy the situation in the draft or thereafter. The next critical date will be that of the NBA Lottery. May 17 — NBA Draft Lottery 2016 . On that date, the number and position of the Philadelphia 76ers draft picks will be public. Whether three or four picks, whether first or fourth, the team will know what their options are from that moment on.

If this team does nothing more than show up with a healthy Embiid and Saric next season, the team will have improved to a point of not finishing last in the NBA, perhaps even to a point of low to mid 20’s in season victories. But to go above twenty wins next year, the team will need to play a more fundamentally sound and cohesive style basketball, and will need to successfully address back court positions. However, with this “bare bones” core team lineup next season, maturity and familiarity will be huge factors in the overall elevation of the team. After that, it’s up to the front office.

Philadelphia 76ers “Bare Bones” 2016 Roster

By Bret Stuter | Mar 30, 2016

If the Philadelphia 76ers must move players to end up with a “core” lineup to move forward with, this is my projection