The Sixer Sense
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5 Reasons for the Philadelphia 76ers to Keep Ish Smith Around

By Josh Wilson

Feb 28, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Brandon Jennings (55) defends during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Brandon Jennings (55) defends during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) scores against against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) scores against against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

He’s a really solid bench player, even on a good team

I detracted the myth earlier that Ish was a starter-caliber player on most other NBA teams, but that doesn’t mean he’s a worthless player. When building a championship team, you have to have a solid bench so that your team can play a solid 48 minutes, especially when it comes to the playoffs. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors have benches that would be able to outdo a lot of starting lineups, and that’s what really makes them great.

The art of building a solid bench is tough to master, but Ish might be a good start. Ish averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game as a Sixers last year. These numbers were quite impressive, and if he can be anything near that level of efficiency as a bench player too, he could be a good foundation to a solid bench.

As I’ve said before, the Sixers have some great pieces, but a lot of the ones who started often this past season will find themselves as the bench players of the Sixers in a few years, just because of the impending talent that should start to come in.

The numbers that Ish put up per game, as a Sixer this season, put him in a pool with players like George Hill, Tony Parker, David West and Shaun Livingston. All of those players averaged less than or equal to Ish in all three of the main statistical categories (points, rebounds, and assists). Yes, minutes come into play, but those are still some impressive names to be put alongside given three different statistical constraints.

Next: Brett Brown's Future

Moving forward, there’s no doubt in my mind that Ish couldn’t be a great bench player for the Sixers, especially if he’s open to a more diminished role with the team as they chase success.