Have Philadelphia 76ers Overlooked Small Forward?
By Bret Stuter
This off-season, the Philadelphia 76ers have added players to center, power forward, shooting guard and point guard. But so far, the small forward position has remain unaddressed. Is this merely timing, or have the Philadelphia 76ers overlooked that vital position this off-season?
Competition for a roster spot can be very good. Good in that it brings immediate rewards to an athlete, reminding them of the inevitable day where they will compete with teammates to achieve wins on a basketball court. Good in that it can give an athlete a status check – where they are performing well, and where they need to commit additional training time. Good in that it gives the right to play in the lineup as a reward, not as a right.
Four positions for the Philadelphia 76ers are in very heated competition right now. But so far, the small forward position is a simple competition of either Robert Covington or Jerami Grant.
It could be that the Philadelphia 76ers, aware that the team must share minutes at the position among Richaun Holmes and Carl Landry with either Dario Saric or Ben Simmons, with either Saric or Simmons assigned as the small forward.
It could be that the team has made substantial offers to any number of NBA veteran small forwards, and been as readily denied as their overtures were to veteran guards previously.
It could even be that of all the positions on this roster, president Bryan Colangelo and head coach Brett Brown are the most confident in the current make up. After all, Jerami Grant has earned the right to perform with Team USA Select this year, while Robert Covington is on track to emerge as a true top performer for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. The pair even score incredibly high marks in terms of economics, the combined cost of both to the team is much less than signing a player with less impact would be.
However, this season has been about a renewal to the team, a commitment to win, and an infusion of veteran level competitiveness throughout the team. So far, the front court has seen an infusion – but from the ranks of rookies only.
Is there any free agents worth considering at the small forward position? Our esteemed colleague at Liberty Ballers, Jake Pavorsky, believes there is value for the Philadelphia 76ers pursuit of Portland Trailblazer restricted free agent small forward Maurice Harkless.
His argument is this:
"His 47.4 percent shooting from the floor and true shooting percentage of 52.2 percent were both career bests for him despite his highest usage rate since his rookie season. At this point his career, the hopes of him becoming a passable three-point shooter are dim, but he is a true wing with some size that can defend other threes, and Philadelphia doesn’t have anyone like that outside of Robert Covington. The interest in him league wide seems so slim, so a one-year deal that’s a bit of an overpay could get the job done for the Sixers. I would be fond of making a move like this."
While I could be okay with this signing – if only for the additional competition it would bring, I can’t see bringing him in with any expectation of coming in higher than Covington or Grant. Since both are improving and inexpensive, the Philadelphia 76ers may be improving the roster merely by doing nothing at the small forward position.
Next: NBA Rumors: J R Smith Stalemate Heats Up Ties to 76ers
At the end of the day, when the team decides upon whom of the final 15 players will enter the 2016-2017 NBA season, any signings between now and then will have only a remote chance of changing the inevitable roster. But competition now could make that final 15 play harder.
Is it worth the money? What are your thoughts? Comments are welcome below. If you want to read more, follow me at @milroyigglesfan on twitter.