The Sixer Sense
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We’ll Pass. Philadelphia 76ers Offense About to Explode

By Bret Stuter

Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

With a newly constructed roster featuring a huge upgrade in passing skills, can the Philadelphia 76ers expect the offense to improve? Yes, in a huge way.

What is equals what will be.  Jahlil Okafor played 53 games in the NBA, so naturally the book on his play is now closed.  Nerlens Noel has played two season in the NBA, finishing last year with 11.1 points per game, so naturally his offense will never improve.  In fact, it’s that same perspective that launches so many of us to see this new roster and simply see a ten win team once more.

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Except life doesn’t work that way.

We grow.  We change.  We learn.  We adapt. But most of all, we continue to try to improve.

The influx of new talent to the team this season has many focusing on the shooting skills.  Can player “insert name here” shoot from the perimeter?  Can player “insert another name here” defend?

But the key to the 2016-2017 season may lie in another, less discussed but equally electrifying statistic on the basketball court.  The assist.

In the 2015-2016 season, the Philadelphia 76ers ranked 20th in the NBA in the assist department, generating 21.5 assists per game, while allowing opponents to manufacture 23.4 assists per game in response.   That -1.9 assists per game was a huge problem for the team, primarily due to the absence of players who could manufacture their own shots.

This season, everything is about to change.   Why is that important?

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