Should The Philadelphia 76ers Have Kept Tony Wroten?
When Tony Wroten was released from the Philadelphia 76ers, the move seemed justified, but did the Sixers let potential talent go too soon?
Tony Wroten was released by the Philadelphia 76ers in order to bring Ish Smith back to the team to provide a much need spark to a dismal season. This move was made by the mad man himself, former General Manager Sam Hinkie. This might have been one of the few times Hinkie had sacrificed long-term potential for short-term strides. There were three other point guards on the roster, so why was Wroten the one released? Wroten being released had nothing do with his potential or lack thereof, but rather with Hinkie’s ego.
Let it be clear that for most of the moves that Hinkie made they were purely strategic. Even bringing back Smith for a second stint was good for the team. However, when it comes to choosing which point guard to release, it is evident that Hinkie’s ego did have sway in that decision.
It was nothing to do with Wroten personally but it did have to do with the other three point guards on the roster. T.J. McConnell, Kendall Marshall, and Isaiah Canaan were the other three point guards that Hinkie’s ego would not allow him to depart with.
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Keeping McConnell was probably the least ego-driven decision, but with McConnell being on the verge of being a diamond in the rough project that Hinkie could not give up on.
Marshall had just signed a long term deal with guaranteed money; something Hinkie rarely gave. If Hinkie waived the recovering Marshall it would have shown that he made a big miscalculation by signing now the largely irrelevant point guard.
Canaan was kept because he was the reward from trading K.J. McDaniels. If Hinkie would have given McDaniels more guaranteed money, McDaniels would not have accepted the one year deal, and Hinkie wouldn’t have traded the fan favorite, so that he would not have walked for nothing.
That left Hinkie with Wroten to waive as the easy choice and especially after him struggling to regain his form after his ACL recovery. Now the question becomes: if Wroten was left on the roster, how could he been helpful and how much more could he develop? Review his stats prior to his injury is key in understanding his projection as a player.
| Season | Tm | Lg | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | MEM | NBA | 35 | 0 | 7.8 | .384 | .250 | .407 | .724 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| 2013-14 | PHI | NBA | 72 | 16 | 24.5 | .427 | .213 | .452 | .641 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 13.0 |
| 2014-15 | PHI | NBA | 30 | 15 | 29.8 | .403 | .261 | .446 | .667 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 3.8 | 16.9 |
| 2015-16 | PHI | NBA | 8 | 3 | 18.0 | .338 | .176 | .362 | .541 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 8.4 |
| Career | NBA | 145 | 34 | 21.2 | .413 | .231 | .443 | .647 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 11.1 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/31/2016.
Before his ACL tear, Wroten was becoming a semi-efficient ball dominant guard. It was not appearing that Wroten was not going to be a point guard but maybe a poor man’s James Harden.
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Wroten’s two weak parts to his game were the 3-point shot, never shooting over 30 percent from beyond the arc, and his turnover issue. Both problems could have be fixed if Wroten was taken off of the ball and made to be more of a ball-dominant two guard which could cut down on his turnovers.
Wroten will never become an elite 3-point shooter; but he could be more efficient if he continues to practice. Also consider that the last couple of years the Sixers have struggled with ball movement and spacing, so once he is on a team that does do those two things well he will improve his shooting.
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Wroten’s potential is not yet fully tapped yet and Hinkie waived him for the wrong reasons. If he was still playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Wroten would be one of the few players on the roster that could create his own shot off the dribble. This would be a plus to have on any team and he could be a leader on the second unit with his current skills.