The Sixer Sense
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Can Philadelphia 76ers EVENTUALLY Overtake The GS Warriors?

By Bret Stuter

Jul 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; USA guard Kevin Durant (5) gets ready for practice at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; USA guard Kevin Durant (5) gets ready for practice at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (25) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) pose for a photo at a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (25) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) pose for a photo at a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Third Stage

Next season, the Philadelphia 76ers will face their first true test of free agency.  The team will face the free agency of Sergio Rodriguez, Carl Landry, Nerlens Noel, Hollis Thompson, and T.J. McConnell. Right now, with the current roster, the team could absorb the loss of these five players. Right now, the team is a ten win team.

But if the roster gels just so, and if a player gets incredibly hot this season, how will the team fare then? If Sergio Rodriguez has a Rajon Rondo sort of season with the 76ers, distributing 12 assists? If Nerlens Noel discovers a willingness to score points and averages 17 points per game while maintaining his defensive presence? If T.J.McConnell emerges in just his second year in a Dennis Schroder caliber point guard coming off the bench?

What then?  Tough love.

That’s the true test, a test this team has yet to face.   Can the eyes on this team see in players that which is not yet measured?   Can the team through the course of a flawed rotation determine if Joel Embiid in authentically good?  If so, which of the centers does the team need to retain, or should they simply rent them and allow them to seek NBA contracts elsewhere?

As long as the team continues to build the right talent around their core, it really won’t matter.  Building a championship takes time, perception aside.  The 76ers anticipated the challenges facing the team, and have built an infrastructure around and among the players to ensure that they experience the premium package in the NBA. When you fly first class, your entire vacation takes on that experience.

As the team parses the dollars for the next wave of NBA contracts, the team will need new players to fill the void, and hopefully learn from the veterans on the team.   That is why the team’s drafting of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz this year is so significantly strategic.  Akin to a Hinkie maneuver, the team has assured themselves of a bolster to both offense and defense as they turn towards rewarding their best players, as the team goes through the process of adding some punch to the team’s back court.

Next: Can 76ers Compete?