Hollis Thompson is Important to the Philadelphia 76ers

Despite being looked at as a lower-level player on the Philadelphia 76ers, Hollis Thompson actually is very important this season.

There’s something important about having someone around who knows the ropes. The Philadelphia 76ers have clearly recognized that by keeping around Hollis Thompson for this season.

While the team clearly needed some players who have general knowledge of the NBA, it was important that the team had some familiar faces from the beginning stages of the Sixers rebuild on their team as they enter the 2016-17 season.

This year is an important one, without a doubt. The team is debuting four rookies, two of which have been anticipated for several years now. They are also debuting Ben Simmons, the top overall pick from this year’s draft. Although the end result of (hopefully) a championship won’t come for a couple seasons at least, this year could possibly be even more important than the end goal. This is the season that sets off the next few years.

Hollis Thompson is, by no means, the best NBA player available. At best he’s a 14th or 15th man, unless he really makes a huge jump in the coming seasons. Over the course of his career, Thompson is averaging 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He has a decent 3-point shot (nearly 40 percent over the course of his career) but it’s very streaky.

So, if he’s really not that good, why would it be important for the Sixers to have him?

Thompson has been with the Sixers since 2013, and is the player that has played for the team the longest in this stretch of losing over the last three seasons. While that seems to be a reason to move him — why keep a player that is reminiscent of a bad time in the franchises history — keeping him around helps to bridge the gap between the past era — the Hinkie era — and the new era — the Colangelo era.

Thompson knows the coaching staff, he knows the training staff. He knows the Philly area, and he knows the vibe around the organization, including the relationship with the media and the pregame routines. In an era of the NBA where many are focused on things like stats, the off-court intangibles are overlooked. Some of that is really important when creating a team.

Thompson is going to be the go-to guy when teammates need to know something. Who do I go to for help with this? What’s the best place to eat in Philadelphia? Sure, the coaching staff can help with areas of the game, and players can find places to eat on their own, but having a player around that newer teammates know they can go to can be important. More important than we may realize.

On top of all of that, Thompson does serve a purpose on the court. Despite me knocking him as a player earlier, there’s a need for a solid shooter like him once in a while to fill in when a teammate is injured, or come in and patrol the 3-point arc.

Next: Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons: Already Best Friends

Combining the need for a player like Thompson with the need for a knowledgable, Sixers-experienced player like Thompson makes picking up his small $1 million contract seem like a no-brainer.