Three Takeaways From Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards
In the second preseason loss to the Washington Wizards, there are three important takeaways that will impact the Philadelphia 76ers moving forward.
A 100-79 loss to the Washington Wizards does not provide much hope for the Philadelphia 76ers. There are some glaring problems with the roster that were exposed. There are three main positives that can be taken from this game. These three positives will give plenty of direction to president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo and head coach Brett Brown.
Point Guard Situation
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Now, on the surface, this seems like a total negative. The likely point guard of the future — Ben Simmons — is out for a prolonged period of time. Presumed starter Jerryd Bayless is most likely out the beginning of the season with a wrist injury. That leaves the team likely starting T.J. McConnell who has proven this preseason he is not ready to be the team’s starting point guard. His high turnover rate is evident, ending the game with 3 assists and 2 turnovers. That will not allow the Sixers win games.
This could bring up possible trades. The Sixers already have a disgruntled center in Nerlens Noel and there is already a proposed trade scenario that has him going to Houston Rockets. In return, as part of a proposed three-team trade, the Sixers would receive Brandon Knight and Archie Goodwin from the Phoenix Suns.
Knight is a much better than Bayless even when the latter is healthy. At 24 years of age, he is still young enough to grow with the rest of the Sixers young core. He has career averages of 15.9 points and 4.6 assists. In Phoenix he has shown he can play with and without the ball which is perfect for when Simmons returns.
His contract is sure to be an issue, however, a $14 million per year salary is not that bad with most salaries coming off the books in the next few seasons. Yes some of those salaries will need to be resigned but, with the new salary cap plus the potential increase of the cap over several years, it is a good deal that the Sixers can take on.
The Mid-Range Game
Jerami Grant had another great preseason showing. Grant has been taking steps to develop his game this preseason averaging 12 points per game. His game is evolving which can be clearly seen in the video below.
Grant finally has a jump shot. Granted, his 3-point shot is still to be desired but still is progress. He is finally able to help space the floor to some extent. His scoring is improving as well. This could be the skill that helps him survive the roster cuts soon to come.
Big Man, Big Time
Joel Embiid has delivered for his increased minutes. In 14 minutes he had a double-double. 11 points and 12 rebounds in that short amount of time is incredible, most centers in the league can’t get those stats in 36 minutes.
Embiid showed that he can dominate a center in Marcin Gortat, who is a legit center in the NBA. His 2-5 shooting is a concern, but he is still rusty from not playing for two years. His potential is what will save the Philadelphia 76ers season from being the awful mess it was last year. Brown should feel at ease to slowly continue to increase his minutes as the season continues.
These three situation will give Sixers hope especially if the proposed trade scenario with Noel does go through. It will only be a matter of time to see what will play out with these situations. In defeats like these ones there are positives that Brown and Colangelo can put to good use and guide this young roster.