Restocking the Shelves
The hopes of a great start to the NBA season have dimmed somewhat for the Philadelphia 76ers with the news of top draft choice Ben Simmons’ foot fracture. The fracture has sidelined the rookie for a significant portion of the season and once more forces the team to speculate which personnel will work best with him upon his return.
Swarm and Sting
Thankfully, the team will not be building around Simmons with just one pick. As of today, the team risk losing Nerlens Noel, Sergio Rodriguez, Elton Brand, Hollis Thompson, and T.J. McConnell. While not devastating losses, the 2016-2017 season may yet reveal one or more to be worthwhile for this team going forward.
Still, the team will need to restock the talent. So what do we have coming to us?
In the first round, the Philadelphia 76ers have their own pick, the first round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the rights to swap picks with the Sacramento Kings. While that same situation did not convey in the 2016 NBA draft, there is reason to believe that the Sacramento Kings, sans Rajon Rondo, will struggle this season while the Los Angeles Lakers, with some production from their youth, may improve somewhat.