Sixers Starting Sergio
The Philadelphia 76ers were shooting in the dark in free agency this past summer. With so many unknowns, the team cast a wide net to bring diverse talents to the roster, both in terms of skill-sets and in terms of international backgrounds.
Knowing that Ben Simmons would eventually be groomed to run the team from the point guard, the team had very specific needs for the back court. In short, the team sought short term contracts for guards who could run an offense, play without the ball, and could score from the perimet. Defense was a huge plus.
In the end, the team settled on Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, and Sergio Rodriguez. While Gerald Henderson brings solid defense and offense to the shooting guard role, both Bayless and Rodriguez are point guards.
Bayless was the clear odds on favorite to start in the pre-season.
#Sixers Brown: 'You really have some talent, albeit young & experienced. If season started today, we would give Jerryd Bayless the ball.'
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) September 15, 2016
But when the season began, he was unable to resolve his wrist injury. And so, the ball fell to the hands of Sergio Rodriguez. Fortunately for the Philadelphia 76ers, “El Chacho” delivered:
Brett Brown plans to go with Sergio Rodriguez as starter tonight. Feels he's doing well, especially w/ defensive schemes and expectations.
— brianseltzer (@brianseltzer) October 21, 2016
With each passing game, Brown will be more and more inclined to retain Rodriguez at point guard.