The Sixer Sense
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Four Takeaways From the Chicago Bulls Game

By Kevin Kolodziej

Nov 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) dribbles against Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Chicago Bulls won 105-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) dribbles against Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Chicago Bulls won 105-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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1 – The Carter-Williams Trade Was Highway Robbery

Chicago Bulls guard (and former Philadelphia 76ers guard) Michael Carter-Williams didn’t play on Friday night due to a wrist injury that will reportedly keep him sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks, but his presence in the City of Brotherly Love got me thinking.

As an organization, the Sixers received a lot of backlash when they traded Carter-Williams (for a future Los Angeles Lakers protected first-round pick) to the Milwaukee Bucks back in Feb. 2015. But nearly two years later, it’s clear that trading away the NBA’s 2014 Rookie of the Year was the right move for the team.

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    • Sure, he had a nice rookie year in Philly, but since then, his production has declined across the board.

    For reference, here are his per-game averages from 2014:

    16.7 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds, 40.5 field goal percentage, 26.4 3-point percentage.

    And here are his per-game averages since his rookie season:

    13.0 points, 5.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 41.6 field goal percentage, 24.8 3-point percentage.

    Out of all of the major statistics, the only one that rose was his field goal percentage by literally 1-percent.

    On top of all that, the Bucks traded MCW for Tony Snell earlier in the season. To put it lightly, no team in the league would even consider trading a first-round pick for Snell, and it’s become more clear than ever that the Sixers dealt Carter-Williams when his value was at its highest.

    With the Lakers looking to be a more-than competent team for the first time in three years, the Sixers have a better shot than ever to land the now top-3 protected pick for the upcoming draft. If by chance they don’t, it’ll be an unprotected pick for the 2018 draft.

    At this point, it’s safe to say that any team in the league would rather have a first-round pick than the struggling Carter-Williams.

    It’s been almost two years since the Sixers’ former general manager Sam Hinkie made the deal, and with each passing day, it’s looking more and more like he committed highway robbery by getting a first-round pick for the 2014 Rookie of the Year.