Just How Good Are Philadelphia 76ers 2016 NBA Rookie Class?

Dec 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) misses a dunk attempt past Denver Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur (00) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Denver Nuggets won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) misses a dunk attempt past Denver Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur (00) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Denver Nuggets won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
1 of 8

Tomorrow’s NBA team is built upon today’s NBA rookie class. Focusing exclusively on 2016 first year players, how good are the Philadelphia 76ers rookies?

The Philadelphia 76ers are such a young team that it’s oftentimes difficult to distinguish among the current team, and the rookies on that team. But for this exercise, that is exactly what we will do.

Let’s begin at the 2016 rookie class of the Philadelphia 76ers, which includes: Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Furkan Korkmaz.  If you like, we can also include Euroleague’s Vasilije Micic as well.

More from The Sixer Sense

Assessing a rookie class is often difficult this early in the season, but these are no ordinary rookies.  Of the group, two are red-shirted players originally selected in the 2014 draft.  Of course, we are talking about Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.

One of the players is the top selection of the 2016 NBA Draft, where he was not- so-much valued on any one thing he could do well, but on the many things Ben Simmons can do on a basketball court.

Two of the players, selected 24th and 26th respectively, were valued as the number one and two prospects in the “3 and D” categories.  While Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot apprentices under the tutelage of Gerald Henderson, Kormaz is overseas, along with Micic.

That’s an entire basketball team’s worth of players, plus a sixth man.  But how good are they?