Finally Firm Scheme
As we are quick to do, we point to stats that show how “wrong” each player is for the scheme of the team. But in reality, the roster and injury has prevented the team from dictating players needed for the scheme, because the scheme changed to suit the available healthy players.
Air Alamo
Much of Brett Brown’s time in the past four seasons has been managing the load and compatibility of dissimilar players. In fact, it was not until the arrival of Dario Saric and Joel Embiid this season that the first true pieces of that future roster donned jerseys. Now, the team has some cornerstones in place, the need to rummage through so many players has lessened considerably.
Quality Versus Quantity
In fact, quantity is now less important than quality. You see, you want to synchronize developing players to peak within a four year window. It’s not as easy as it sounds, because NFL players peak from their fourth to ninth years in the league. That’s playing time. Right now, Robert Covington is completing his third season. T.J. McConnell his second. Jahlil Okafor is about 1.5 seasons. Dario Saric his first. Whoever arrives in the 2017 NBA Draft starts at zero. That means they need to develop quickly and intensely in order to arrive as Covington comes into his own.
You see, finding talent is the first skill. Keeping that talent, particularly from deep pocketed teams that have found none of their own, is the other skill. Now that the Philadelphia 76ers have a firm scheme, players can see things taking shape. But if the goal is to synch everyone up, how is that supporting conveying the Lakers pick in 2018?