The Philadelphia 76ers Have Ascended NBA Food Chain
By Bret Stuter
In Past Season Finales, Philadelphia 76ers hoped the team would sustain optimal NBA Draft position. The 2016-2017 season is winding down, but the team has changed, as have the fans. In short, the Philadelphia 76ers have ascended the NBA Food Chain
The Philadelphia 76ers are no longer bottom feeders. There, I’ve said it. In saying it, I’ve now burst any illusions of what I am about to tell you. In short, the Philadelphia 76ers have NBA playoff talent, right here, right now. The team merely needs to get healthy.
On one hand, that is without any influx from the 2017 NBA Draft. On the other hand, fans no longer hold their breaths for a 2018 NBA Draft. In fact, that is even without signing any star-powered household-named NBA superstar to a gazillion dollar contract.
Right here, right now.
With a roster that has started out with major perceived contributors out for the season in Ben Simmons and Jerryd Bayless, the team has grown more resilient as the number of healthy players have shrunk.
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Led By Dario
The players who have stepped up are led by rookie Dario Saric. But it’s a cast of characters who are forcing the NBA to revisit the practices of identifying talent in the NBA. From the ranks of the undrafted or second round of the NBA, they have emerged.
Right on cue. Just as the last general manager had planned.
So far, the Philadelphia 76ers are running 20-23 in 2017. That’s without two, three, and even sometimes five starters. With NBA teams in the playoff hunt, the Philadelphia 76ers are playing toe to toe with them. As all incentives are to simply curly up into a fetal position and just play to stay healthy for next season, the team is still playing very competitive basketball.
This is no longer a team bound for the basement. That corner has been turned. At one point in the season, the Philadelphia 76ers led the Miami Heat. The Heat were 11-30 on January 13, 2017. On that same date, the Philadelphia 76ers were 12-25. By January’s end, the Heat improved to 19-30. The Philadelphia 76ers? 18-29.
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Blue Man Hoop
Now that same Miami Heat team boasts a 38-39 record and prepares for the NBA playoffs. Had the Philadelphia 76ers stayed relatively healthy, that may likely be the team’s fortune as well.
Change of Strategy
With the team sitting on a roster which could land a playoff team “as is” next season, what changes does the team truly need to make?
Well, for starters, the focus of the team can no longer be about trading, swapping, moving, cutting, or drafting players wholesale. It’s no longer a roster when you mow everything and plant anew. Now, each move must be viewed as a new graft.
So how does that align with the 2017 NBA Draft?
The draft is no certainty. While the pool of talent is highly regarded, there are no “sure things” in that draft. Where the Philadelphia 76ers could land as many as two of the top five picks in this draft, its the number of second round picks that are mind boggling.
How Many 2017 NBA Draft Picks Do 76ers Make?
However you see the off-season, the Philadelphia 76ers will have plenty of talent just from players returning healthy. So with four second round picks, how do you plan to absorb all that talent?
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Swarm and Sting
As tempting as it seems to simply keep all picks, bring on all that new talent, the Philadelphia 76ers will be very limited in terms of giving each rookie enough attention to fully develop and assess their fit on the team. Even in the case of two new “two-way contracts”, the team already is staring at Furkan Korkmaz and Vasilije Micic as 2017 rookies. In fact, Ben Simmons will integrate with the team next year as a rookie as well.
So the team will likely look to deal some second round picks. Not because talent is not there. Not because the Philadelphia 76ers have no need to improve. The team simply does not have enough capacity to develop four raw rookies on the team.
2017 NBA Draft Will Not Break Philadelphia 76ers Chances of Playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers might be better served to land an unprotected first round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers next season. The 2018 NBA Draft appears to be loaded with talent as well.
As such, does the team need to load up with four more new faces? Right now, the team is looking at two centers (Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes), two power forwards (Dario Saric, Shawn Long), two small forwards (Robert Covington, Ben Simmons, Justin Anderson), two shooting guards (Nik Stauskas, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot), and two point guards(T.J.McConnell, Jerryd Bayless)
Now round out the roster with Gerald Henderson and Jahlil Okafor. The team will likely not be retaining either Sergio Rodriguez nor Tiago Splitter.
Furkan Korkmaz can fill the vacancy of Rodriguez. Will the team bring over Micic? Likely not. But the team will draft at least one player from the 2017 NBA Draft, and by all accounts, that will be a back court player.
Some believe the Philadelphia 76ers will not improve to playoff caliber until the team has three near elite players on the roster. Even without the clear three players, it’s already happened.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are playoff caliber now folks. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and a fully rehabbed Jerryd Bayless will get them a foot into post season next year. It’s not due to any moves made currently. The Philadelphia 76ers are merely following the path mapped out four years ago.
Until the team strays off that path, everything will be just fine.