What the Philadelphia 76ers decide to do with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft will determine how their rotation shapes up come next season.
This offseason may be the most pivotal yet during the Process era. With Ben Simmons set to make his NBA debut and Joel Embiid returning to health, the Philadelphia 76ers will finally head into a season at full strength. They’ll also wield the third overall pick in this year’s draft, giving them another star-caliber prospect to mold alongside their already-impressive core.
A Royal Pain
In the midst of such a pivotal offseason, though, comes the potential for change — a quite a bit of it. Simmons will likely head Brett Brown’s offense next season, adding a new wrinkle to a Spursian system that has been poorly executed by inadequate talent for the majority of his tenure with the team. Embiid will have the chance to show even more growth, while perhaps playing in more games — barring any unforeseen setbacks.
They’ll also have some decisions to make in free agency. Not only is Robert Covington due for a pay raise moving forward, but big name free agents could, for the first time in Brown’s stint with the organization, consider joining the Sixers.
What could instigate the most change, though, is that number three pick. With a myriad of talented young pieces available, three names stand out most in regards to possible options — Josh Jackson, Malik Monk and (gulp) De’Aaron Fox. Whichever piece Bryan Colangelo decides on could shape just how the team approaches the remainder of their rebuild rotationally.
Let’s say they select Jackson. In adding a defensive piece of his caliber on the wing, the Sixers would have to budget playing time carefully between the remainder of the Sixers’ wings. Robert Covington or Dario Saric would likely be forced to take a bench role long term, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot may be snubbed of his chance at a spot in the starting rotation.
Malik Monk would shift the offensive load, perhaps lessening opportunities for guards like T.J. McConnell and Jerryd Bayless while shifting the majority of Philadelphia’s perimeter scoring load in his favor. That marginalizes Robert Covington’s offensive impact, while perhaps giving another creative forward, a la Saric, a more important role in setting up offensive possessions.
Monk also presents a defensive weakness, though. That could be, in part, why the likes of McConnell and Bayless would lose playing time, as Monk’s frame is more condusive towards him playing (and defending) the one, even if his offensive repotoire is more shooting guard-esque. He’d place greater emphasis on Embiid’s already-massive role on the interior, while limiting the switch-heavy capabilities a defense centered around Simmons and Josh Jackson could provide.
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Fox is wholly different. He essentially replaces McConnell’s value, while taking on a sizable amount of the primary ball handling responsibility — likely splitting that workload with Simmons, if not garnering a larger portion of it. That changes how Brown utilizes Simmons, while also opening up a starting spot for TLC if Brown decides that Saric — or Covington — fits better on the bench. Fox’s lack of shooting would also force Brown to get creative in finding the firepower needed to stabilize the offense outside of Embiid.
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As the team looks to establish it’s most pronounced identity in years moving forward, their moves this offseason — namely the draft — will play the largest role in determining the exact direction they take. Saric’s status in the starting rotation, Covington’s worth and the extent to which Simmons controls the offense are all unresolved issues heading into June.
It’ll be a month, and more so an offseason, of truth for the Sixers. We’re about to witness the type of team we’ll be watching for the next several seasons come to fruition.