The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Three Ways To Optimize Two-Way Contracts

By Bret Stuter

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo (M) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo (M) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 4, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Wells Fargo Center. The Brooklyn Nets won 141-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (20) during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Wells Fargo Center. The Brooklyn Nets won 141-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Option II : Develop Raw Talent

In option II, the focus is specifically on the potential.  This is the strategy of bringing a raw undisciplined talent into an NBA structure, but allowing them to compete at the NBA level when they have earned the right to do so.

Another perfect example of this is shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.  The NBA competition is a catch-22 for raw talented prospects. These young basketball stars-in-the-making are too raw to play significant minutes on an NBA team.  Conversely, they are too talented not to develop.  Developing players need a constant stream of playing minutes to improve.

Stalemate.

Sixers manufacture TLC minutes

The Philadelphia 76ers circumvented this the only way possible. The team kept TLC on the roster, but allowed him to train and play minutes with the Delaware 87ers.  Later in the season, the team’s roster was hammered by injuries, and Luwawu-Cabarrot earned copious minutes.

Had the team not gone the extra mile for TLC, he would not be ready when the team needed him late in the season.  That would have hurt both the player’s development and the team’s ability to assess future roster needs.  That path leads to abandoning a player simply due to lack of playing time.

With this rule change, this is the ideal situation for talented players. They train and compete at the G-league level until they have surpassed that level of competition. By rising to the NBA level, they meet new challenges and have that much more work to train with.