The Philadelphia 76ers roster is close to being finalized now that the NBA Draft has passed. Here’s a look at the second five for the upcoming season.
Bryan Colangelo and the rest of Philly’s front office had a great draft. It was great because the team landed a couple instant-impact players and a few long-term projects. The Philadelphia 76ers have been getting a lot of buzz in the media and on the internet since the NBA Draft. There’s a good reason for that. You see, Colangelo made major waves by trading up to grab Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick. While everyone analyzed that first pick, the true value for the team could emerge from round two. The front office managed to grab a few players with their later picks that could prove to be steals.
Suddenly, the Philadelphia 76ers have an embarrassment of riches on their roster. Just a year ago, the team was populated by a bunch of players that were viewed as end-of-the-bench material for most NBA teams. Now, the team is at the crest of meteoric improvement of some players, sitting on a team which shattered last season’s preseason expectations. This year, Brett Brown will finally have to make hard decisions in terms of who will get minutes and who won’t.
Three stars rising in Philly
Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Joel Embiid have locked down their starting spots just because of the high picks invested in them. The last two spots are up in the air at the moment. There are a few players who have proven themselves worthy of starting, but the competition will be fierce for the last two spaces in the first unit.
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The nice part about the increased competition is the strength in depth that Sixers fans will see once the season begins.
Anyone who watched the Philadelphia 76ers since the infamous Andrew Bynum trade of 2012 will know that the team has had trouble scraping together ten NBA-caliber players. Thankfully, that unfortunate trend will change once the upcoming season begins.
Healthy Happy
As long as key players stay healthy, Philadelphia should be major players in the Eastern Conference. That will be mainly thanks to the players coming off the bench.
Last season’s top teams in the East, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, had relatively weak benches. Fortunately for the Sixers, they have a few weapons ready to contribute once fatigue catches up with the stars. Here’s an updated version of who will come off the bench for Philly in the 2017-18 season now that the draft has come and gone.
Point Guard: T.J. McConnell
T.J showed his value as a pro last season. He blossomed as a leader and showed his mental fortitude by beating out Sergio Rodriguez for the starting point guard spot early in the season and never looked back. In 26.3 minutes per game, the 24-year-old averaged 6.9 points and 6.6 assists, which are stellar numbers for an undrafted free agent in limited minutes for a starter.
Unfortunately, he will inevitably lose his starting job. Right now, that role will likely fall to Ben Simmons. But even if the team places Simmons at small forward, the starting role will then fall to the first overall pick, Markelle Fultz. McConnell should have no qualms leading the second unit, though, as his tenacity, basketball I.Q., unselfishness, and leadership will help bring up his teammates.
Fire And Ice
The main thing that T.J. does well is make his teammates look better, and that is crucial for a second unti point guard to do. Sure, he may not be the super athletic, free-scoring floor general that is typical of a Sixth Man of the Year favorite, but the former University of Arizona guard will do the job well.
At the end of the season, McConnell said that he will “relentlessly” work on his 3-point shot in the offseason. If he can improve his long-range shooting, defenders will have to keep an eye on him as both a scorer and a passer, which will open up tons of opportunities for his teammates.
Shooting Guard: Jerryd Bayless
Coming off a wrist injury that limited him to just three games in his debut season as a part of the Philadelphia 76ers, Bayless will get a shot to prove his worth as the backup shooting guard. His experience and consistency are what makes him beat out Nik Stauskas for the job, but Sauce should crack the rotation as well. Bayless’ experience and consistency is what sets him apart here.
Even with the addition of Markelle Fultz, the Sixers still lack 3-point shooting. In 52 games in the 2015/16 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Bayless shot 43.7 percent from deep. Despite appearing in just three games as a Sixer last season, he hit his three-point shots at a 40 percent clip. The nine-year vet can also run point, but with McConnell beside him, Bayless will mainly be used as an outlet for dribble-drive plays and for an occasional isolation play.
Mentor Facilitator
In his best passing year, Bayless averaged four assists per game in 22.5 minutes, which is a solid tally for a secondary playmaker coming off the bench.
His experience will be vital to this young Sixers team, and he will be able to lead the second unit by example since he will be one of the top scoring options off the bench. At 28-years-old, he will be one of the oldest players on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, and his maturity will be vital to help calm the young players in tough situations, whether he is on or off the court.
Small Forward: Dario Saric
Playing the 6-foot-10 Saric at the small forward is a bit of a stretch. But “The Homie” has potential to become a three-point sharpshooter. He only hit 31 percent of his three-point attempts in his rookie year. Rookies struggle at shooting. Still, he continues to acclimate to the NBA and works on his game with the Sixers coaching staff. So, that number should jump.
Additionally, when the team found him a reliable player after the All-Star break once Joel Embiid went down injured. In fact, Saric stepped up and assumed a point forward role, and playing the small forward position should let him operate in that role when he wants to.
Trending up
As the focal point of the Sixers offense after the All-Star break, Saric’s assists average jumped from 1.8 to 3.4 per night. That’s an impressive tally for a rookie who was playing the 4 for the most part. In the second unit, Saric will have the opportunity to decimate opponents’ bench players with his athleticism and vision. He stood out at the star player for the Sixers after the All-Star break, and since he was putting up 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 30.4 minutes per night against starters, his numbers could look as good in less time per game.
By coming off the bench, Saric could be a perennial contender for Sixth Man of the Year. Super Dario showed off that he truly belongs in the NBA last season, and he will certainly pick up the slack next season once guys like Fultz, Simmons, and Embiid take a seat.
Power Forward: Richaun Holmes
Similar to Saric, Holmes was another player whose numbers skyrocketed as a result of Joel Embiid’s injury. His averages went from 6.6 points, 4.3 boards, and 0.8 blocks in 15.9 minutes before the All-Star break to 13.6 points, 6.9 boards, and 1.2 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game after the break.
Obviously, his defensive abilities are nowhere near those of Embiid, but the springy Holmes will certainly be able to cover for The Process for about 20 minutes each night.
In this unit, Holmes is the primary rim protector. That role changes on offense, as he has the range to spread the floor. His three-point percentage last year was double that of his rookie year, rising from 18.5 percent to 35.1 percent. Beyond that, he continues to focus on that shot as he revealed in a Twitter Q&A . It makes sense for him to improve it.
Value Added
He has plenty of passion. But expanding his range to that of a bona fide strech-four, he and Dario Saric will have their fill of open shots.
Holmes is reminiscent of a poor man’s version of a young Dwight Howard. On one hand, D12 is a much better defender and overall player than Holmes at age 23. On the other hand, neither of the two big men have any reliable post moves to use when they get the ball with their backs to the basket. For Howard, that was fine. His teammates included Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkgolu in its starting lineup. That was a true contender in the Eastern Conference each year. For Holmes, it shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance, either In fact, he can shoot and, like young Howard, can almost always throw it down over a defender.
Center: Jahlil Okafor
Apparently, I am one of the few who still has any faith in Jahlil Okafor. Let me make a case for him off the bench. He is the 2015 third overall pick and that still has plenty of value to unlock by the Philadelphia 76ers. The challenge is how to evolve his play to reinforce a positive effect for the Sixers as he comes off the bench.
With Richaun Holmes next to him in this lineup, Okafor will not be relied upon as the main rim protector in the second unit. We’ve all seen this tragic defensive effort from Jah, but he will not have to be the guy patrolling the paint on each defensive possession.
The best part about Okafor’s game is the fact that he stands at 6-foot-11 and weighs in at 275 pounds. Big and strong, but he still manages to have the footwork of a ballerina. Just about no center in the NBA can shut him down when he goes one-on-one in the post. He slow the pace somewhat when he is in. Still, Brett Brown can showcase him for 15- 20 minutes per game. That’s all his offensive game needs to pound the ball into the basket. Limiting his playing time limits his need to defend.
Pass out of double coverage
Okafor struggles to pass out of double teams in his young NBA career. If he comes off the bench, opposing coaches will simply put two defenders on him. Let them come.
In this unit, with Jerryd Bayless and potential sharpshooters such as Holmes, McConnell, and Saric around him, his value will soar if he learns how to find the open man.
When against a single defender in the low-post, Big Jah is basically automatic. If he gets a good balance of time each night, he will maximize his potential. The franchise invested too much in him for Colangelo and Brown to waste his talent like they did last season. Okafor needs a chance to show his worth, and he really could thrive in this lineup while coming off the bench.