Finding NBA stars is a tall order for any team, but the Philadelphia 76ers may have enough raw star power to begin assembling a playoff-caliber team. In short, the team’s plan is beginning to take shape
The Philadelphia 76ers have fought a battle to improve on three fronts: injuries, rapid cycle roster changes, and avoiding expensive free agents. While the season will tell the tale on the injury front, the team has slowed down the roster changes pace and has even dabbled at signing high cost free agents to help the team for the upcoming season.
Don’t you love it when a plan begins to take shape?
So what is the plan?
The plan is begin young
Well, with the current roster at 15 players, the best technique will be to examine who is on the roster now, and what skillsets does the team emphasize. But to do that, let’s start by examining some basic demographics.
The team is most definitely skewed in the “23 or under” age categrory. Why ? Well, if the prime of NBA players – like most professional athletes – falls from 27-30, this gives the 76ers from seven to ten years of competitive play, even without an infusion of younger players.
On one hand, this team has younger players stashed overseas. On the other hand, this team has plenty of draft picks lined up as well. Not only is this team beginning young, it can stay young throughout the next ten years or so.
This lineup… er lineups are solid
Right now, the likely starters will be Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, J.J. Redick, Robert Covington/Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid. The bench is a solid group of players who have no hesitation to step for sport starts. They include: Jerryd Bayless, Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and others.
Air Alamo
But is this team about outscoring, out-defending, or out-hustling their opponents? So far, the plan appears to be all three.
Coaching influences on this team
The two coaches who have had the most significant influence on head coach Brett Brown have been San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. The other is the former assistant head coach Mike D’Antoni. Both coaches lead very successful NBA franchises.
One coach manufactures defense for his team, and has an uncanny ability to maximize each player on the roster.
The other coach manufactures offense for his team, and has an uncanny ability of expanding team roles for players to add to their impact in the lineup.
Head coach Brett Brown stands at the intersection of both philosophies .
Still plenty of work to do
The 2013-2014 Philadelphia 76ers were 19th in points scored, but 30th in points allowed. The 2014-2015 version found the team’s offense fall to 29th in the league, but 20th in the league in defense. The 2015-2016 version saw the team defense fall to 29th in the league, which the offense remained at 29th. But the needle moved in a positive direction last year. The offense improved to 25th in the league, while the defense landed at 24th.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
So the hopes of post season play are not obvious from that historical analysis. But there are keys available to unlocking that conclusion. The team managed just 34 total games out of three projected starters from Jerryd Bayless, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid last year. And when Embiid is on the court, the Philadelphia 76ers are a completely different defensive team.
Don’t ignore the coaching staff
The least discussed topic about the Philadelphia 76ers is their investment in developing young players. This is a franchise that built a state-of-the-art training center to house the young players. This is a franchise that invested heavily in basketball analytics with the sole purpose of engineering optimal performance out of the players.
But most of all, this team has build a coaching staff around the premise of developing young players. From top to bottom, coaches have an eye on bringing young basketball players up to NBA or better standards of play. The team did not stumble into this. In fact, the team placed the right coaches on the staff, and then began to add young players.
Free agents bolster offense and defense
Many point to recent free agent signing J.J. Redick as a boost to the offense. Well yes, that 15.0 points per game average will come in handy this season. But don’t ignore his defense. This is a post-season veteran who can tighten down the D in key moments of a game.
The Smoking Cuban
But the team added a similar impacting player in Amir Johnson. While he is not a lock to average double digits, he will have games where scoring seems to come naturally. But once more, his defense can stiffen at key moments in the game.
Reinforcements arrived
As the team develops younger players, they have reinforced the roster for the far more competitive post-season. As long as health is not an issue this year, victories will not be an issue either.
Post season is nearly sudden death. Each game is hotly contested. Lose one, and you find yourselves playing from a hole. Win one, and you must temper overconfidence. The Philadelphia 76ers will win games this season. More than half of the games they play. But that will not prepare them for post-season.
Much like football, baseball, or hockey, NBA Playoffs brings out the best of everyone. Teams that won handily in the season suddenly meet a far-more-determined LeBron James and company in the playoffs and are swept back into the ranks. The Sixers, even as they enter post-season for the first time, plan to avoid that fate.
The plan all along…
Positive begets positive. Momentum in the right direction attracts more energy in the same direction. The Philadelphia 76ers waited patiently because once the team begins to win, everything happens far more rapidly.
In short, the plan is for the team to pack everything they’ll need for a championship run now, because there are no pit-stops along the way. The roster is close to finished now. Swap out a veteran and promote a younger player going forward, but the key to success now is to form the team, and define the roles as well as possible.
What was Sam Hinkie thinking?
But that doesn’t mean this team won’t attract interest. Who wouldn’t want to play on a team having a great time on the court, win-or-lose? Who wouldn’t want to earn cheers from the toughest, smartest, and most passionate fan base in the NBA? In the end, whether the team is led by former executive Sam Hinkie, or current executive Bryan Colangelo, the strengths of this city and franchise remain the same.
Whomever is at the helm, the plan is simple. Load up the ranks with incredibly talented young players until they find some success. Then, add a smattering of NBA veterans to get them to the next level as the young players develop. Trade players out who do not project as a fit, and add new young players or reasonably priced veterans and play the next season. Keep pruning and grafting until the team competes for a championship.
Next: Joel Embiid expects to be ready for training camp
For those who think LeBron James will never consider the Philadelphia 76ers, keep this in mind. Nobody projected J.J. Redick coming to Philadelphia this season. Should the team get to the playoffs, all bets are off. Basketball is awfully fun to play in Philadelphia right now. And that, in the end, was the plan all along.