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Philadelphia 76ers: Breaking down the shooting guard battle

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 8: Nik Stauskas #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers fouls J.J. Redick #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers on February 8, 2016 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Clippers defeated the 76ers 98-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 8: Nik Stauskas #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers fouls J.J. Redick #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers on February 8, 2016 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Clippers defeated the 76ers 98-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

After signing J.J Redick and Furkan Korkmaz, the Philadelphia 76ers now have plenty of options at shooting guard. In this article, I will attempt to breakdown this position battle.

In recent years, the Philadelphia 76ers have lacked quality at the shooting guard position; jumping from youngsters like Nik Stauskas to veterans like Gerald Henderson. Finally, a quality two-guard was added to the mix this offseason with J.J. Redick signing with the 76ers on a one-year, $23 million. On top of this, Furkan Korkmaz made the jump from the Anadolu Efes to the NBA. There’s a profusion of options at shooting guard this season, unlike any other season before.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

J.J. Redick

This offseason, J.J. Redick bypassed the chance to join championship contenders Houston Rockets and the NBA’s bottom dwellers Brooklyn Nets to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Saying Redick signed for a lot of money would be a colossal understatement, some analysts believe this was a bonehead move by the 76ers organisation. On the other hand, Redick will provide fantastic veteran leadership. His ability to communicate clearly and effectively with the young guys will be crucial in their development.

Moving on, Redick’s three-point shot is the best in the game, hands down. Stats support this statement; Redick has a career percentage of 41.5 percent from downtown, with his career-high of 47.5 percent coming in the 2015-16 season. With Ben Simmons coming into the fold, floor spacing is imperative, this is why signing Redick was a great move, he provides what the 76ers have been needing for years: shooting and leadership.

Moreover, Redick has said Philadelphia is where he wants to be, “My hope is that this is a long-term thing and that I’m here three or four years and can finish my career as a Sixer”. This is great for the 76ers as a three-point shot isn’t something that exacerbates as a player hits the twilight of his career like athleticism does.

Nik Stauskas

Nik Stauskas’ career has gone far from what what expected from him after being selected eight overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2014 NBA Draft. Stauskas entered the league expected to be a knockdown, deadeye three-point shooter. Unfortunately he only owns a career percentage of 34.3 percent from behind the arc. Although he did improve his deep shot by a shade over four percent this past season.

With J.J. Redick coming into the fold, Stauskas will not be receiving as much minutes as the past few seasons, but the chance to learn off one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history will be invaluable to him. The player Redick is was what Stauskas was meant to become, there’s still time for that to happen, Stauskas needs to take advantage of this since he’s now Redick’s teammate.

Related Story: Nik Stauskas' days are numbered

The Canadian is a poor defender, he ranked 81st out of 93 players in defensive real plus-minus, this is horrendous. Going into his fourth season, Stauskas still has a lot of major holes in his game, he will need to show significant improvements or he may struggle to find a home when his contract expires next summer.

Furkan Korkmaz

It’s highly likely that Furkan Korkmaz will be spending a lot of his rookie campaign down in the G-League. He’s not ready to be thrown in at the deep end just yet, he’ll take a few months, similar to Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot last season. Korkmaz will serve as a very valuable option for the Delaware 87ers.

When Korkmaz does eventually take the step up to the NBA, he may struggle to find consistent minutes. The Turk will be able to play both wing spots, so that will help him get on the floor. Korkmaz’s shooting will be best used when in a  lineup alongside Ben Simmons. Moreover, a skill of Korkmaz that has gone under the radar is his athleticism. The guard will need to work on his defensive skills but he’s only 20 years old.

Related Story: Furkan Korkmaz comes to Philly at the right time

I don’t think we’ll be seeing Korkmaz all too much this season, it will most likely be a year of development and adjusting to the American lifestyle and the pace of the NBA game. The main area Korkmaz need to work on this year is his body, he’s too skinny and frail to make a big impact in the league.

Verdict

I think the choice is pretty clear. J.J. should be, and most likely will be the starting shooting guard heading into the 2017-18 NBA season. That’s why he was paid $23 million for, he will be relied upon to space the floor and hit the three-point shot when given the chance. Stauskas and Korkmaz won’t compete with Redick for the starting job.

Next: Philadelphia 76ers: Breaking down the point guard battle

Stauskas will serve as an adequate backup shooting guard. He really needs to take the next step in his career, learign off of Redick will definite help him. Korkmaz will not get near the starting job this season, maybe in a few years we’ll be having a different conversation.