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Ranking the Sixers: No. 9, Jerryd Bayless

By Jacob Tucker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 23: Jerryd Bayless #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center on November 23, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 104-99 in double overtime. 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 - NOVEMBER 23: Jerryd Bayless #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center on November 23, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 104-99 in double overtime. 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) /
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Jerryd Bayless will look to rebound this year following an injury plagued first season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

As a brief reminder of how this works, we here at TSS averaged rankings from 14 different staff members in order to get a composite list of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ best players, from No. 1 through No. 16.

Next is Jerryd Bayless, who comes in at No. 9.

Jerryd Bayless comes in at number nine in our staff ranking of the Sixers’ roster for the upcoming season. Bayless played in a whopping three games last season due to injury, so it is difficult to truly gauge how he fits into the team. Due to the limited amount of games he played last season, one could include him as a de facto member of the new group of Sixers added to the roster this past offseason. The roster turnover for this season compared to last is high. Philly added seven new players (if you count Bayless and Simmons).

The outlook may seem bleak for Bayless since the Sixers suddenly find themselves with a plethora of guards, but there will definitely be opportunities for him to find minutes. The 29-year-old is a nine-year NBA veteran, and should bring valuable experience to an otherwise youthful backcourt.

Another thing that Bayless has going for him is his versatility. He is a viable option at either guard position which makes him a valuable asset off the bench. The Sixers have a lot of players that can play multiple positions which makes the lineup possibilities almost endless. Bayless’ ability to fit into multiple lineups only helps that cause.

Related Story: Where does Jerryd Bayless fit in the Sixers' rotation?

Sixers guards will spend a lot of time without the ball in their hands, which isn’t always an easy thing for a guard to do. The experience he gained playing alongside Giannis in Milwaukee should help him when he plays with ball-dominating forwards Ben Simmons and Dario Saric in Philadelphia.

Since Sixers guards will spend quite a bit of time off-ball, three-point shooting will be essential. Bayless is a career 36.6% shooter from distance. His three point shooting numbers have been sporadic throughout his career, but it is an encouraging sign that he shot a career best 43.7% on a career high 4.4 attempts per game during his last season in Milwaukee.

Throughout his career Bayless has almost exclusively been a role player, and that is a trend that is sure to continue in Philadelphia. That may seem like a knock on him, but role players are more valuable than ever. If the Sixers truly have their sights set on the playoffs, then a quality bench will be a key to succeeding if they get there. Assuming he remains healthy, Jerryd Bayless could have a tremendous impact on the Sixers both on and off the court during the upcoming season.

Next: Top 30 players in Sixers franchise history

All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference.