Jerryd Bayless will compete for minutes with T.J. McConnell, but he gives the Philadelphia 76ers plenty of options regardless of how that shakes out.
The Philadelphia 76ers have legitimate backcourt depth for the first time in a while, with Markelle Fultz and J.J. Redick being slotted ahead of a reasonably talented bench group. The point guard spot especially saw some major improvements, as Jerryd Bayless’ return — alongside the incumbent T.J. McConnell — gives the Sixers three viable players at their disposal.
While Fultz is almost guaranteed a season-long starting spot, the race for backup minutes has been the subject of several debates. Bayless is the overwhelmingly better fit, but McConnell’s grit and comfort within the system is something Brett Brown is bound to consider.
Philadelphia 76ers
There are plenty of signs that actually point towards McConnell being the favorite. Brett Brown scoffed at the idea of not playing him, while his defensive hustle and performance over the last couple of seasons makes it difficult to phase him out of the rotation entirely. Regardless of who does get the primary backup spot, however, both McConnell and Bayless should see playing time in some capacity next season.
In terms of finding that playing time, a lot of the flexibility Brown has stems from Bayless’ skill set.
Career inconsistencies aside, Bayless is has some clear benefits off the bench. He’s an average shooter at the very least, and his ability to step into games and score at a high clip is something plenty of coaches value. He works well in the pick-and-roll, and finds plenty of success coming around screens and working off the ball. There isn’t much to dislike in regards to where he’d fit with Philadelphia’s current personnel.
That ability to function both on and off the ball also means he can fit alongside a wide variety of players. He’d be able to work to and fro with Dario Saric in the second unit, but could also share the floor with Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz. He’s somebody the Sixers expect to score in droves when in the game, and using his scoring kick in short, calculated bursts could go a long way in maximizing the second unit’s production.
Brown can still rely on McConnell has a defensive plug-in and primary facilitator off the bench, but Bayless has significant value as somebody who can fit into almost any group and produce when asked. He’s not built for long, extended runs on the floor, but throwing him in with another playmaker or two and asking him to fill it up for 15-to-20 minutes per game helps keep the offense from stagnating with somebody like Joel Embiid isn’t on the floor.
In the event that Bayless continues his blistering shooting totals from a couple seasons ago, then his value is pumped up even further. He hit 43.7 percent of his shots from deep during his last season with Milwaukee, consistency that would force defenses to hug him on the perimeter, opening up even more space than your typical spark plug scorer.
He could feasibly fill the Redick-lite role, running some of the same off-ball plays and being focused on as a shooter. The Sixers reportedly see Bayless as “lightning in a bottle” off the bench. That means his focus will almost always be getting buckets at the highest clip possible during the time he’s on the floor.
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You could even advocate for a McConnell/Bayless backcourt on occasion, although that’s a defensive stretch the team might want to avoid given their length elsewhere in the rotation. They have depth and options, though, and that’s precisely what Bayless’ scoring prowess provides.