What’s going on with Jerryd Bayless?
Bayless did miss six games with a wrist injury, which has seemingly correlated with his decline afterwards. If that’s the case, perhaps giving him some more time to recover would benefit both him and the team considering how poorly he has played recently.
If his wrist isn’t bothering him, then it’s time for the front office to make a serious push on the trade market. Bayless’ contract might not be that appealing since it won’t expire this summer, but again, it wouldn’t be surprising if a more established contender in need of perimeter depth was willing to kick the tires.
In terms of what the Sixers can do while he’s actually in the rotation, that’s more tricky. T.J. McConnell’s eventual return should allow Brown to avoid Bayless as the primary creator altogether, but that won’t solve the latter’s shooting woes. He just hasn’t been hitting shots lately, which is a problem considering his shot is what got him $27 million over three years.
Bayless is struggling defensively as well. He’s undersized in most matchups nowadays, and doesn’t have the athleticism to keep up more more explosive individuals. He’s simply an all-around weakness, and the Sixers need to a) look at resting him as I mentioned above or b) look for a way to replace at least some of his minutes.
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Ideally, Fultz’s return provides another option if Bayless can’t turn things around.