Do Philadelphia 76ers FAs deliver enough BANG for BUCK?

When new team president Bryan Colangelo shopped for free agents, he touted the direction as adding “veteran leadership, production, and dependability” to the locker room. But with 1.33 seasons behind us, the Philadelphia 76ers free agent experience is anything but shiny.

The 2016 narrative from new president Bryan Colangelo to the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers had a purpose.  When he arrived, he wanted to distance himself from the sins of his predecessor. One such transgression, in the eyes of the NBA scouts and executives, was the omission of free agents on the team.  And so, he delivered a sales pitch to the fans desperate to go from “rebuild” to “rebuilt”. From “developing” to “succeeding”. New team president and general manager Bryan Colangelo sold the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers on three principals when he assumed the lead of the team.

First, he would unclog the logjam at the center position and get real value in return.
Secondly, he would run the team with great transparency. He would communicate developments with the team “real time”.
Thirdly, he would reinforce the team roster with veteran free agents who would, at a minimum, segue the team with consistent production until younger players had earned starting minutes.

There once was a song, “Two out of three ain’t bad”. So it’s safe to assume that zilch is pretty bad indeed.  The center jam unclogged. But the return was infinitesimally smaller than the expectation.  Communication from the team continues to center around open mikes aimed at Coach Brown.   And finally, veterans have arrived. But they are as streaky as the rookies on the team. So where’s the value in that?

Musta got lost, somewhere down the line…

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed five free agents to the time since Bryan Colangelo took over in 2016. They are the following:

Point guard Sergio Rodriguez (68 games played, 30 starts) – 2017
Shooting guard Gerald Henderson (72 games played, 41 starts) – 2017
Guard Jerryd Bayless (28 games played, 10 starts) – 2017-2018
Shooting guard J.J. Redick (28 games played, 28 starts) -2018
Power Forward Amir Johnson (29 games played, 7 starts) -2018

Right now, these Philadelphia 76ers are spiraling downward. Shots aren’t falling, ball handling is on the Santa’s wish list.  In the end, players are not lining up with expectations.

These things happen on a game by game basis.  And I’m not arguing right or wrong about signing free agents or remaining content with solid NBA draft selections. But however the teams chooses, there must be an expectation of success in doing so.

So far this year, the Philadelphia 76ers have committed $43 Million dollars this season to free agents. Last season that amount was $26 Million.  In two seasons, what have the Philadelphia 76ers to show for it?

Comparative shopping

Not much.  Now keep in mind, I am not including such honorary signings as that of Elton Brand. And I also understand the need for veteran presence. But in signing free agents, I enlist two thresholds: did players produce at or better than their career averages? Secondly, did the Philadelphia 76ers overpay for the production of that player?

Let’s examine career averages:

PG Sergio Rodriguez (Phi – 7.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, 39.2 FG% / avg 4.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 40.9 FG%)
SG Gerald Henderson (Phi – 9.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 42.4 FG% / avg 11.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 44.0 FG%)
Guard Jerryd Bayless (Phi- 9.4 PPG, 1.6 APG, 41.2 FG% / avg 8.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 41.4 FG%)
SG J.J. Redick (Phi – 16.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 38.7 3PT% / avg 12.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 41.3 3PT%)
PF Amir Johnson (Phi – 4.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 51.4 FG% / avg 7.4 PPG, 5.6 RPT, 57.3 FG%)

Comparison should favor Philly, it doesn’t

Now, while you will examine this group, keep this in mind:  Average performance includes rookie seasons.  By rights, each free agent should outperform their career averages. The players who have two or better Sixers stats exceeding their averages are Sergio Rodriguez, and J.J. Redick.  Of those two, Rodriguez is back in the Euroleague and Redick has dropped his perimeter shooting by nearly a full three percentage points.  He was signed to shoot three-pointers.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed J.J. Redick for $23 Million this season.  Just to compare, the Indianapolis Pacers signed Victor Oladipo to a $21 Million per season deal, and he is delivering baskets by the buckets, including shooting 43.2 3pt% versus a career average of 35.9 3pt%.  In short, while we hoped the best for our free agents, they aren’t delivering the best.

Tough to ignore castoffs

Finally, the players we signed must be considered by players not signed.  When the team makes decisions on free agents to bring onto this roster, the roster slot must be vacated.  Let’s examine who the team elected not to sign. Only two players unsigned in Philadelphia have signed elsewhere. There are:  PG Ish Smith and SG Isaiah Canaan.

Right now, both players are giving persuasive performances to suggest to objective Philadelphia 76ers fans that they had more upside than the front office believed them to possess.  Ish Smith has been a solid veteran at the point guard reserve spot for the Detroit Pistons. His lack of perimeter shooting leveraged his dismissal from the 76ers, but his cost, at $6 Million a year, feels like a healthy discount to the players signed by Philadelphia since.

Load the Canaan!

The Phoenix Suns signed Canaan with a hardship exception clause (Philly could argue for an exception with their level of prolonged injuries), and he has lit up the court. In just four games, he is averaging 14.0 points per game, and shooting 42.9 percent from the perimeter.  He is quite familiar to Philadelphia 76ers fans.

There is value in the NBA Draft, and value in the NBA Free Agency.  Regardless of which direction the Philadelphia 76ers decided to travel, there is an expectation of beating the averages. With free agency, it consists of getting someone at less cost and getting above average production.  Even if you disagree that the Philadelphia 76ers have underwhelmed via free agency, there is enough room to question just how well the team is doing as they pursue free agents going forward.  We’ve suggested that the team is losing draft picks amassed by former executive Sam Hinkie.  I now assert that the salary cap margin this team once enjoyed has plenty of questions attached to how effectively it has been spent as well in the free agent market.

Next: Dario Saric questions the Sixers’ toughness

Is Amir Johnson producing at an $11 Million / year clip? Is Jerryd Bayless producing at a $9 Million / year clip? And is even J.J. Redick producing at a $23 Million / year clip?  I don’t know.  But if they are not, that falls upon the President/GM Bryan Colangelo.  In the end money, like draft picks, comes in limited supplies.