3 reasons why Philadelphia 76ers waived Jacob Pullen

The Philadelphia 76ers waived point guard Jacob Pullen today to free up a 2-way contract. Here are 3 reasons why the team made this move now

And as 2018 begins, the Philadelphia 76ers exercise a roster “housecleaning” of sorts.  On one hand, guard Jacob Pullen, who signed a two-way contract for the Philadelphia 76ers on October 16, 2017, made the news today.  On the other hand, somewhat ironically, one of the first acts for 2018 from the front office was to release him. He participated on the team’s summer league and five preseason games.  In that time, Pullen averaged just 6.8 minutes, 2.8 points and one assist per game over the the team’s five preseason games.

As a matter of fact, the Philadelphia 76ers use of a two-way contract to retain Pullen surprised many.  While the team assessed Pullen, it also looked at James Blackmon Jr.. Ultimately, the Philadelphia 76ers waive Blackmon and Pullen, who had spent six seasons overseas, signed. Nearly as surprising, the team did an about face in announcing his release.

International bias Brian?

Pullen’s surprising retention continues to track current Philadelphia 76ers president Brian Colangelo with an international bias. That bias emerged in the 2016 NBA Draft, as both late first round picks aimed at international stars. That same international theme emerged once more in the 2017 NBA Draft, as four of the players drafted after selecting the top pick are once more all international players.

Okay. So the team waived him. But why?

Reason I – Perimeter shooting

There are some basic principals for any player hoping to earn a roster spot as a niche player for the Philadelphia 76ers. The first qualification for players hoping to make this roster is some accuracy at sinking a three-point shot, particularly from the back court.

Unfortunately, when you examine Jacob Pullen’s production, his three-point shot hovered at 30 percent accuracy. If that is what you get at the G-Leagues Delaware 87ers, you would be wise to set expectations lower for the NBA version.

Too much of a good thing

Pullen’s bread and butter is not at the perimeter, but in the hard drives to the basket. While that is certainly a good skillset to possess, the team already has that in both Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and T.J. McConnell .  Add to that the fact that at 6-foot-1, Pullen is more ideal physically to run an offense from the point.  That limits Pullen’s role with the Philadelphia 76ers.

So it falls back to perimeter shooting. And the internationally savvy Pullen simply did not deliver enough to garner enough ongoing interest from the powers-that-be.

Reason II – Someone better came along

A huge and as-yet-unaddressed issue with two-way contracts for players is that team-friendly nature. Easily severable, few guarantees, the two-way contract is a huge tool in the hands of a shrewd NBA executive. But like a chainsaw, that tool can be very effective, or it can result in a lot of bloodshed.  Pullen’s two-way contract offered no retention incentives.

So when the team identified James Young‘s production with the Wisconsin Herd, that intrigued team executives to take a closer look. Young is a 6-foot-7 guard who has a solid perimeter shot, an intriguing potential fit into a tall-ball lineup, and he comes in as a very-similar-skillset to now gone for the season Furkan Korkmaz.

Korkmaz injury preciptated this move

As you recall, we discussed how the Korkmaz Lisfranc foot injury completely derailed the team’s intent on 2018 off-season decisions over the wing role for the team. The timing of that decision is imperative, as currently  the team benefits from one-year contract J.J. Redick. The hope remains that the team would have opportunity to see enough of 2nd year Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and 6-foot-7 190 pound rookie Furkan Korkmaz to learn whether they could allow Redick to test free agency once more.  TLC  never achieved a reliable perimeter shot, and Korkmaz’s injury anihalated his opportunity this season.

Not so coincidentally, Young arrives at that same 6-foot-7 height, shoots an average three-point accuracy of 39.2 percent for the Wisconsin Herd, and has some defensive chops. Now James Young, and not Furkan Korkmaz, will race to develop quickly enough to allow the front office to make the off-season decisions.

Reason III – Defensive liability

Any player striving to impress Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown had better know defense. Unfortunately, when you look at the advanced statistics for Jacob Pullen’s 2017-2018 season, defense shows up as a deficit.

You may or may not take much stock in ORtg versus DRtg, or OBPM versus DBPM. And that’s okay. But the advanced statistics of comparing either sets of measures forces this conclusion: Pullen’s offense does not measurably counter his defensive woes. For the Philadelphia 76ers whose pace amplifies those deficiencies far more than an average NBA team, that’s a serious concern.

What of McAdoo?

With that in mind, the team concluded that the fit of Pullen is not achievable with the current roster. And that means the team needs to redirect that roster spot to someone whose fit may be better suited to the team’s future.

Next: Sixers are looking to revive James Young’s career

The team continues to look at the other two-way contract holder, James Michael McAdoo. While McAdoo does not add much offensive oomph, he is a solid defender. Beyond that, he is very versatile. Although standing at 6-foot-9, he contributes on rebounds, assists, steals, and blocking shots. So while the perimeter shooting needs work, McAdoo appears to offer plenty of intrigue to keep him around.