With Redick out, Sixers have opportunity to test their two-way contracts

By Christopher Kline | Jan 17, 2018

SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 18: Demetrius Jackson #2 of the Houston Rockets passes the ball against the Sacramento Kings during an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on October 18, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

J.J. Redick miss at least 10-14 days, so the Philadelphia 76ers have time to test out their new perimeter talent.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers have tweaked their roster, shedding Jacob Pullen and James Michael McAdoo in order to sign James Young and Demetrius Jackson. They both signed two-way deals.

That gives the Sixers 45 days with a pair of perimeter players, which is time they’d be wise to use. This team has struggled rather significantly with perimeter depth, so giving a pair of prospects who were once top-20 in their respective classes a chance could be worthwhile.

J.J. Redick’s recent injury news gives them an even greater opportunity. Jerryd Bayless and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will fill most of his minutes, but neither has played well this season. Bayless brings little value outside of his “veteran leadership,” while TLC is shooting well below the league-average from deep.

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Young has struggled with his three-point shot in the NBA, but continues to thrive in the G-League. In a high-volume role with the Wisconsin Herd this season, Young averaged 22.3 points per game while shooting a respectable 37.3 percent from range.

If he’s finally able to hit shots at that rate while playing off of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and others — and playing in a reduced role, I might add — that adds value they aren’t currently getting from their bench.

Many viewed Young as a lottery talent coming out of Kentucky, and the Celtics had a reason for picking him 17th back in 2014. There’s still some upside there.

Jackson is in the same boat, to some extent. I had him in my top-20 entering the 2016 NBA Draft, but he unexpectedly plummeted to the second round. He hasn’t gained traction in the league yet, but he’s a quick-twitch athlete who can get to the rim and finish at a high level.

He also shot 38.1 percent from deep during his three seasons at Notre Dame, although that trend hasn’t carried over to the NBA yet.

Jackson, who’s only 6-foot-1, will have a tougher time getting minutes, for obvious reasons. He’s a lead guard who hasn’t shown much ability off the ball, so Simmons and T.J. McConnell will continue to suck up most of his opportunities. If he shows he’s capable of hitting perimeter shots, though, throwing him on the court alongside Simmons for brief spurts could be worthwhile.

I’m still, regardless of how slim his chances are, a believer in Jackson’s talent.

With that said, Young is probably in the better situation. With Redick out and their perimeter depth in shambles, there’s no reason against giving the former Kentucky standout some run. It’s not hard to picture him earning a contract for the rest of the season.

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Young and Jackson make a lot more sense than McAdoo and Pullen when it comes to roster fit and needs, so hopefully Brett Brown gets them on the floor. Now is as good a time as any.