The cavalry arrives
We mentioned players who are overseas, but left it at that. Now we can discuss that in more detail. The team has three international players worth discussing: center Anžejs Pasečņiks, power forward Jonah Bolden, and small forward Mathias Lessort. For now, we project Pasecniks coming over to fill Amir Johnson’s role, Bolden filling Ilyasova’s role, and Lessort working to fill a wing position.
Fans immediately fell in love with Bolden’s play in the summer league. He played hard, worked the boards well, and found ways to score. So far in the Euroleague, Bolden is putting up respectable production. He is getting 21.7 minutes, and scoring 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks. His perimeter shot needs work at just 32.1 percent, but he is hitting 48.3 percent from the floor. And he is so incredibly versatile. He plays hard on both ends of the court. He will be a huge plus for the team next year.
Center of attention
The Philadelphia 76ers traded back to the 25th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft to grab Andzejs Pasecniks. That selection revealed team president Bryan Colangelo’s strong desire to acquire another big to play behind Embiid. With Okafor traded, the team relies this season on a conglomeration of Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes, and now recently acquired Ersan Ilyasova. But the team needs a more permanent solution. Enter Pasecniks.
Pasecniks is a reported 7-foot-1 big who is very versatile as well. We wrote about the reasons why the team traded up for him at the start of the season. In short, he was a lightly scouted player who brings huge potential to the NBA. Ultimately, he is a player with a style similar to Kristaps Porzingis.
Next: How important is Joel Embiid’s 3-point shot?
So there are plenty of reasons to believe the Philadelphia 76ers will compete for the NBA Championship next season, and for years to come. Perhaps that is why many now believe LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers is likely. Whether that happens or not, this team is built to win. And we haven’t even talked about 2018 NBA Draft prospects. Hmmmm…