The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers, may we approach the bench?

By Bret Stuter

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Amir Johnson
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Amir Johnson /
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Philadelphia 76ers
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 24: General Manager Bryan Colangelo of the Philadelphia 76ers watches the game in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center on January 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Bulls 115-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Colangelo finally acts

It was not until the Atlanta Hawks bought out shooting guard Marco Belinelli that Bryan Colangelo finally acted to fill the open roster spot.  With a bench inept at scoring, and struggling to meet the needs of picking up quality minutes, something had to be done.  And yet, with the expiration of the NBA Trade Deadline, the team had to await the availability of veteran buyouts. The first buyout rumored to the Philadelphia 76ers was that of the Hawks buyout of Belinelli.  And so, Colangelo signed Marco Belinelli to a deal to add wing production and depth for the team.

But those Atlanta Hawks continued to pursue buyouts. In fact, they did so once more with a player they had obtained via a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers previously, power forward Ersan Ilyasova. Ilyasova’s availability did complicate the situation somewhat, as his availability would force the team to waive an existing player to remain at the roster limit of 15. But who?  In the end, that same player who cost the team Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and a second round pick was waived: Trevor Booker.

Bench rebuilt – with duct tape

The team’s addition of Belinelli and Ilyasova was the right thing to do, for now. Belinelli has played in eight games for the 76ers, and Ilyasova just three. But those 24.9 minutes for Belinelli and 19.7 minutes for Ilyasova have netted 11.0 points and 10.3 points off the bench respectively.  And neither generates turnovers at a rate comparable to any of the five starters. So that’s a win for the team.

By comparison, Ilyasova scores more than double that of waived Trevor Booker, on just 4.7 more minutes per game. And with his return, the team now has an offensive option to put into the game to rest Embiid. In similar fashion, Belinelli proves to be a much more effective shooting guard than Bayless. As such, he is a far more capable replacement for Redick as well. And that finally gives Brown some options. But the addition of Belinelli and Ilyasova are segues. Neither player’s contract lasts beyond this season.  What does this mean for the team preparing for that 2018-2019 season? The team must replace Amir Johnson, Ersan Ilyasova, J.J. Redick, and Marco Belinelli this off-season.  A starter and three productive bench players.  So how does the team avoid another shallow bench season?