The Philadelphia 76ers planned to get Markelle Fultz and Furkan Korkmaz into action this season. But injuries and underachieving has created a developing developing dilemma.
You are here. How many times have we sought out that visual map in unfamiliar surroundings, just to see where we were located. Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers development cycle is like that maze of a shopping mall. And so, this article is that map. You are here.
But where is here exactly? Well, a place we hadn’t wished for this team to be at, certainly. But why is that again? After all, the team is sitting at 35 wins and have 18 games left to play. This team is likely a 2018 NBA Playoff team for the first time in many years. And the team has six draft picks in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft. What could be so bad about that? So, let’s discuss where we are in terms of developing our rookie players.
Optimistic question marks
Well, the bottom line is that neither Markelle Fultz nor Furkan Korkmaz can be counted on for dependable contributions to this team just yet. Oh, either or both MAY be just fine, but in terms of coaches trust or front office roster planning, neither has upgraded their future beyond an optimistic question mark.
And that is problematic for this team. Without conclusive objective evidence, plans must be built around subjective factors. Words like potential, optics, progression, projection are now part of the team’s scheme for next season in places where points, shots, rebounds, assists, steals, and fit would be written. This team’s rate of progress, and thereby the team’s timeline for that destiny of competing for an NBA championship, experienced one more hiccup.
Musta got lost…
The plan was sound on paper. That 2017 NBA Draft yielded five solid prospects for the Philadelphia 76ers. Of course, any draft which nets the team the top-pick-of-the-draft is a good draft. But this draft didn’t end there. The team, with plenty of draft assets, decided that the 2017 NBA Draft was the place to load up the pipeline with players. And that is what the team did.
The team traded back into the first round to grab center Anzejs Pasecniks, then selected power forward Jonah Bolden, then sold two picks. Finally, the team chose small forward Mathias Lessort. The team stashed all but Fultz in overseas contracts and prepared to onboard wing Furkan Korkmaz. From that point, the team had four players to work with in the 2017-2018 season. In the 2018 season, the team had the opportunity for either one or two first round draft picks – pending the outcome of the Los Angeles Lakers first round pick.
Two flats and a slow leak…
The team would have two players from the 2016 draft in Ben Simmons (rookie) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot developing, matched with 2017 draft pick Markelle Fultz paired with redshirted Furkan Korkmaz. Four players on a 15 man roster to develop, grow, and carry into that 2018 season prepared to contribute. Four players a year, feeding the roster and allowing plenty of time to vet, train, hone, and mature into NBA caliber.
To prove the team’s commitment to their young players, the team signed J.J. Redick, a solid veteran at a position of need, to just a one-year deal. In similar fashion, the team signed Amir Johnson to fill in at the front court. After all, between Fultz, TLC, and Korkmaz, one or more surely would be ready for significant minutes, if not outright starts. Based on the way Luwawu-Cabarrot finished that 2016-2017 season, that seemed rather safe. But once more, reality deflated reflect lofty expectations. The original plan to grow four players this season fell flat on two, and a third player regressed like a slow tire leak.
76ers are here….
You know the rest of the story. Neither Markelle Fultz nor Furkan Korkmaz saw much of the basketball court this entire season. That fact has had a rippling effect on the quality of the 76ers bench play this season. Without viable options at the wing position, the team signed free agent Marco Belinelli in hopes to bolster the bench in time for the playoffs. In similar fashion, the team never seemed to work power forward Trevor Booker into the lineup effectively. That necessitated another move, this time signing Ersan Ilyasova to bolster the team’s bench in the front court.
Simple solution? Well, akin to treating a broken leg with the “take two aspirin and call me in the morning”. The true problem is the building logjam in the team’s pipeline. How so? By this time in the season, the plan placed the biggest debate over which young wing player deserved starts next season. Now the biggest debate is which veterans deserve to be re-signed for next season?
Pipeline is clogged
The pipeline was already loaded up for the 2018 season. Three overseas players are in the queue for a chance to play in Philadelphia. At best, their arrival to the NBA will be delayed. In worst case scenario, the Sixers will need to prune some young players to make room for the next crop of young prospect. While the reality is likely somewhere in the middle, there is more at stake here than just an “Oh well, we won’t see much of Furkan Kormaz this season”.
It means the pairing of Markelle Fultz with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is delayed another entire season. It means that the Philadelphia 76ers have no concrete answers at the wings. But most of all, it changes the team’s entire 2018 off-season strategy. The team, if wise, must now reinforce the roster at those “optimistic question marks” we discussed earlier. All the while, those four slots of developing players, as of now, appear to be three-fourths filled. Does that limit the number of players imported from the Euroleague? And what of the 2018 NBA Draft strategy? Well, one thing at a time.
Concrete needs take priority
if the team must recalibrate their development plans, then the team must recalibrate the team needs. So what are those needs?
I – Center backup – The Philadelphia 76ers are run through the play of center Joel Embiid. Right now the drop off when he steps off the court is simply too great. the team must find a way to upgrade his backup. Bringing Anzejcs Pasecniks to the NBA is a top priority for next season. The team is scrambling to find ways to rest him this season. Getting a bona fide center reserve is very important.
Joel Embiid has shown enough this season for the team to begin to relax on working worst-case scenarios of “what if he can’t” in terms of number of games and playing minutes. At 53 games this season, with 18 remaining, and with an average playing time of over 31 minutes per game, Embiid has proven he can be relied upon by the 76ers. But he is an incredible player, and he is taking far too many lumps, bumps, and focus of opposing teams. The team must get the bench upgraded to lessen the load on JoJo.
Wings and forwards
II – Wing starter/bench – Who steps up for the Philadelphia 76ers at the wing position next season? Whoever you name, there is a bit of subjectivity in your answer. While Markelle Fultz is a consensus for next season, is he the starter on day one? If not, the team must begin discussing retention of J.J. Redick or signing some free agent. But that too comes at the cost of playing time for younger players, and roster spots for rookie prospects. While the team must sort out who plays the starting role, and who plays the reserve role, there are currently five players with a stake in the outcome. Redick, Fultz, Belinelli, Korkmaz, and Luwawu-Cabarrot are all competing for 2018 consideration. Redick and Belinelli must persuade the team to re-sign them. Fultz, Korkmaz, and TLC must prove to the team that re-signing veterans is not necessary.
III- Power forward backup – The team has a solid starter in Dario Saric. He gets better the more he plays, and right now he is playing his best basketball of the season. And he has Richaun Holmes, Ersan Ilyasova and Amir Johnson backing him up. But both Johnson and Ilyasova contracts expire, and Holmes gets limited looks at both center and power forward. PF Jonah Bolden is already eagerly anticipated with his impressive versatility. His arrival is an easily handled matter. And with Saric, Holmes, and Bolden, the roster appears to be set.
Developing developing dilemma
So here we are. The team has two players at a minimum slated to arrive in 2018 and will be huge boosts to the roster. But only if the team can develop both Pasecniks and Bolden. So how does the team portion out coaching time and playing time to competing needs of players at differing roles? Historically, the higher pick prospect gets the lion share of the attention.
From this vantage point, that suggests that the team will direct coaching resources to Markelle Fultz, then (if he comes over) Anzejcs Pasecniks, then Furkan Korkmaz. Since Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is completing his second SIxers season, look for the team to expect him to put in the work autonomously. Still, the fact of needs on this roster to get the bench in line before the 2018 NBA season is a tall order. And this developing developing dilemma will not resolve itself easily.
Slow flow
The team will need to work with a minimum of five players next season before any 2018 NBA Draft picks enter the picture. And the team has six picks projected in that draft. Furthermore, the 76ers may not even be looking at a top-10 pick, thanks to the surprising record of the Los Angeles Lakers. That means the team will likely select two first round draft picks outside of the top-10. As you know, the further down the pick, the likely greater need for coaching to prepare the prospect for NBA play.
Next: Markelle Fultz vs. the Philadelphia 76ers
The team has used a draft-and-stash method extensively under President Bryan Colangelo, and that will certainly continue in the 2018 NBA Draft under the current circumstances. But that delays player development even further. In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers are no longer a team boasting rapid development of NBA prospects. But let’s hope that is all at stake. With so much investment in young players for the foreseeable future, the team still has a stellar reputation for getting the most out of their younger players. Let’s ensure the team maintains that expertise, however long it takes.