The Sixer Sense
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Sixers must embrace their young talent next season

By Christopher Kline

GREENVILLE, NC - JANUARY 11: Wichita State Shockers guard Landry Shamet (11) smiles after making a field goal during a game between the East Carolina Pirates and the Wichita State Shockers at Williams Arena-Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC on January 11, 2018. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, NC - JANUARY 11: Wichita State Shockers guard Landry Shamet (11) smiles after making a field goal during a game between the East Carolina Pirates and the Wichita State Shockers at Williams Arena-Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC on January 11, 2018. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers need to give their young pieces a chance next season.

If there was one common complaint about Brett Brown’s approach last season, it was his reliance on veteran talent. Right or wrong, many fans were displeased with his reluctance to play Richaun Holmes. Many wanted more minutes for Justin Anderson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot as well.

Once Brown settled into a rotation, he seldom strayed far from it. Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova were locked into their roles, regardless of matchups. They were valuable, yes, but also came with sizable flaws. Flaws Brown didn’t always work around.

Now the Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2018-19 campaign with a new bench rotation. Mike Muscala will get minutes at the five, while Markelle Fultz seems locked into the sixth man role (for now, at least). Wilson Chandler will get minutes at the four and on the wing.

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Those are the only ‘locks’, though. The rest of the second unit is wide open, and there’s a very real chance that Brown turns to his young pieces to fill those minutes. That’s something he needs to embrace.

Too often we see competitive teams avoid rookies, often to a fault. It takes younger players time to adjust, but there are plenty of scenarios every year where valuable players aren’t given enough playing time to prove their worth.

Just because a player is young doesn’t mean he can’t contribute to winning basketball. We saw Josh Hart explode toward the end of last season after minutes were scarce during earlier months. And the Lakers weren’t even competitive. Now Hart looks like their best two-guard.

The Sixers have the makings of a solid second unit, but that’s only if their younger pieces contribute at a high level. Zhaire Smith is raw, but can (and most likely will) bring immediate value as an on-ball defender and uber-athletic presence on the wing.

Given his aggressiveness and length, Smith is the best perimeter defender in the 2018 class. He put that on display in Summer League, switching around the perimeter, choking off passing lanes and forcing turnovers at a high clip.

The Sixers lacked defense off the bench last season. Belinelli got most of the wing minutes in the second unit, which ended up costing the Sixers against Boston in the second round. The Celtics attacked him relentlessly, hunting switches and getting baskets with minimal resistance.

He was one glaring hole in a Sixers defense that ranked among the best in the NBA. Smith can plug that hole on day one.

Belinelli’s departure leaves the Sixers short on bench shooters, though. Another secondary playmaker — one that can compliment both Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, as needed — would also be nice.

Enter Landry Shamet.

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The 26th overall pick in the draft, Shamet was one of the best shooters in college basketball last season. On 5.9 attempts per game, he shot 44.2 percent from three-point range. Whether it be pulling up or off the catch, Shamet proved capable of hitting a large volume of perimeter shots.

In the Sixers’ motion-based offense, Shamet will get plenty of open looks. He will also be on the receiving end of passes thrown by Simmons and Fultz, both of whom are above-average playmakers with above-average vision.

All of that, and Shamet played point guard at Wichita State. He’s a high-I.Q. player who typically avoids mistakes, making smart reads in the pick-and-roll and minimizing turnovers. He’d be the perfect candidate to alleviate pressure from the Sixers’ core playmakers while spacing the floor.

It’s up to Brett Brown to play him. T.J. McConnell is a more proven asset — and one of the most beloved Sixers — but Shamet is a better team fit. He also has more upside long term, even with limited athleticism.

You can even argue for Furkan Korkmaz minutes. He rarely saw the floor last season, but exploded in Summer League and showed a nice blend of shooting touch and improved playmaking chops.

Shake Milton is another secondary playmaker who can defend multiple positions at a high level. On top of that, he shot above 42 percent from deep in three consecutive seasons at SMU, emerging as one of the prime 3-and-D players in the 2018 class. He was a poor pre-draft process away from first round consideration.

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The Sixers have young talent that can potentially help them win games next season. Brett Brown should be willing to hand those players minutes, even if it comes with early growing pains. At least give them a shot.