The Philadelphia 76ers have given Anthony Brown and Norvel Pelle a chance to compete for a roster spot, but it’s an uphill battle for both players.
With the NBA training camp right around the corner, Philadelphia 76ers players should be taking time to prepare for the upcoming preseason. For stars like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, there should be little to no trepidation entering into camp, however for players like Anthony Brown and Norvel Pelle, there’s surely some butterflies in their stomachs.
Both Pelle and Brown are fringe level talent and are fighting for a spot on the 76ers. Brown’s NBA career has been limited to under 50 regular season games. Brown has seen success in the G-League, but he has yet to find a permanent home in the NBA.
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Pelle actually played for Philadelphia’s G-League affiliate the then Delaware 87ers in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. Pelle also played overseas the past two seasons. However, Pelle has never been more than a second string big man off the bench during his pro career.
Each player has their upsides: Brown has proven to be an above average scorer in the G-League, while Pelle is a solid defender and rebounder. While each player has positives going for them, it will still be very hard for either to make the Sixers roster on opening night. Philly’s already over its roster limit of 17 players, that includes having both two-way contracts already used on Shake Milton and Demetrius Jackson.
The percentages of either player making the opening night roster aren’t good. Pelle has the worst chance between the two. The Sixers already have Joel Embiid, Mike Muscala, Amir Johnson and Jonah Bolden who can play center for the club. Unless the unlikelihood of multiple long term injuries happen to multiple big men, there’s little to no chance that Pelle makes the club. I give Pelle a 2.0 percent chance of making the final roster.
Brown’s situation is completely different then Pelle’s. It wouldn’t hurt the 76ers to add another forward, however it would take Philly unloading one of the current players to make room for one. Even if the Sixers do unload a player from the roster, there’s more attractive options to fill the vacant spot than Brown.
Converting Milton’s two-way contract into a regular deal is one option I wrote about and signing a veteran forward like Luol Deng is another option I have suggested in the past as well. Both are more attractive options than Brown at this point. However, I wrote that Brown could get a two-way contract depending on what happens with Milton or Jackson. I’ll give Brown a 17.0 percent chance of making the final roster spot, though it may have to be on a two-way contract.
Neither player has great odds of making the Philadelphia 76ers opening night roster. However, this doesn’t mean that Brown and Pelle should give up, hopefully both players perform at their peaks during training camp. Their hard work may payoff, if not with the Sixers, maybe with another NBA team.