Philadelphia 76ers: J.J. Redick, Dario Saric crack first half of SI.com’s Top 100
Sports Illustrated is releasing their list of the top 100 NBA players, starting with 51-100. Here’s where the Philadelphia 76ers stand.
Basketball is weeks away and predictions are flowing. Sports Illustrated released their rankings for the top 100 players entering the 2018-19 season, starting with the bottom half. A couple of Philadelphia 76ers made an appearance.
This list — which is based on projected impact for next season — boasts J.J. Redick and Dario Saric at 62 and 54, respectively. Those are fair rankings for two talented offensive players whose defense is lacking.
Redick will probably take a step back in his age-34 season, but his off-ball movement and deadeye shooting remains extremely valuable. A lot of Brett Brown’s offensive sets ran through Redick last season, using him creatively as a screener, cutter and spot-up shooter.
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He isn’t a bad defender, but his lack of size and athleticism puts restraints on what he can do. He got killed on switches in the postseason, which is virtually unavoidable when facing ultra-versatile lineups like the Celtics.
Saric is probably the Sixers’ worst defender — at least in the starting five. Nobody will question Dario’s effort, but he simply doesn’t have the physical gifts needed to contain quicker players in isolation. He can get lost in rotations from time to time as well.
With that said, Saric is an effective rebounder on both sides of the ball. Couple that with his offensive skill set, and it’s hard to justify dropping him any lower on that list.
The Sixers haven’t been able to maximize Saric’s skill set in Philly, largely due to the workload Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons carry. Saric is a gifted passer, but his role is often relegated to timely cuts and spot-up jumpers.
He excelled in that role last season — becoming a 39.3 percent three-point shooter — but there’s reason to believe he has room to take another step forward. He’ll continue to progress given how young he is, but it’s valid to question whether or not he can reach his peak on the Sixers’ current roster.
Presumably, Robert Covington, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid all rank inside SI’s top 50. Covington was ranked at 82 last summer and put together his best campaign to date in 2017-18, earning first team All-Defense honors.
There were some questionable rankings for sure, with DeMarcus Cousins at 68 being the most notable. He’s arguably the third-best center in the NBA, but his projected rehab time, reduced role in Golden State and the nature of Achilles injuries tanked his ranking.
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While that’s quite the bold statement for such a gifted player, the reasoning is sound. It will take some time for Cousins to make a worthwhile impact on the Warriors given their elite personnel and emphasis on defensive versatility.