Philadelphia 76ers: 5 things to watch for in the 2018 preseason

How ready are the rookies?

One thing that hasn’t changed over the recent years, is that the Sixers still have a lot of youth. The Sixers drafted three players in June, and 2017 draftee Jonah Bolden is now on the roster. The Sixers have most of their rotation already established, but rookies stepping up sooner than later could pay huge dividends.

Zhaire Smith will miss roughly two months with a foot injury. The Texas Tech product is expected to return around Christmas.

Landry Shamet has the offensive skillset to contribute immediately. He was an elite outside weapon at Wichita State and was regarded as one of the best shooters in the 2018 class. In his last season at Wichita State, Shamet shot 44.2 percent from three.

Shamet was a main orchestrator in Gregg Mashall’s offense, and averaged 5.2 assists per game. He has the ball handling, size, and shooting to lineup at either guard spot. Defense is going to be the deciding factor in his playing time early in his career. If he shows signs of effectively defending during the preseason, he could see minutes on opening night.

Shake Milton has been recently cleared for five-on-five, so his involvement in the preseason may be limited to start. Milton offers length and shot making as a combo guard. He’s 6-foot-6 with long strides and legitimate scoring upside. Signing a two-way contract says plenty about his expected role. He’ll split time between the G-League and the Sixers. Milton will need time to develop his body and evolve offensively. He has the fewest expectations of any rookie.

Jonah Bolden may have the most important preseason of the Sixers’ newbies. Bolden has to impress if he wants to find himself in the rotation. Amir Johnson and Mike Muscala are slated to be the first bigs off the bench.

Bolden has a unique package of ability. He can move like a wing, but play to his 6-foot-10 size like a traditional big man. Bolden can spot up and shoot, and is a great transition finisher. Much like the rest of the rookies, Bolden’s defense will get him minutes. He has the potential to become a menace, and if he flashes any of it, he could see spot-minutes early in the season.