Kyle O’Quinn: (finger wagging) No, no, no
As far as the 76ers are concerned, O’Quinn is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound insurance policy.
With Joel Embiid expected to be on a load management program this season and Al Horford being 33 years old, the Sixers needed a tough, defensive-minded center who would not mind at times sitting on the bench a lot.
Enter O’Quinn.
The Sixers tried to get O’Quinn last year but he decided to sign with the Indiana Pacers. That was a mistake as he barely played, only seeing action in 45 games for just an average of eight minutes.
After O’Quinn rejected them, the Sixers never were able to truly fill the backup center position — with catastrophic results. Remember, in Game 7 against Toronto, the Sixers outscored them by 10 points when Embiid was on the floor. In the one minute, 49 seconds he was resting, the Raptors outscored them by 12.
Key stat: 2.4 blocks a game (per 36)
Rim protection was virtually non-existent when Embiid left a game last season. Despite having FOUR other centers on the roster — a third of the roster — all had major flaws defensively.
With the Sixers top two options at center going to need some breaks, either during games or having them sit out, Brand was looking for someone to provide resistance to all the dribble-penetrating wings who feasted on the Sixers last season.
As Kyle Neubeck put it in PhillyVoice:
"“There are always spots on a roster for cheap, tough, and skilled big men. That’s exactly what O’Quinn is, and it is a big reason he has carved out a career despite being a second-round pick out of a small school. Though he is not going to overwhelm anyone with size at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, O’Quinn is strong, which has been an asset for him around the rim on both ends of the floor. With an average of 2.4 blocks per 36 minutes over the course of his seven-year career, O’Quinn has quietly been one of the league’s better rim protectors among bench players.”"
A good shot-blocking third-string center is something a championship contender needs, particularly when the health of the first two could be dicey.