J.R. Smith
Oh no, it’s the guy who didn’t know the score! Yes, J.R. Smith messed up in the 2018 Finals, yes, he barely played last season, yes, he’s a streaky shooter. But, the Sixers need shooting. J.R.Smith can shoot.
Christopher Kline has written on why J.R. should be given a chance in Philadelphia. Nevertheless, Smith is not a good defender. In 2017-18, Smith’s opponent had a 2.8 percent higher effective field goal percentage when guarded by him, according to Cleaning The Glass and his corner 3 defense was particularly atrocious–his opponent shot 10.9 percent from the corner better when Smith was on the court.
The Sixers have a stout defense and from Elton Brand’s roster construction it is easy to see he values defense a lot. Smith is not a plus defender (then again, neither are the other guys on this list). Will Smith’s antics be tolerated in Philadelphia, where Brett Brown and the ownership are striving to build a sustainable team culture? Final verdict? Smith deserves a comeback, but it’s probably not gonna be in Philly.
The 76ers might bring more guys in before the season start to compete for the last roster. As things stand, however, Burke remains the most promising candidate for that position. But it wouldn’t be impossible for the Sixers to move in a different direction.