Jerry Stackhouse thinks the Sixers needed some veterans
The value of a veteran presence is one that has been hotly debated in Philadelphia 76ers circles over the last several years. As recently as 2014-15, the Sixers most experienced player throughout the year, Jason Richardson, had 12 years under his belt, with nine rookies and five sophomores seeing playing time that season.
Richardson played fewer than 20 games that season, and the Sixers would win 20 games. The following season, the Sixers would win just 10 games. Elton Brand was signed as the “veteran” of the team, later moving into an executive role with the G League team and then the big club shortly after.
Prior to “The Process” era, the Sixers had tried a youthful revolving door, just before the team selected Allen Iverson with the top overall pick in the 1996 draft. One player from that era thinks that was a major reason the team didn’t succeed, despite having some of the best youthful talents in the NBA.
Jerry Stackhouse speaks on Philadelphia 76ers youth struggle
Jerry Stackhouse played just two full seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, seasons that were largely forgettable. The team missed the playoffs in both seasons, winning a total of 40 games.
As far as the reason the team was so bad, Stackhouse chalks a lot of that up to the lack of veterans due to an ownership shift.
Speaking to Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the Knuckleheads podcast, Stackhouse said:
"“Team that was in the midst of a, you know, selling the team, it was a lot of taking shortcuts, right? For that whole year. I mean I played with like 30 players, you know, something crazy that year. You know, [John Lucas], he was bringing in, I’m telling you, everybody that he had had and you know, it’s centers and whatnot he was getting those kids a chance. I mean, I love him for it, right? But those guys he gave them 10-days, you know, that little 10 grand and 15 grand for a year. You know, but it was just like a revolving door, so it wasn’t any continuity until the next year when they had made the change.”"
Allen Iverson, drafted and making his debut in Stackhouse’s sophomore season, would logically be the fit to take the team over and bring them out of the dark ages, but the lack of quality, proven players around the two of them made for a difficult journey.
"“That whole front office was gone, and now it’s the front office that drafted Allen Iverson. And, we basically played the same position, man. Even though he was 6-foot, he was a scorer. And I was a scorer. I wasn’t about to relent one bit, you know what I’m saying? We were one of the hottest scoring duos but we didn’t have a lot around us."
Stackhouse went on to talk about how his career took a new step with the Detroit Pistons because of the veterans that were around, including Grant Hill and Theo Ratliff.
"So I think when it came down to it, me going to Detroit and then being able to get Theo Ratliff and some other pieces around him and me being able to get with Grant Hill and some other veterans, it really helped me, it showed me what being a pro was about because I didn’t really get that in Philadelphia. We was just some young Knuckleheads.”"
Stackhouse talked about his entire career and journey with the Knuckleheads hosts. Though he was with the team through two dreary seasons, he still did enough to make a lasting impact on the franchise individually.
As a Sixer, he averaged 19.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
Ultimately, Stackhouse would become a two-time All-Star, putting together an impressive and lengthy playing career. While he wasn’t ever the star, leading player for any team, he made his way as a high-powered scoring wing player.