With the notable absence of Ben Simmons from the roster, the depth chart at point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers is noticeably thin. They have second year phenom Tyrese Maxey, combo guard Shake Milton, and Grant Riller who is on a two-way contract.
The Sixers needed to add more depth at the position entering training and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, they did that by adding Shaquille Harrison to the training camp roster. It’s unclear if his contract has an Exhibit 10 in it so that he could join the 76ers’ G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats this season.
What does Harrison signing mean for the Philadelphia 76ers?
Technically, Harrison is a combo guard, but considering the lack of depth at the one spot, he will certainly be used as a point guard in training camp. He’s a defensive player first and foremost so his impact on that end will certainly help the other guards on the roster improve their game.
For all his talents as a defender, he’s pretty unspectacular on the offensive end. Last season, he averaged 2.1 points, 0.7 assists, and 0.5 steals, while shooting just 18.8 percent from the 3-point line. For his career, he’s only converted 28.3 percent of hid shots from downtown.
The Sixers already have all regular season 15 roster spots filled as well as both of their two-way contract spots. Harrison probably isn’t in the 76ers’ long-term plans, but he brings defensive toughness at the guard position that will be lacking without Simmons present at training camp.
Harrison is a journeyman who has played for the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Denver Nuggets in four seasons. Clearly, the Philadelphia 76ers are just another pit stop for the combo guard and the Sixers need his defensive presence in training camp with Simmons being a no-show.