The Sixers once again fell short of the NBA championship, this time with a second round exit to Jimmy Butler (sigh) and the Miami Heat. Philadelphia faces another offseason full of questions, and frankly, I’m not one hundred percent sure what the answers are. This team has to look inward, engage in self-reflection, and then determine the path forward.
Even so, there was plenty of celebrate. The unmatched greatness of Joel Embiid, the rise of Tyrese Maxey, that lovely James Harden honeymoon period. It was a fun (if turbulent) season, and there’s still a lot to be excited about.
With the 2021-22 season officially in the rearview mirror, let’s go down the roster and hand out grades for each individual player (this is not a scientific process, but grades are generally relative to expectations).
Grading every Sixers player: Jaden Springer // C+
Jaden Springer played six total regular season minutes for the Sixers. He actually played more in the playoffs than in the regular season. We just didn’t see enough of him to get any real read on his future. Springer was one of the youngest players in the draft and he was always going to need time. That said, six total minutes for your first-round pick does stand out. Springer was not dominant in the G-League, but he showed plenty of two-way flashes in line with the pre-draft intrigue around him. I’m still in on Springer.
Grading every Sixers player: Charles Bassey // B+
Charles Bassey has been lurking in the shadows all season. He dominated in the G-League, he flashed tantalizing talent in his brief playing time with the Sixers, and we all heard tales of how impressive he was in practice. The former five-star recruit has all the physical tools necessary to carve out a role in the NBA. It’s up to Doc Rivers to actually play him.
Grading every Sixers player: Charlie Brown Jr. // B
Charlie Brown Jr. played commendable basketball when Doc Rivers actually went to him. It’s hard for two-way players to separate themselves at the NBA level, but Brown is a legitimate NBA athlete and NBA defender. His offense leaves a lot to be desired, and he probably won’t stick around long-term, but there’s something there.
Grading every Sixers player: Myles Powell // D+
Myles Powell was pretty much invisible in the NBA and he wasn’t particularly special in the G-League either. He’s already 24 years old and with James Harden on the roster, there’s no longer that lingering question of whether Philly has a real backup point guard. Powell’s probably not going to stick around.
Grading every Sixers player: DeAndre Jordan // F
DeAndre Jordan should not be getting NBA minutes anymore. He’s probably the worst move on Daryl Morey’s resumé since arriving in Philadelphia and Doc Rivers’ insistence on playing him (especially in the postseason) was wholly detrimental to the team.
Grading every Sixers player: Isaiah Joe // C
The Sixers did not play Isaiah Joe enough… again. He deserved an extended chance given the dearth of wing talent on the roster. That said, Rivers did give Joe some minutes throughout the season and the second-year wing could never really separate himself from the pack.
That said, Joe is the only perimeter reserve who has shown any proclivity for consistent defense and consistent 3-point shooting. In a 3-and-D league, the fact that Joe can actually check both boxes is important. The Sixers have a lot of one-way players. Joe has the chance to genuinely contribute both ways. A pivotal third season is upcoming for the 22-year-old. Hopefully he gets a fair chance.
Grading every Sixers player: Paul Millsap // D
Paul Millsap was the least bad of Philadelphia’s two unplayable old backup centers who Doc Rivers nonetheless tried to play. He shouldn’t be with the team next season. He’s still smart and competitive in spirit, but his body can’t keep up anymore.
Grading every Sixers player: Paul Reed // B+
In the end, even Doc Rivers couldn’t keep Paul Reed glued to the bench. It took far too long, and Doc Rivers won’t ever admit it, but Reed is the best backup center on the roster and he has been all along. The former G-League MVP is the exact kind of mentally tough, hard-working player the Sixers need more of.
Reed is already an impactful NBA defender. His penchant for deflections and forcing turnovers is Robert Covington-esque. He’s a thorn in the opposing offense’s side, a pure force of chaos. He fouls too much and he can’t always match up with the more physically imposing centers, but that will come in time. With more reps next season — and Reed better get more reps next season — we should see him start to develop as a decision-maker.
The Sixers have been in search of the long-term answer at backup center for years. After a half-decade of half-retired veterans, the Sixers have finally landed on the player who should back up Joel Embiid for the next five years. Reed can play in the NBA, and with more development offensively, he may even be able to spend time next to Embiid. There’s every reason for optimism around Reed’s future because he works his tail off and he clearly craves the competition.
Philadelphia should focus on bolstering the wing rotation this summer. The backup center job is already taken. Reed has accomplished exactly what he set out to do. He caught the attention of Doc Rivers, he proved his mettle on the biggest stage, and now he has the chance to cement his place in the rotation moving forward.
Grading every Sixers player: Furkan Korkmaz // D+
Furkan Korkmaz regressed dramatically after his pleasantly productive 2021-22 season. He only hit 28.9 percent of his 3s, which is simply not good enough for a player whose sole purpose in the lineup is to hit 3s. Credit to him — he stayed aggressive and he showed up to play when given the opportunity — but the shots never fell frequently enough.
The Sixers paid Korkmaz last summer. He’s part of the rotation, like it or not. He has to be better. Philadelphia needs volume shooters like him around Joel Embiid and James Harden, so Korkmaz will get every opportunity to earn back the trust of Doc Rivers. He was still getting break-in-case-of-emergency minutes in the playoffs, and he’s one of the longest tenured players on the team now. He has chemistry with Embiid that can’t really be replicated by the scarce shooters elsewhere on the roster.
If Korkmaz is hitting 35 percent of his 3s instead of 29 percent, the outlook on his career moving forward would be much better. Sometimes it’s as simple as “he was cold” or “he was hurt and we didn’t know it.” Frankly, common logic would suggest Korkmaz is better next season. He’s a better shooter than 28.9 percent.
The Sixers do genuinely benefit from Korkmaz’s confidence and ability to attack closeouts. He’s a valuable offensive player when shots are falling. He’s not without flaws — it’s hard to play bad defenders in the playoffs — but we should expect something of a rebound next season.
Grading every Sixers player: Shake Milton // C+
Shake Milton’s role decreased due to Tyrese Maxey’s ascent (and the eventual arrival of James Harden), which made it easier to paper over some of his flaws. In general, he was much better than last season. He improved as a decision-maker and as a passer. He was more solid. After being mostly unplayable late last season, he was the Sixers’ best reserve in the 2022 playoffs. That speaks to larger flaws in roster construction, but also to Milton’s strong bounce-back campaign.
The Sixers still need Milton’s skill set. His ability to hit open 3s and beat closeouts is valuable when you consider the stars he plays with (though you would like him to hit a shade more than 32.3 percent of his 3s). Milton started slow and finished strong, though. Not long ago, he was a 40 percent 3-point shooter. There’s reason for optimism on that front.
Milton is also one of the few Sixers outside the ‘Core Four’ — heck, maybe the only Sixer outside the ‘Core Four’ — who can create his own offense in the halfcourt. Sometimes you need guys to beat good defense with tough shots. Milton can do that. He was also the only player who showed consistent fight in the Sixers’ embarrassing Game 6 loss to Miami. That’s one game, but he deserves some real credit for showing up when his teammates didn’t.
Hopefully next season Milton can get fully back to his pre-2021 form. If the 3s really start falling he’s going to be extremely important behind Harden and Maxey in the backcourt. He’s also one of the few passable defenders in the supporting cast. That 7-foot wingspan is useful.
Grading every Sixers player: Georges Niang // B-
Bang Bang Georges Niang. The Minivan. It was a fun season for Georges Niang, who was by far the Sixers’ best reserve in the regular season. He thoroughly outplayed his small contract, providing the Sixers with elite spot-up shooting (40.3 percent from deep) and effusive, unfettered confidence.
The Sixers have long been at their best when Joel Embiid is surrounded by shooters. Sometimes it’s that simple. It’s the same deal with Harden, who creates so many great looks with his passing. Niang formed quick chemistry with Harden, and he spent many a game early in the season closing over Matisse Thybulle because of his ability to hit big shots.
Then came the postseason. That’s the only real stain on Niang’s season. He was pretty terrible once the playoffs began, especially in the second round. Not only did Niang go cold from 3 (unfortunate but not necessarily “his fault”), but he completely fell apart on defense. It’s not shocking — he’s way too slow for playoffs defense — but the Sixers’ best reserve being virtually unplayable was not easy to overcome.
Philadelphia should gladly keep Niang around. For such an affordable contract, he’s a great value piece in the regular season. That said, you have to have other options on the roster when the playoffs come around. It can’t be Niang or bust, which was essentially the case this year.
Grading every Sixers player: Matisse Thybulle // C-
I have always been something of a cynic when it comes to Matisse Thybulle. Now, it would appear the rest of the fanbase has joined me in that cynicism after the 25-year-old’s controversial and ultimately unproductive postseason. It’s hard to survive in the playoffs when you have no discernible offensive skill set.
It’s easy to forget that, for most of the season, Thybulle was the Sixers’ fifth starter. He was playing 25-30 minutes each night, he was closing games often enough, and he was the clear No. 5 in the team’s hierarchy. Then, when the playoffs arrived and it was clear Thybulle wouldn’t be available for road games in Toronto, the team moved to Danny Green and never looked back. Because Danny was flat-out better.
Thybulle is still an excellent and unique perimeter defender. He can change the course of a game with his disruptiveness. He has several impressive one-on-one showcases on his resumé too. Not many players can chase Trae Young or Devin Booker around screens like Thybulle. He’s too good on defense to write off completely. And yet, the Sixers legitimately could not survive his minutes in the playoffs. He was consistently dragging the team down on offense, and his defense wasn’t even that good. Strong, clever wings like Jimmy Butler can really put Matisse through the wringer because of his tendency to gamble and over-help.
The path forward for Thybulle is unclear. He’s due for an extension soon and I’m not sure the Sixers should want to pay it. He has shown no meaningful improvement skill wise, except for slight growth as a cutter and a dunker’s spot operator in the wake of Ben Simmons’ absence. His 3-point mechanics still look terrible, he still has no discernible touch on his shot, and the decision-making is regularly baffling. He’s also not that young. He’s 25, which means he’s essentially entering his prime. He has to do better next season.
Grading every Sixers player: Danny Green // C+
This was the least productive year of Danny Green’s career since his sophomore season in San Antonio. He looked like a 35-year-old with several recent injuries. His 3-point shooting was solid, but not great by his standards, and he only played 21.8 minutes per game (again, the lowest since his sophomore season in San Antonio). Then came the playoffs.
Green looked like an entirely different person in the playoffs. He played impressive defense on various tough assignments (Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Jimmy Butler, etc.) and his 3-point shooting went through the roof on several timely occasions. He took over Thybulle’s spot in the starting five and never looked back.
On paper, Green was always the ideal fifth starter: excellent shooter and team defender who understands his role. Whereas Thybulle couldn’t shoot and Niang couldn’t defend, Green was the happy medium. Imperfect, aging without a doubt, but still quite useful. He deserves major credit for his performance in the postseason.
It’s extremely unfortunate, of course, that is all ended in a torn ACL. Given Green’s age and contract status, his future is very much up in the air. He’s an important locker room figure and still the fifth-best player on the team on paper. Hopefully he gets back from this knee injury okay, be it in Philly or elsewhere.
Grading every Sixers player: Tobias Harris // B-
Tobias Harris played some of his worst basketball in a while before the James Harden trade, and even directly after the James Harden trade. Then it all clicked. Harris bought into the 3-and-D role fans have been begging him to embrace from day one. He started taking more 3s, attacking closeouts with more precision, and even defending at the highest level of his career.
The Tobias Harris we saw over the past couple months of the season was the best version of Tobias Harris to date. He basically split the season between his worst basketball and his best basketball, and deserves a ton of credit for figuring it out and flipping the switch midstream. Harris’ ability to buy in and play his role made him the Sixers’ most consistent presence in the playoffs. Tobias Harris, the most consistent presence in the playoffs!
Never has Harris’ skill level been in doubt. His decision-making, sure, but he’s always had the skill. He’s efficient at the rim, he’s efficient from 3, and he’s always been hungry on the glass. Now, he’s putting his skill to the best possible use. He’s cutting down on fruitless iso possessions, he’s making cleaner reads passing the ball, and he’s making defenses really respect his shot. Next to Embiid and Harden, that’s crucial.
We will see if Harris is back next season. Odds are he will be, and the Sixers will continue building around the four-man core that (were it not for Embiid’s injuries) could have gotten them even further than Game 6 of the second round. Harris will never live up to that massive contract, but if he continues to embrace the 3-and-D mentality, he’s going to have a really strong 2022-23 season.
Grading every Sixers player: Tyrese Maxey // A
Tyrese Maxey should have won the Most Improved Player award. He went from struggling bench guard to borderline All-Star in a single season, and there’s every reason to expect he will continue to grow from here. His work ethic and competitive spirit is unmatched, and he’s a big reason why the Ben Simmons holdout didn’t completely tank Philadelphia’s season.
The season didn’t end like anyone wanted — and Maxey was far from perfect in the postseason — but when you consider the circumstances, it’s impossible to lob anything but praise at the 21-year-old. He came out of Kentucky as an undersized guard with shooting concerns. Now, he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA (.485/.427/.866) and the Sixers’ No. 2 scorer in the postseason.
Maxey’s ceiling is sky-high. It’s rare to find guards with his blend of speed and skill. Most speedsters can’t shoot (John Wall, De’Aaron Fox), while most shooters in Maxey’s vein aren’t half as dynamic attacking off the catch. His first step is downright unfair, and he should only become more dangerous in transition as Harden gets used to finding Maxey with the outlet pass.
Philadelphia’s ability to compete is based largely on top-end talent. Finding a player of Maxey’s caliber late in the first round after all that has ailed this team over the past few years is huge. It will go down as a signature achievement for Daryl Morey’s front office, and it will continue to pay dividends for this Sixers team.
Grading every Sixers player: James Harden // C+
Here’s the rub. James Harden‘s next contract will probably scare everyone. He failed in the biggest moment on the biggest stage. He has a muddied history of success in the postseason. And the Sixers should absolutely bring him back. You cannot let a player of Harden’s caliber walk out the door for nothing, and the chances of getting back comparable talent via trade is slim to none right now.
The Sixers are stuck with James Harden and that’s okay. For now, they have to ride out the experiment. If he looks even worse next season, despite having the full summer to train, condition, and learn the playbook, then we can start to panic. But here’s the simplest of truths: James Harden made the Sixers a lot better, even with very little time to mesh and build continuity.
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Harden did fall flat in Game 6, but he was also instrumental in several Sixers victories in the postseason. He’s one of the best passers in the game and he will continue to elevate those around him, even if his individual points output plateaus in the 15-25 range each night instead of the 30-40 range. Harden is more in the All-Star range than the MVP range, but he’s still impactful. He’s still helping the Sixers win games.
Next season is when the rubber meets the road — when things really start to matter. This year wasn’t meant to be. Joel got hurt. Harden was much better than the national media narrative (and frankly the local Philly narrative) would suggest, but he also fell drastically short of expectations after Philly gave up a fair amount to get him. The pressure will only build from here. Let’s see if Harden can step up.
Grading every Sixers player: Joel Embiid // A
Joel Embiid finished runner-up in the MVP race and led the NBA in scoring. He put up one of the most dominant offensive campaigns in recent memory and supplemented it with elite rim protection on the other end. He’s one of the four or five best players on the planet, and he deserves all the credit in the world for his brilliant season.
It didn’t end on the highest note — Embiid’s body failed him at the worst possible time — but when healthy, Embiid proved that he is one of the very best in the game of basketball. He’s impossible to stop in isolation, he’s better than ever at breaking double teams, and when he kicks it into gear, very few defenders can shape the outcome of a game like Embiid.
There is no real room for complaint or criticism. Embiid is not perfect, but he’s a heck of a lot closer than most NBA players. He kept the team afloat during Simmons’ early-season absence, he made a valiant push for the MVP award, and he put the Sixers in a position to contend. Were it not for injuries, they might have.
Everything the Sixers do moving forward should be with a single goal in mind: maximizing Embiid’s window. You have to move heaven and earth to build a legitimate contender around him. Harden, Maxey, and Harris provide enough top-end talent to compete. Now, Morey and the front office have to flesh out the rest of the roster. .