Preseason predictions about former Philadelphia 76ers players: Uncertain roles
Last season was one of the worst for Richaun Holmes. He was unable to break through new Kings head coach Mike Brown’s rotation despite being a starter the previous season before the Sabonis trade. This season he’s on the Mavericks who don’t have a clear number one option at center. He could become the start or fall to the bottom of the depth chart, training camp will decide his fate. Holmes was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2015 and played for three years in Philly.
Justin Holiday was a member of the Sixers in the 2012-13 season and he went on to be a solid 3-and-D wing for most of his career. However, last season the veteran wing struggled, but still found a home with the Nuggets. If his prime hasn’t ended, he should be a solid bench player, if it has ended, then it’s unlikely he has a regular role.
Dario Saric joined the Golden State Warriors this offseason and is currently listed as the tallest player on their roster but that doesn’t make him a lock for backup center minutes. Saric was one of the prizes of Philly’s rebuild known as “The Process” and played for the franchise from 2016-2018.
It’s unclear if T.J. McConnell will get regular minutes with the Indiana Pacers this season. McConnell is good enough to get minutes but the Pacers have a lot of talented guards including point guards Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard. From 2015-19, McConnell was the undrafted darling of “The Process” where he brought grit to the point guard position coming off the 76ers bench.
Robert Covington was another undrafted gem of “The Process” and was the first 3-and-D from that rebuild. His 76ers tenure was from 2014-18 and was eventually traded for another player on this list. Last season saw his lowest production since his rookie year and it’s unclear what type of role he will have with the Los Angeles Clippers this season.
Waiving Isaiah Joe might have been one of the biggest mistakes by the Sixers last preseason. The 2020 second round pick had a breakout season with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. The sharpshooter was stuck on Philly’s bench until last year and now he’s a certified floor spacer. The problem is that the Thunder have so many young and talented players it’s hard to say for certain what their bench rotation will be.
Like Joe, Charles Bassey was also waived last season and started to show progress with the San Antonio Spurs last year before having an injury end his season. Coming off an injury, it’s unclear if he’ll be the primary backup this year or not.