NBA Preseason Roundtable: Ranking the Philadelphia 76ers Roster

11. Danuel House Jr. (written by Jonathan Geib)

House was one of the former Houston Rockets, in addition to PJ Tucker, who seemingly chose the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022 free agency due to his relationship with James Harden and general manager, Daryl Morey. When he made this decision, he probably thought he would have a bigger role on the team than Doc Rivers gave him.

Despite the uncertainty and drama surrounding Harden and Morey, House picked up his player option for the second year of his contract with the Sixers. In doing so, you can assume he believes he will see increased playing time under Nick Nurse.

In 56 games played last season, House averaged 15 minutes per game, scoring 4.8 points, shooting 47% from the field, and just under 34% from three-point range. These numbers are nothing impressive, but with more consistency, House’s production can be expected to increase.

The most important skill for any Sixers player is stretching the floor.

This gives Joel Embiid the space he needs to operate in the paint and dominate without being double-teamed by opposing defenses. House has shown that most recently in Utah during the 2021-22 season, where he shot 41.5% from three-point range.

Philly is unfortunately thin at the wing position, and hopefully, they can try to upgrade that position via a James Harden trade before the season. Three-and-D is what this team needs, and House’s defense leaves much to be desired. Beggars cannot be choosers, but if this team cannot find adequate shooting guard play in the first half of the season, trades will need to be made if they want to remain a title contender.