The Philadelphia 76ers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 outings, which has them touting a 36-31 win-loss card. That is good enough to place them in a deadlock at No. 8 in the East with the Hawks. Having said that, the trek is going to be much tougher for them than the other teams in their current tier since they are ravaged by injuries from left to right.
Playing severely shorthanded, the 76ers have had no other other choice but to mobilize their rarely used players. The results have been mixed at best, but despite the turnouts, there is one huge silver lining from this rather undesirable situation. After all, in trotting out their bench players and giving them more court time, the front office gets to have a look at which players could possibly crack their lineup next season.
Players like Justin Edwards, Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and even two-way players such as Dalen Terry and Marjon Beauchamp have all seen considerable action as of late. Not a lot of people comfortably have them as still making the roster next season, but with this increased opportunity, they should be able to showcase what they can bring to the table.
The 76ers are basically holding an audition as they navigate through injuries
All of these players bring something different to the table. Watford is a rangy forward who can function as a quasi-point guard at times with his court vision. Walker brings defensive tenacity and mobility as a big man. Both of them are looking to make compelling cases to stay in Philly beyond this season.
Meanwhile, a lot will be asked of Edwards with Kely Oubre and Paul George still out. This is his big chance to redeem himself from an otherwise underwhelming sophomore campaign, and if he does not live up to expectations, there will be even more pressure against him still being on the board next season.
Beauchamp and Terry are long shots to stay on the roster beyond this campaign, but they have their specific quirks which make them potential pieces for the team. The former is a long, rangy scorer who has shown some three-level scoring ability in the past. The latter thrives as a hustle guy who can more than hold his own on the defensive end.
Sure, the circumstances may be brutal, but the 76ers can at least get a productive return from this situation. Hopefully, they get to do just that while still being in position to rack up wins amid a tight playoff race.