After losing 14 of their first 17 gamesmin terrible fashion, the Philadelphia 76ers are somehow gaining ground as of late, having won their last couple of games. For the first time in their present campaign, the squad won consecutive games — hardly an achievement worth noting to be quite frank.
Still, with the team struggling to get out of the league’s cellar, the 76ers will take every win they can get, especially with their upcoming string of games not being very forgiving. Extending their current winning streak, however, would be a hell of a challenge, especially with Philly missing big bodies on the floor.
Both Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond are sidelined with injuries, leaving the 76ers with no natural centers on the active lineup. Guerschon Yabusele and Adem Bona have played well lately, but expecting them to hold down the fort for much longer would be inviting danger.
76ers finally sign another big man in Pete Nance
Recognizing this weakness, the 76ers finally made the overdue move, going ahead and signing a big man, this time from the G-League. Multiple outlets have now reported that Philly has inked Pete Nance to a two-way deal, replacing the seldom-used Lester Quinones, who was subsequently waived.
The 24-year-old bruiser, the young brother of Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr., most recently played for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ G-League affiliate. It remains to be seen whether or not Nick Nurse will be calling on his number much, but this move gives them at least another player who bang bodies down low.
In addition, this is also pretty reflective of the front office’s stubborn team-building, which stems from the offseason. The 76ers had — and still do have — a pretty imbalanced roster. To wit, they had way too many guards and swingmen without natural power forwards nor much depth at center.
Whether Nance stays put for some time or not, hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the 76ers brass when it comes to foreseeing these injury-related contingencies where they are forced to show their hand. And naturally, that hand cannot be lacking in pieces in the first place.
Even when Embiid and Drummond return, the Philadelphia 76ers should continue seeking the market for legitimate options at center for the rest of the year. Given those two’s injury history, they cannot rest on their laurels and wait until the last opportunity before moving the needle.