The Philadelphia 76ers certainly did not think that having a slew of big men would still not be enough to lift them at the center position. With Joel Embiid still nursing an injury, they have once again been exploited down low, especially with his nominal replacement, Andre Drummond, declining steeply after an otherwise positive start to the season.
Now, the 76ers are left without a choice but to keep riding with the veteran big man, That is more so the case because the big man they drafted, Johni Broome, has been a total non-factor in his rookie year, which only reinforces the notion that the front office chose wrong during last year's draft.
Broome has not gotten any real action in the NBA this season, almost exclusively playing for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G-League. While he has been solid in the developmental league, he has not yet done enough to warrant a permanent spot on even the 76ers' third-string unit. That only goes to show just how little trust they have on the rookie.
The 76ers should not have drafted Johni Broome
Broome was widely reckoned as an uncharacteristic pick on the part of the Daryl Morey-led 76ers brain trust. However, with the team needing some more help in the frontcourt at that juncture, the decision to select him with at No. 35 haad some credence to it despite legitimate concerns about his traditional skill set.
But in hindsight, the 76ers could have gotten away with some much better options that the Auburn standout. Players like Maxime Raynaud (who was selected 42nd overall by Sacramento) and his former teammate Dylan Cardwell (who went undrafted but was picked up by the Kings) were available for taking, and either of them would have allowed the team to go younger at center and jettison Drummond.
Drummond came into the season healthier than in the previous campaign, but after starting his 14th year in the league on an impressive note, he has quietly taken a deep nosedive. He has become rather unplayable for the 76ers, and the only reason why the coaching staff continues to give him minutes is because they do not really have other choice but to do so.
Joel Embiid will keep missing games, if not stretches, moving forward due to his spreadeagled injury risks. As such, the 76ers have to be more incisive in finding other big men who can shore up their depth at center. So far, drafting Johni Broome has been a mistake.