The new calendar year haw daned upon us, but without a shadow of doubt, 2025 will end up being an iconic year for the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. After all, it was last year where they were blessed with a potential centerpiece for the future in VJ Edgecombe, whom they selected with the third overall pick in the draft.
But as good as Edgecombe has been, the same kind of acclaim cannot be given to their other rookie, Johni Broome, who was drafted with the 35th overall pick. Aside from the fact that he has barely even sniffed the hardwood, he has already lagged behind his counterparts. Maxime Raynaud, who was selected seven spots after him, has already emerged as a vital piece for his current ball club.
The Sacramento Kings may be immensely struggling right now, but they sure managed to find a huge silver lining in Raynaud. Since stepping into the starting lineup in place of the injured Domantas Sabonis, the Frenchman has been a revelation for them with his solid two-way play as a rookie big man.
The 76ers could have had Maxime Raynaud instead of Johni Broome
In 23.3 minutes per outing, the 22-year-old big man has averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a night while shooting 56 percent from the field. Those are impressive numbers for a rookie center who was basically forced into the role due to the unexpected absence of their All-Star in Sabonis.
Meanwhile, Broome is still too raw to even be a regular on his mother team. He has spent most of his time with the Delaware Blue Coats, and his future with the 76ers is already a huge question mark due to the fact that there are simply way too many players ahead of him in the pecking order.
But even now, he has not been convincingly good enough to be a fixture for the 76ers. He is averaging lofty numbers in the G-League, but his rebounding and defense leave a lot to be desired. His scoring, which is his best trait as a prospect, has not been as efficient even against inferior competition.
Of course, there is no use crying over spilled milk, but the puzzling nature of the 76ers front office’s decision to draft Johni Broome ahead of guys like Maxime Raynaud is aging like milk. The biggest concerns in his game are as clear as day, and with the team suddenly having a boatload of big men, his days in Philly could be over much sooner than expected.