Unlike every fan and pundit’s expectations heading into the season, roster construction has become a huge issue for the Philadelphia 76ers. Talent-wise, they are definitely not lacking, but thanks to some drastic decline from some of their new acquisitions, the front office has looked really shortsighted as a result.
Having said that, even if their new faces played up to par this season, their issues would still persist. Somehow unforeseen by the front office was the clear imbalance on the roster, one marked by having too many undersized players while utterly lacking size on nearly all positions.
But aside from the size issue, the 76ers also have an age issue. The team has relied on players well past their heyday to fill crucial roles, and it has obviously not worked, especially in the backcourt. Thus, it is not surprising to see the team being one of the worst teams in playmaking and scoring, especially when taking Tyrese Maxey out of the equation.
76ers sign Jared Butler and admit a huge mistake they made in the backcourt
To help address the issue and abate their mistake, the 76ers got younger before the trade deadline by swapping Reggie Jackson, another old guard, for Jared Butler, a 24-year-old playmaker who now seems poised to stay in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
Multiple outlets have already reported that the 76ers have converted Butler’s two-way deal into a standard, two-year contract. The young guard has impressed since landing in Philly, and now, he seems headed toward nabbing a stable role with the team.
Butler landing a definitive role off the bench would be massive for the 76ers. Following Jared McCain’s injury, the coaching staff has had no choice but to resort to Kyle Lowry, who has really shown his advanced age this season on nearly all facets of the game.
To reinforce their guard play, the coaching staff has even reinserted Eric Gordon into the fold, putting the team at a big disadvantage against opposing backcourts with a profuse infusion of youth which, in the league, is quite common.
The 76ers front office overlooked that issue, hoping that their veteran smarts would be more than enough to fill in the gaps. Instead, with the team having so many openings due to injury and whatnot, both have been cudgeled to roles they aren’t fit for anymore.
Hopefully, the injection of Jared Butler into team-wide consciousness would allow the Philadelphia 76ers to have more stability in the backcourt, especially for the upcoming seasons. Also, it would be ideal if this were to be the impetus for the front office to make more moves for the long-term.