Next season, fans might get forced to watch the team deploy a veteran who has very little left in the tank without really intending to. That's right folks –– the Philadelphia 76ers, never not interested in players who carry their own vivid red flags, will likely do it again.
Last season, Philly's downfall was attributable to the fact that most of their rotation players daw a dip in their production. That was definitely the case for Eric Gordon, who had simply become way too one-dimensional to even trust with ample court time.
Save for that one peculiar stretch where he somehow unlearned the concept of missing wide-open three-point shots, Gordon was just too painful to watch on the hardwood. At his age, his once valuable burst and strength as an undersized wing evaporated into thin air. And now, the 76ers only view him as an emergency option for when they need an above-average floor spacer.
However, the thing is that Philadelphia's need for more three-point shooting is a pressing concern and not just a matter of emergency. That is precisely the reason why the coaching staff could have no choice but to keep handing Gordon a role, even next season.
Eric Gordon could be an unwanted, familiar staple for the 76ers next season
If there is one thing you cannot have a surplusage of in the current NBA, it's three-point shooting. That is more so the case for those ball clubs who look like they are allergic to having actual snipers, like the 76ers.
Over the last couple of seasons, Philly has clocked in as one of the least effective teams in the league beyond the perimeter. And even with the amount of raw talent they have on the roster, their offensive design has become too cramped up to even deem it a functional one.
Hence, despite his clear red flags (i.e. being a non-factor on defense, constantly getting outsized by the opponents, and not having even an iota of capaity to generate shots for others) the coaching staff might deem it most prudent to still have him as their resident shooter off the bench.
That will not be something that a lot of fans will be happy about, but until the team's young guns get a sense of how to be a reliable floor spacer, the idea of the 76ers still giving Eric Gordon minutes here and there suddenly doesn't look so bad. Admit it..
Just kidding.
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