The bulk of the renewed and higher expectations levied on the Philadelphia 76ers this season is earmarked by the plethora of moves they pulled off in the offseason. No team in the NBA went through a more drastic change, and despite the team currently being embattled by some external fuss, their prospects as a collective remains unchanged.
From winning the main prize in free agency to taking smart fliers on cheap, yet impactful signings, the 76ers had a pretty laudable slate this summer. However, it could actually be their most ordinary move that could save themselves this season, at least in its early juncture.
The 76ers re-signing Kyle Lowry is proving to be more important than it seems
Philly had almost its entire roster up for grabs during free agency, but one player they managed to keep is Kyle Lowry, whom they signed for another minimum deal.
The move did not come with a lot of fanfare, as it was mostly expected (though there were initial rumors of him exploring the idea of signing with the Phoenix Suns, a team that badly needed a facilitator).
But now, after just one game, the six-time All-Star has reminded fans of his undeniably impactful on-court value, even at age 38. Despite prognoses about what could be his least productive season yet, Lowry turned in a very solid showing for the 76ers in their last game, playing a role he’s now likely to keep for the entire year.
Last season, Lowry started for the most part, but this time, he appears to have settled into a stabilizing role off the bench as the team’s nominal plug-and-play guard.
Philadelphia is still facing some question marks on its backcourt rotation, but outside of Tyrese Maxey, he’s really the lone weapon in that aspect whom the coaching staff can bank on not to make a lot of mistakes and make calm, quick decisions.
As long as Lowry remains a viable secondary playmaker who can hit open threes, Nick Nurse will continue to deploy him as much as his body can take. While the Philadelphia 76ers have some projects they may want to develop in the backcourt, their window to win a championship is wide open, and preferring his veteran smarts and the security he provides is the way to go.