On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers will parade a much stronger squad in the upcoming 2024-25 season. Aside from them managing to add another star to form a daunting Big Three, the front office was able to fill the crevices on the roster to a sterling degree. While the team isn’t perfect by any means, it certainly has the makings of a potential mammoth.
The best teams often have the best armory of role players, and the 76ers definitely acknowledged that fact as they went on to sign in-demand auxiliary players such as Andre Drummond and Caleb Martin, among others. Having said that, they also lost a slew of contributors from last season, and one exit in particular should sting for quite a while.
The 76ers are underestimating the effect of losing Nicolas Batum
A name the 76ers surprisingly failed to convince to return is veteran forward Nicolas Batum. After coming to Philly via the James Harden trade, the Frenchman immediately became one of the most reliable players on the team. Despite his unassuming counting stats, he was almost never a net negative on the hardwood.
Batum, who started in 38 out of 57 appearances for the 76ers last season, supplied the team with much-needed sagacity and poise. Having always been known for his basketball IQ, he was inarguably the best connector the team has had in years.
Offensively, his post-entry passes were superb, especially in tandem with Joel Embiid. He was also an very precise standstill three-point shooter, and was a master at using the threat of the three-pointer to create passing lanes and generate easier looks.
Defensively, he was above-average. Event at 35, he still had the uncanny ability to maximize his ranginess, wingspan, and court awareness to put opposing players in tough spots. He was especially brilliant in Nick Nurse’s switch-heavy schemes.
Batum’s absence this season may not be felt if Paul George and Caleb Martin pan out (as expected). However, there will definitely be times when a curveball hits the team and make you miss the intangibles and smarts that Batum provided in his own, subtle ways.
The 16-year veteran was such a calming presence who would’ve been perfect next to the team’s three megastars. While the Philadelphia 76ers have the means to replace his production with superior raw talent, Nicolas Batum was simply too good of a complimentary player to lose.