3. JaVale McGee is not the depth insurance Philly needs at center
As repeatedly discussed before, the 76ers would not be in any world of hurt if they seek to double down on their cushion behind Joel Embiid. After all, as what the previous campaign exclaimed, the 2023 MVP will not morph into an iron man at 30, meaning that he is bound to miss games and should have his load reduced as much as possible to keep him fresh. Philadelphia needs to give him the Tim Duncan treatment.
Andre Drummond and Adem Bona profile as stronger second and third fiddles compared to the pandora’s boxes that were Paul Reed and Mo Bamba from a season ago, but the team should tap the services of another big man to mitigate the depth that would be sapped when Embiid misses games. Again, overreacting plays to their benefit here.
The market still has some intriguing names for the 76ers at center, but they should probably pass up on JaVale McGee. While he brings championship pedigree as a three-time champ, the trademark vertical spacing and shot-blocking he was known for have gone down significantly, and should Philly follow up on this need, they will be better-served looking for a big man who at least presents a different skill set, especially offensively.