76ers ‘could’ sign veteran defensive specialist as sneaky midseason signing

The Philadelphia 76ers are humming in the first quarter of the season, claiming a 19-8 win-loss card at this juncture and winning seven of their last 10 games. Expectations of disaster on the team before the campaign even bagn were quickly quelled thanks to the heroics of reigning MVP Joel Embiid, blossoming star Tyrese Maxey, and newly installed head coach Nick Nurse.

However, the 76ers cannot rest on their laurels. Despite their impressive play, they are still right where they’re seated at the end of the regular season in the previous campaign, giving them room for improvement still. And considering how the team hasn’t had any problem scoring the ball, the front office should probably look more into bolstering the defense.

Analyst: 76ers could sign veteran defender as a sneaky midseason signing

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently bared some names that teams could pursue in the pool of available free agents. For the 76ers, he propped up a name not known by many — David Nwaba, a six-year veteran who last suited up for the Houston Rockets in the 2021-22 season.

"As a 30-year-old with offensive limitations and a torn Achilles in his past, his market value can't be much, but a championship-chaser like Philadelphia could potentially see his hustle and defense as valuable traits to have at the back end of the roster."

- Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report

Owning the league’s second-best defensive rating, the 76ers have improved a ton on that end in the last few weeks following a middling start to the season as a point-preventing unit. However, it must be adduced that Philadelphia has had a “cupcake” slate recently, so they definitely cannot be satisfied by an expected jump in that department, especially against other top teams.

As a depth piece, Nwaba could be interesting. He doesn’t bring a ton of offensive and is only a career 32 percent three-point shooter, but he’s carved a niche for himself as a pesk on defense who can play four positions on the defensive end despite being undersized against most forwards. He’s physical, has sharp defensive instincts, and has hgreat intangibles overall.

That being said, unless the 76ers fail to find a more versatile depth piece, it’s hard to see them lining up quickly for Nwaba’s services. The journeyman hasn’t been in an NBA roster for more than a year now, and the team already has a couple of stoppers off the bench anyway in Patrick Beverley and Jaden Springer, who should be commanding more minutes. In addition, reuniting with someone like Danny Green, a more proven commodity, simply makes more sense.

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