There is no arguing that the Philadelphia 76ers ended 2024 and entered the new calendar year on an upward trend. Despite their horrific start to the season, the squad managed to overcome adversity in different forms en route to a respectable standing, all things considered.
Taking the next step toward contention, however, is a different story altogether. As constructed, the consensus is that the 76ers are merely playoff, not title contenders — a deflating development for a team widely expected to potentially lord over most, if not all teams in the East en route to a potential drought-snapping championship this year.
One key to fixing their on-court woes is addressing their season-long struggles at the three-point line. The 76ers currently clock in as the sixth-worst three-point shooting team in the league, which is quite exacerbated by the fact that they also rank in the bottom-third of the league in both attempts and makes from rainbow country.
The 76ers could take a look at Ricky Council IV to see the kind of player they should trade for
Perhaps the best player that embodies Philadelphia’s lack of acuity from downtown this season is sophomore wing Ricky Council IV, whose struggles from beyond the arc have precluded him from earning a bigger role as many anticipated.
Shooting just 26.2 percent from three-point territory, the 23-year-old has become an afterthought in Nick Nurse’s rotation, and for good reason. Despite being one of the better on-ball defenders on the team, he has become utterly negligible on the offensive end — his offensive profile comprisingly almost solely of his rim-running tendencies.
In searching for players they could make a move for on the trade market, the 76ers could take a look at Council’s struggles and go from there. Put simply, Philly badly needs established shooters, especially since it has gotten to such point that even one-dimensional specialists could and should have a spot on the roster for when they need shooting in a pinch.
Right now, that is something the roster completely lacks, and the unprecedented shooting declines of Paul George, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Eric Gordon have only aggravated this weakness.
Taking on project pieces like Ricky Council iV bears little risk, especially for an expensive roster, but the Philadelphia 76ers are positioned in such a way that they should not forego any opportunity to address these gaping issues, even if that means shedding some of their long-term vision.