The playoffs are here and we should all be soaking up every minute of that. However, there are 14 unlucky franchises that are missing out on the fun and already looking forward to next year. With them (and their fans) in mind, this series will take a look ahead and help lay out the priorities for this offseason.
Today, we’re going to be looking at everybody’s favorite rebuild:
PHILADELPHIA 76ers
Apparently, there is a ticking clock on “the Process.” The Sixers found that out the hard way with Nerlens Noel. With his contract expiring, the team decided to flip him for pennies on the dollar, effectively yielding very little for their years and years of investment.
Eventually, the young Sixers will all merit new contracts. Even a player like Robert Covington (who’s developed into an underrated 3 and D guy) could earn $12+ million a year when he hits free agency after next season.
Going 20-62 is cute when all your guys are on rookie deals, but not when your payroll starts to spike. The Sixers need to lock up their core and start thinking about the playoffs sooner than later.
(1) Take their cap space out for a spin
That salary cap problem isn’t a problem this year, when the Sixers may have as much as $60 million to play around with. The team will be able to offer max contracts to any star or near-star they desire.
Would a legitimate superstar in his prime go to Philadelphia right now? Probably not. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are intriguing, but they’re not guaranteed. On the other hand, the situation has to be an appealing one for younger players on the verge, particularly if you have the ability to overpay them.
Two players that I’d target are Washington’s Otto Porter and Detroit’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Both are still young (23 and 24, respectively) and would slide next to Covington as solid two-way wings. Now, the problem is: both Porter and KCP are restricted free agents, meaning that their teams have the rights to match any offer on them. I imagine their teams will, but the Sixers should put that to the test.
Other free agents that may intrigue the team would be: PG Patty Mills (although he’s already 28), Milwaukee SF Tony Snell and Atlanta SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (both restricted free agents, both 25). I’d throw in an offer to a non-star in Utah SF Joe Ingles as well — he’s an Australian glue guy who may be helpful to Ben Simmons.
No matter who the target is: the point remains the same. The Sixers should try to spend some of their excess money now — providing they use it on players like that who will be long-term complementary pieces of their core. If they can’t nab an impact free agent, they can continue to use their cap space to take on bad contracts (and acquire draft picks in the process.)
(2) Build around Ben Simmons (not Joel Embiid)
Don’t get me wrong — Joel Embiid is a once-in-a-generation talent. Despite only being 23, he looked like he was already a top 10 player in the league when he played.
Of course, the caveat there is: “when he played.” Embiid will be entering his fourth season in the league next year and will be looking forward to game # 32. That’s scary. If I’m a Sixers fan, I’m optimistic about Embiid. I’m hopeful. But I’m not counting on him having a long and healthy career.
On the other hand, Ben Simmons shouldn’t project as a major injury risk going forward. He’s missed the entire season, but he doesn’t have a history of injury issues that would scare you long term.
So when I say “build around Ben Simmons (and not Joel Embiid)”, I’m talking about the way the team should construct their roster, going forward. Since Simmons is more likely to be a 70-game player every year, you want to engineer the team around his talents.
And his talents are unique. Perhaps NBA fans didn’t watch a lot of Simmons at LSU (if you only watched the Tournament, you wouldn’t catch a minute of him.) He’s an athletic point forward who excels as a passer (and not a shooter). Basically, he’s some cross between LeBron James and Blake Griffin. Griffin happens to be a good ballhandler and passer who hasn’t had the opportunity to show the full extent of his skills because he’s playing on a team with a ball-dominant guard in Chris Paul.
Going forward, the Sixers should try to find complementary pieces who would fit around Simmons’ skill, which leads us to point #3.
(3) Find unconventional guards
As mentioned, Ben Simmons will have the ball in his hands quite a bit. Coach Brett Brown has talked about playing him as a “point guard,” but that’s a silly way to phrase it. Usually, your position is defined by what position you’re guarding. I doubt the Sixers want Simmons running around chasing after waterbug point guards. Simmons, like LeBron or Blake Griffin, will be guarding forwards on defense. On offense, he’ll be handling the ball and initiating the attack quite a bit.
Given that, the Sixers should look for two skills in their guards: the ability to defend point guards, and the ability to shoot. Basically, you’re looking for a “3 and D” point guard. That’s usually a term reserved for wings, but it can apply to guards as well. Utah’s George Hill is a good example of it, in my mind: he can defend on the ball and he can shoot threes, but he doesn’t necessarily need to initiate the offense.
Finding a “3 and D” point guard isn’t easy, but there are a few of them around the league. I’d look hard at a trade for Avery Bradley, especially if he gets squeezed out of Boston. Bradley can shoot and defend — his weaknesses (initiating an offense) are Ben Simmons’ strengths.
Phoenix may make Eric Bledsoe available (if they win a top 2 pick). Bledsoe’s not a great shooter, but he’s a physical defender who can fit well on a young and athletic team.
The draft will have some interesting options, although none of them hit both the “3 and D” function necessarily. Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox projects as a good defender, given his elite quickness, but struggles as a shooter. Belgium’s Frank Ntilikina also has the size and athleticism to be a good defender as well.
The prospect that may be most intriguing to me, from a “fit” perspective, is Kentucky’s other guard Malik Monk. Monk’s considered an undersized shooting guard at 6’3″, known best for his long range accuracy. The problem with Monk is: he’s not a great playmaker as a PG, and he’s not big enough to be a great defender as a SG. But doesn’t that sound like a potentially perfect fit on Philly? On offense, Monk can spread the floor for his bigs without needing the ball in his hands. On defense, he can guard point guards (he’s 6’3″ and athletic, so he should be able to serve that role.) Right now Malik Monk is only projected as the 5th or 6th best prospect in the class, but he’s such a good fit for the Sixers that I’d consider him even if they stay put at #4.
If the Sixers go in a different direction (a wing like Jayson Tatum would be a fine pick at #4 as well), and want a cheaper trade target than Avery Bradley, some bargain options would include: Toronto’s Cory Joseph, New Orlean’s Tim Frazier, and Minnesota’s Tyus Jones. Those three are all solid (traditional) point guards but are relatively young and cheap.
