Rebuild and Retain: Philadelphia 76ers
No team in the league has been the cause of more division amongst basketball pundits than the Philadelphia 76ers over the last few seasons.
In 2012, the Sixers made what ended up being a disastrous trade, acquiring former All-Star Andrew Bynum in exchange for Andre Iguodala. At the time, it seemed like the type of deal that would put the Sixers into the next tier of teams in the league. Bynum was largely considered the second best center in the NBA behind Dwight Howard, who, ironically, was also involved in the deal. Bynum never played a game for Philly, however, and the Sixers began a lottery nosedive that has led them to the cellar of the NBA.
That trade basically cost then-general manager Tony DiLeo his job, which opened the door for Sam Hinkie. Before he became the infamous GM of the 76ers, Hinkie was the assistant GM to Daryl Morey for the Houston Rockets. Morey was considered to be the pioneer of the current model for NBA team building — win every transaction possible and accumulate assets in the form of draft picks and young players. Hinkie has taken Morey’s philosophy to new extremes and created roster turnover that has been unprecedented.
Since the summer of 2013, when Sam Hinkie took over, the 76ers have made 22 trades, 32 free agent signings and waived 46 players. All in all, 66 players have come and gone on the 76ers in just a little over two seasons. In a league full of roster turnover, Hinkie has made Philly the king of transactions.
Acquiring assets and valuing every roster spot is a good strategy in theory. You never know, for example, if the final roster spot turns into the next Hassan Whiteside. But for the Sixers this plan has had some unexpected complications — from Joel Embiid’s extended rehab, to absurd loss totals, to increasing criticism from other owners, some fans, and a growing section of the media.
To bring stability to the chaos, the 76ers announced that USA basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo will help with the basketball operations. Rumor has it that other owners bugged commissioner Adam Silver enough to the point that he pressured the Sixers into hiring Colangelo to kickstart “The Process” into a higher gear. Many believe by hiring Colangelo, this might be the beginning of the end for Hinkie and his plan.
The Philadelphia 76ers are the next team in this Rebuild and Retain series going through each NBA squad not considered a title contender and assessing the young players they have on their roster. Player development is key in building a championship contender, and this series looks at whether or not the young players these teams have will help them reach that level in the future.
Note: Only players on their rookie contracts will be considered for this series. If a team has signed a player to a second contract, that more than likely means that they are considered a core member of the roster.
LOTTERY PICKS
Jahlil Okafor
A player drafted in the lottery is often expected to be a franchise cornerstone. Philadelphia has done a good job of maximizing their potential of drafting a superstar in draft by landing a No. 3 position in each of the last two drafts. Okafor was Philly’s No. 3 pick in 2015, and it hasn’t been working out as well as both the team and player have hoped. While he has shown flashes of post dominance, the off court issues with the Sixers and weaknesses he had going into the draft have reared their ugly heads.
Offensively, Okafor has shown that he has the potential to be everything we hoped he would be. He is averaging 17.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this year with seven double-doubles and five 20/10 games. Okafor became known as a post up bully in college and is currently 15th in the league at 4.9 points per game from post ups. Brett Brown and his staff have done a great job at putting him into the places on the floor where he is most successful. He is averaging the seventh most post touches per game at 6.4 and shooting a respectable 56.8 percent on those post touches. His combination of nimble feet and solid frame give him an array of moves that have become difficult even for NBA defenders to guard.
There have been some growing pains for Okafor, however, even when he is in the post. His touch within five feet hasn’t been great, only hitting 56.4 percent from inside the lane. He seems to be struggling with NBA length at the rim and seeing as players in the NBA are a lot stronger than players in college, he can’t get deep enough position to have better angles at scoring.
Okafor is shooting 45.5 percent from the field, an awful percentage for a guy who shoots the majority of his shots in the paint. However, it certainly isn’t all his fault. He doesn’t have a great supporting cast around him and having to carry the bulk of the scoring load has caused his efficiency to plummet. The Sixers use 9.6 percent of their offense on post ups, too, according to Synergy Sports — ranking them No. 7 in the league in frequency. Okafor generates 67.4 percent of their post ups, showing that he has been the sole focus of that offense when he is on the floor.
Hopefully as the Sixers continue to add better talent, Okafor will look a lot better and have a nicer ecosystem to operate in.
Nerlens Noel
Noel was the first building block of the Hinkie era. Hinkie traded All-Star Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans for the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft, which they used to select him. Noel was seen as the potential No. 1 pick in that draft, but his stock slid due to an ACL tear he suffered late in his freshman season. That ACL tear caused him to miss the entire 2013-14 season, with the Sixers taking precautionary measures to ensure that his recovery went smoothly.
In his rookie season Noel impressed with averages of 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. He is one of only eight players in NBA history to post that well rounded of a stat line over a season. He ranked seventh in blocks per game, tenth in steals per game and eighth in defensive rating for individual players (which is a spectacular feat in itself due to how bad his team was).
Noel has started the 2015-16 season much the same way as he did last year, averaging 9.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. This is both good and bad — good because his rookie season was one of a kind, but bad because he hasn’t shown any improvement since then.
The good things Noel does are definitely worth him being on the floor. He has one of the most impressive defensive skill sets in the league due to his combination of length and quickness. He is the perfect modern big man for NBA defenses, being able to switch and guard positions one through five and block shots at an elite level. His combination of getting in the passing lanes for steals and rotating over to block shots is rarely found in the league.
Noel has the potential to do some things on the offensive end as well. Everybody knows about his short coming — he has no range on the floor outside of a dunk, which shows in his shooting percentage (an ugly 45.5 percent through 96 career games). Despite this, he has still found ways to be useful. The most surprising aspect may be his passing. He is never going to average a lot of assists, but his feel for the game and high IQ helps him make the right reads on the floor.
When the help comes from somewhere else on the floor, Noel does a great job of finding the next open guy in the rotation as he is rolling to the rim.
Noel is an interesting puzzle piece in an NBA landscape that is starting to emphasize certain things over others. He is a lockdown wing in a center’s body which makes his fit next to Okafor so intriguing long-term. While Okafor is averaging 1.5 blocks per game, he is still slow rotating over to help and doesn’t always do the best job 1-on-1 in the post. When Noel and Okafor share the floor, the Sixers are 27.2 points worse per 100 possessions.
That explains why Brett Brown has staggered the two’s minutes — and will continue to until they can figure out how to make these weird pieces fit together. Playing them both separately, however, has its trade offs. The Sixers are a 6.2 point better defense when Noel is on the floor, but are 12.9 points worse on offense. On the flip side, the Sixers are a 9.3 point better offense when Okafor is on the floor and a 5.5 point worse defense with him on the floor.
They are both clearly the best players on the team, so moving on from either of them would be less than ideal. They just need to figure out how to make it work.
Nik Stauskas
Stauskas is one of the newer additions to the team — a throw in with the trade the Sixers made with the Sacramento Kings over the summer. Stauskas was the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft and followed that up with a near disastrous season in Sactown. Known for his elite 3-point shooting during his career at Michigan, Stauskas shot just 36.5 percent from the field and a below average 32.2 percent from 3 in just 15.4 minutes per game.
The hope for Stauskas was that he could come to Philly and have a fresh start for a team that would allow him to put up more shots and space the floor around the new clogged frontcourt of Noel and Okafor. Unfortunately, things have been much the same as they were a season before. So far, Stauskas has averaged 8.1 points per game and he is shooting worse than he did last year, with 34.9/28.8/71.9 shooting splits in 24 games.
Nik has perked up as of late and had some decent games in December (he would be shooting over 40 percent from 3 if not for an 0-7 outing against the Nets). Hopefully, he can build some momentum off these performances and put together a solid enough season so that the Sixers will pick up his fourth year option next fall because Philly desperately needs a guy like him on their roster to be able to knock down shots from deep.
1st ROUND PICKS
Tony Wroten
Wroten, like Noel and Stauskas, arrived in Philly via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. After being drafted 25th by Memphis in the 2012 draft, Tony only appeared in 35 games before being traded to the Sixers for a second round pick.
Before tearing his ACL last season, Wroten was putting together some solid play for the Sixers. In 102 games from 2013-15, Wroten averaged 14.2 points and 3.7 assists and was one of the few competent players on the roster during that stretch. He showed the potential to be a speedy guard off the bench who can change speeds in the halfcourt and get out in transition.
The huge problem with Wroten is that he can’t shoot and the Sixers have way too many of those guys already. He could be a low end backup point guard and a very high end fifth guard, but the Sixers might decide to move on from him once his contract expires. He is in the last year of his rookie deal and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Philly is always looking to get value out of every spot on the roster, and I would bet money on him being traded before the deadline in February.
2nd ROUND PICKS
Isaiah Canaan
Canaan came to Philadelphia at last year’s trade deadline, beginning his career as a second round draft pick by the Houston Rockets. In his 48 total games with the Sixers, Canaan is averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting a respectable 35.7 percent from deep. Canaan is a streaky guard who will blow up every once in awhile, but he doesn’t offer much outside of the occasional heat check. He is too small to make an impact on the defensive end and he doesn’t distribute well, averaging less than one assist per turnover.
Canaan’s contract expires at the end of this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go elsewhere.
Jerami Grant
The 76ers have amassed second round picks over the years in the hopes of drafting a quality rotation player with a cheap salary. They have found one with Grant, the 39th overall pick in the 2014 draft.
After a quiet 2014-15 season, Grant has started the majority of the Sixers’ games this year and is averaging 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, ranking tenth in the league in the latter category. Grant is a bouncy forward who can switch between both the small and power forward positions. His best long-term bet is going to be as a power forward, where he can be a matchup problem for bigger players due to his speed and athleticism.
He can’t shoot, much like the rest of the 76ers roster, so playing the small forward position is less than ideal for him. He can also protect the rim with some sort of effectiveness, averaging nearly two blocks per game, making him an intriguing weak side help guy. The jury is probably still out on Grant since this is only his second season and he is still trying to find his footing in the league. Improving his body and shooting would make him more of a factor at the four for this team.
Richaun Holmes
Like Grant, Holmes looks like he could be an intriguing long term fit as a bench guy. Another player that is best suited at the four position, Holmes is averaging 5.4 points per game in 13.6 minutes per game on 56.9 percent shooting. His reputation coming out of Bowling Green was that he would be a pick and pop four who can to provide some rim protection. The latter has shown up in the small sample size for Holmes thus far, as he is averaging 2.5 blocks per 48 minutes. The shooting hasn’t quite been there yet, however, shooting just 3-12 from 3 in his first 16 games as a pro.
Holmes has scored double figures in three of his last seven games and will be an interesting guy to monitor on this Sixers roster going forward.
UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS
Robert Covington
The part of Sam Hinkie’s plan that he has taken the most flack for has been the handling of undrafted free agents. In order to find guys in the bargain, Hinkie tends to offer four year contracts for above the minimum salary but with non-guaranteed money in the final three years. This style has been seen as taking advantage of players and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, making things sour with many agents around the league.
Again, the whole point of this is to maximize their chances of grabbing a player who will be on a cost friendly contract while playing as a quality rotation guy. Such has been the case with Robert Covington, an undrafted free agent who was waived by the Houston Rockets and signed by the 76ers in 2014. Covington has turned into one of the most complete players on the Philly roster and one of the few guys who can shoot well from beyond the arc. This year has by far been Bob’s best, averaging 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds and shooting 32.3 percent from 3-point range.
The Sixers have used Covington at three different positions, sliding him in both wing spots and occasionally as a small ball power forward when they get desperate for spacing. While his potential to be a spot up shooter and quality rebounder from the wing is enticing, it is his defense that has been Covington’s best skill since joining the Sixers. He is averaging 2.3 steals per game, which is third in the league so far this season.
Granted, that number might be bloated by the eight steal performance he had against Houston, but his 1.5 steals per game over his career shows that it isn’t a fluke. Having a guy who can shoot and switch on to positions two through four on defense is an absolute robbery for the type of price tag that Hinkie signed Covington to.
T.J. McConnell
McConnell was a guy I thought would make this Sixers roster after having an impressive showing in Summer League. Taking advantage of a thin point guard situation, McConnell has made the most of his opportunity so far. He has started in 16 of Philly’s 26 games and is averaging a well rounded 7.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He is a super smart player who has shown his IQ by being patient and reading the defense before making a pin point pass into a tight space.
Passing on this team is hard given the lack of floor spacing, but McConnell has made a killing by finding guys despite the slim window.
McConnell’s best asset in college was his on ball defense, which would make him even more of a quality backup point guard in the league. His combination of smarts and quick hands make him a pest for opposing point guards and helps him stay on the floor late in games. (He is also averaging 1.3 steals per game, one of the best marks in the NBA).
McConnell has been another pleasant surprise in the undrafted free agent department, and is definitely a guy worth keeping around for the future. If he can develop some range on his jump shot and improve on his respectable 34.1 percent clip from 3, he could have a spot in this league.
Jakarr Sampson
Sampson has been an experiment for the Sixers so far, as they’ve messed around with playing him at positions one through four. He has had flashes of a real NBA game at times, averaging six points per game on 49.1 percent shooting this year. His game is similar in ways to Jerami Grant, except Jakarr has a lot more skill handling the ball and attacking off the dribble. His best skill may be his ability to attack off of ball screens and use his length and size to score in the paint.
Sampson, like Grant, is worth monitoring to see if he can function in whatever system the Sixers decide to have in the future. In the right environment and the right players around him, Sampson can definitely be a player getting a consistent 12-15 minutes a night.
Hollis Thompson
Thompson has proven to be one of the few players on the Sixers who can put the ball in from deep. Thompson, a career 39.5 percent 3 point shooter, is knocking down 3s at a 37.1 percent clip this season. Coming off the bench, Thompson is averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, both career highs for the third year player. He has a quick and smooth release that helps him get it off fast before the defense can close on him.
Until Philly gets more proven shooters on the team, Thompson is definitely a keeper.
Christian Wood
Wood could be the biggest long shot of all the undrafted guys on their roster. He has had a couple decent games in his 13 appearances thus far, with a 15 point, eight rebound effort against Oklahoma City and a nine point, eight rebound game against the Bulls earlier this season. Where his improvement will need to come — and why his draft stock plummeted when it got closer to draft day — is his consistency. Everybody loves rangy big men who can jump out of the gym, block shots and dunk all over everyone, but the Sixers already have that in Noel.
Wood will have to prove that he can do some things that Noel can’t do (he is currently 4-9 from behind the arc this season) and be consistent in order to earn the rest of his contract.
MYSTERY MAN
Joel Embiid
Embiid embodies everything that has gone wrong for Hinkie and “The Process.” After tanking away the season in the hopes of landing a superstar, the Sixers ended up with the third pick in the 2014 draft and selected Embiid, an incredible gifted center out of Kansas who had some medical red flags that kept teams from taking him No. 1. Embiid sat out all of his rookie year and became more of a thorn in their side than a franchise changing player. There were many social media escapades and an enormous weight gain that put Embiid and the Sixers in a negative spotlight.
Then, to make matters worse, Embiid suffered another set back in his rehab that has ruled him out for his entire second season.
All of the criticism that Hinkie has faced can be summed in Embiid’s yet to be played career. Tanking for a superstar is all fine and dandy until you hit an unlucky snag and that superstar becomes injured to the point that we may never see him play a professional basketball game. His off court issues, along with Okafor’s, also bring questions about veteran leadership and the culture (or lack thereof) that the organization has put around all of these young players, which in turn fosters a toxic culture that teaches players the wrong lessons. Embiid went from being a can’t miss once in a generation center — the next Hakeem Olajuwon crossed with Serge Ibaka — to, well, where he is today.
One can only hope Embiid bounces back from two years on the bench.
Is it time to stop Trusting the Process?
Despite all of the bad luck that the Sixers have encountered in this full scale tank job, what Hinkie has going for him is this: He has quietly amassed the largest amount of trade assets of any team in the league. And maybe this is what “The Process” has always been about — taking the philosophies that Daryl Morey and Danny Ainge implemented and pushing it to new extremes.
Perhaps adding the presence of a Jerry Colangelo will not only make their reputation better with agents and around the league, but also force Hinkie to hit the button on acquiring some quality NBA level players instead of guys who are trying to figure out what they can do in the league. In the meantime, “The Process” may need a few tweaks in the on and off court development of their players. Some of these guys have the makings of being some decent players, and its the 76ers’ job to make sure that they head toward a path of success rather than repeatedly, unhealthy failure.