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The State of the Sixers

The offseason isn’t usually where a normal NBA team should be making noise, but it is for the Sixers. After enduring a season of D-leaguers, long losing streaks, longer losing streaks, and Byron Mullens, the Sixers knew that the rebuilding plan would start to take form this summer. Over the last year, mastermind GM Sam Hinkie got rid of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and any other part of the past administration while acquiring a wide array of assets in the form of potential stars and an abundance of draft picks. Sam Hinkie has a plan to get this team out of mediocrity and fans are either all in or questioning his sanity. These Sixers players will need time to grow and develop together, but this team isn’t built for now; the rebuilding process is going to take a while. Here are a few things you should know looking forward.

Nerlens Noel will be Rookie of the Year. Noel is considered a rookie after sitting out the entire year last year and showed vast signs of improvement throughout summer league. He made his debut in spectacular fashion in Orlando, averaging 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in 24.7 minutes over four games. He only played in two games in Las Vegas but got comparisons to Anthony Davis with his outstanding shot blocking ability. His jump shot improved and his athleticism will fit great with the Sixers style of play. He still is very lanky and could afford to put on some weight and muscle, but the potential is there. Although he isn’t the best rookie I say he will be the ROY because of the time and touches he will get with the Sixers. As Michael Carter-Williams did last year, Noel will benefit from high paced offense and being a catalyst of a lackluster team which will lead to inflated stats and the second straight Sixers Rookie of the Year.

Dario Saric was a great pick. I know a lot of people complain about the pick because we won’t see this guy for at least two years, but that fits what the Sixers are doing. He will grow overseas into a dynamic scorer and provide pop off the bench. Saric received a lot of praise from analysts predicting that he could be a star. With eyes on the future, the Sixers are in position to swing for the fences on a guy who could prove to be a superstar in this league. Also, we just watched a Spurs team full of foreign players win the championship and that is something the Sixers have never excelled in. Along with Vasilije Micić who they also drafted, the Sixers are smart for stashing some players overseas to save cap flexibility and provide future production. Worth noting is that for trading down to get Saric, Hinkie erased some of the mistakes of the Andrew Bynum deal by getting two picks that we originally lost.

Sixers 2^nd rounder will be great pieces, not All-Stars. As I mentioned before, the Spurs are a great model for the Sixers organization to emulate. They have their big three, but their role players are the reason for their success. That team is like a puzzle with parts that fit to form a collective unit. Jerami Grant has extreme athleticism, KJ McDaniels is a defensive stopper, Jordan Mcrae is a sharpshooter, Pierre Jackson (injured this year) is instant offense, and Micic will end up being a great back-up point guard to MCW. The bench depth is going to be a point of focus moving forward so all of these guys developing is important. None of these players have the potential to dominate this team, but they all should fit roles in building this team.

Thad Young won’t be on this team for long. When Lebron went to the Cavs, you immediately knew that more than likely they would also get Kevin Love. Not only because they are in win-now mode, but because they have the most to offer the Timberwolves. Although I believe the Sixers should have been trying to do this all offseason, this is the perfect opportunity to use our cap space and help facilitate this trade. The Timberwolves have shown interest in Thaddeus Young as he remains one of the only veterans on the team. Rumors indicate we would be getting the Cavs Anthony Bennett back. After watching him in summer league, Sixers fans should be ecstatic. He lost a lot of weight and showed glimpses of his days back at UNLV where he dominated. He would be a great project to add to this growing team. I’m hoping we also take on some of the bad contracts from both teams in hopes of getting some draft picks that we know Hinkie loves.

Fans should expect a similar season to last. The Sixers have exciting pieces but they are not ready for a title run now. With Embiid sitting out this year, this season will be used for Noel and MCW’s growth as well as seeing if players like Hollis Thompson and Tony Wroten are long-term pieces for this team. We still have no legitimate shooting or scoring on this team which will make points hard to come by. People argue Doug McDermott would have solved that problem at the 10 pick but like I said the plan is not to be good. McBuckets would have made us a good team this season and ultimately too good to get another lottery pick that we strongly desire. The lottery system may be changed but in the end the Sixers will still end up in the top five. Next year’s prospects are mostly big men, but there are a few guards and wingmen that will be there, we just have to hope we lose enough to guarantee that. The term tanking is very fair as I see this team winning around 20 games this year.

Joel Embiid will be a fan favorite. Joel Embiid is receiving lots of attention even though it is unlikely he will step on the court this year. He has blown up Twitter with his attempts to lure Lebron to Philly and his persistent pursuit of both Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. He has been to Philadelphia, got a cheesesteak, and went to Mitchell & Ness to buy an Allen Iverson jersey. He’s entertaining us off the court and will eventually dominate for us on the court. 

-Jeremy

Wait...Sixers...Wait

                Wait… Just wait, is what Sixers fans are now being told after this year’s draft. This will be another year of the Sixers drafting a guy that will sit out the whole year because of injury. The Sixers are saying they are in this for the long term, but how long is the long term? Will 5 years be enough to finally bring a championship to Philadelphia? This team looks to be in the tanking mode again for next season however the projected top 5 picks are all big men. So it will now be decision time for the Sixers. Here are our thoughts on some of the top picks in the draft. Now let the waiting game begin… Again

  

Joel Embiid 3^rd Overall: 

                What can be said about Joel Embiid except him being the biggest question mark coming into the NBA Draft. Before breaking his foot, and injury that many say is the death of a big man in the NBA; Joel Embiid was expected to be the first overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This would have set up Andrew Wiggins right in the hands of the Sixers. However, injury concerns had Embiid the quote on quote best player in the draft fall right to the Sixers. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Sixers, if and only if Embiid is able to return to his star form. Embiid can reach stardom in the NBA, and he has the abilities to score, play defense, and rebound like no one to play on the Sixers before. However, this all depends on if he can get back to his college form. We will have to wait another long year to see “the best player in the draft” play for the Sixers. With Nerlens Noel now back in action with the Sixers, him and Embiid could be a dynamic duo for years to come. Even if Embiid cannot reach that star form, but Nerlens does all Embiid really needs to be is an above average NBA player and he will be able to help this team to a championship in 5 or so years.

Dario Saric 12^th Overall (Trade with Oralndo): 

                If you thought Embiid was a question mark, this is an even bigger one. Dario Saric is a Croatian basketball star, and that’s right folks we won’t see him for two years. Saric has signed a contract to play in Croatia for the next two years and could be even longer. Honestly, this is a pick the Sixers might lose if he decides to stay in his home country. Saric will be coming into Philadelphia with a lot of hate to begin with, not due to the fact of him or his personality or his ability. Simply, he was the guy they wanted and took over highly talented college superstar Doug McDermott. McDermott is one of college basketball’s leading scorers, and Saric is a basic no name out of some foreign country. Let’s be honest again with Saric, no real foreign player who has decided to spend extra years over in Europe after being drafted have ever really been successful. Ricky Rubio is probably the most successful in recent years, and he really hasn’t been a star for the T-Wolves. When Saric gets to Philly, he won’t have to be the star, nor will he have pressure on himself. Saric will just need to be above average and most Philly fans will say he was a good pick. We just need the guy to be a couple time All-Star and put up above average numbers for him to be a piece to this possible championship team.

KJ McDaniels 32^th Overall and Jerami Grant 39^th :               

                These two picks actually may have been two of the NBA Draft steals of the night. Both guys are very talented players coming out of their respected schools. Grant knows how to win, coming from Syracuse and one of the greatest coaches in college history. Grant understands the game at a level that many kids coming out of college to the NBA would not. He is a strong Small Forward with an outstanding 7’2 Wing Span and has the potential to be a big piece to the defense as well as bringing points off the bench for a team that desperately needed that. Grant has expectations to live up to as well, with him being relatives with NBA legend Horace Grant. Jerami Grant has already made himself know in the Philadelphia media, and has the potential to be huge pick-up by the Sixers. KJ McDaniels is another great sleeper for Sam Hinkie. McDaniels is a work in progress on the offensive side of the basketball, however he will receive a lot of playing time next season due to the fact his defense is spectacular. He was one of the best defenders in this year’s draft and could’ve been a top 20 pick. These two guys are sure to get some action next season.

Overall:

                This year’s draft I would rate a B-, due to the fact we will have to wait 3 years to see the Sixers top to picks on the court together. However, the Sixers made it up with their two selections in the second round. Scoring two guys that can help on the defensive side of the ball as well as Grant who can score. The Sixers also picked up Pierre Jackson a pure scorer out of Baylor, though undersized he can potentially be a key scorer on this team, and can put up numbers as well. Vasilije Micic and Jordan McRae were the last two picks for the Sixers in this draft, and honestly they are both NBA ready with the potential to produce for this team. Micic is a big point guard who is worth taking a chance on, and McRae is a guy that needs to beef up but has potential on this team as well. All in all this draft was one that was mainly the second round for this Sixers team. In my opinion the biggest mistake made will be not picking Doug McDermott. The 76ers will regret not picking McDermott for the rest of their lives, but Embiid will be a very productive piece to this team.

-Brett 

Hawks in NBA Summer League

                The NBA draft came and went without any of the St. Joe’s players being selected. However, summer league signings have come around and the three starting seniors from the A-10 tournament winning team have become undrafted free agents. Each of the three guys has something they need to prove in the summer league games if they want to make the NBA team or their respected D-league teams. The Summer Leagues are a pair of a week of games. European basketball is definitely more lucrative than the D-league. This is their opportunity to make it to the NBA and complete their dreams. The last Hawk to play in the NBA was Dwayne Jones in 2006. Whether it is for the team they are playing for in the Summer League or other; Langston, Roberts, and Halil hope to impress. Each one still has a great deal to overcome. After all, being selected to play in the NBA Summer Leagues is like being drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft. This summer got much more interesting for some recent Saint Joe’s Alumni.

               

Langston Galloway – New York Knicks:

                Langston is a pure shooter, and this was seen during the NCAA tournament as well as every work out that he attended. However, the one thing with shooters is that the NBA is full of them. The NBA was guys with unbelievable mid-range games as well as amazing 3-point shooters. Langston will have to set himself apart during these summer league games. To make a team like the Knicks or their summer league team they Langston will have to up his defense. That is a skill set that he lacked during his college career. He will have to overcome his lack of height as well. Langston probably has the most to overcome during these summer league games. But if Galloway can succeed anywhere it would be with Phil Jackson’s offense because of revolves around a 3 point shooting. Galloway will be in Las Vegas between July 7th and 21st. Who wants to go on vacation to Vegas?

Halil Kanacevic – Denver Nuggets:

                Halil has the least amount to lose through this whole summer league process. Halil already has a deal overseas, so he already has a team in place for him. All Halil has to do to make the NBA scouts see he has the ability to score. Halil naturally has a strong and powerful NBA body. The type of body that Halil has is one NBA scouts dream of, and his passing ability makes it even better. Scouts know he can play a strong defense, and pass better than most point guards; he just has to prove he can score. Denver is looking for a guy like Halil to fit into their defensive program. Halil has nothing to lose in this summer league process.

Ronald Roberts – Philadelphia 76ers & Miami Heat

                Roberts amazed NBA scouts with his athleticism. He earned a spot on the Sixers summer league team from July 5-11 in Orlando and Heat from July 11-21 in Vegas. The NBA scouts are not able to measure his vertical because it is over 46 inches. I do not know why that is as high as their vertical can measure. Ron worked out for 15 NBA teams. At the very least he can join the Sixers Flight Squad with the trampolines. In all seriousness the 76ers need to get better at rebounding. That is not Roberts’ specialty but hopefully with some NBA coaching it can improve. He has a good chance of impressing both the Heat and Sixers’ coaches by doing better than each team’s big men.