The Sixers have a number of decisions to make before and after this year’s draft. If they choose to draft LSU’s Ben Simmons with the first overall pick, then the expectation is that either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor will be moved in an attempt to make space for Simmons and the return of Joel Embiid.
If the team decides to draft Duke’s Brandon Ingram with the first overall, the team is actually still expected to move Jahlil Okafor in an attempt to make a power grab for a point guard of the future (although this scenario is not as likely to happen).
Regardless of the reason for going in either direction, not many have the foresight or have done the research to project a proper line-up for the Sixers going into next season.
Free agency will undoubtedly have an affect on the line-up projection, but for all intents and purposes, let’s ignore the adding of free agents for now. Free agency can only be projected loosely because of the bidding that ensues, and you can never underestimate how much a team is willing to pay (or overpay) a player as well as how much a player is willing to sacrifice for a chance to win.
I will include Simmons as a part of the team since it seems like the team is leaning towards him. I also included 2014 first-round pick Dario Saric and Okafor since they are both slated to be on the team next year for now.
Also, it is my opinion that the five well-known basketball positions are largely useless. They were created for novice fans and announcers to categorize a player’s particular skill set.
Assigning a player to a position based on height or weight is not how most NBA coaches operate anyway. It is all about the skill set. Coaches want their best players to be out on the floor and those players sometimes fit a particular role on the team without fitting a particular position.
The Sixers’ core roster only consists of a starting-five and five bench players who will back up the starters. Trying to fill a 15-man camp roster will be a such a pain because you never know how some teams perceive developmental players that they wish to keep on the roster for their potential to contribute.
Keep in mind that I have not taken any free agents into consideration, and for some positions, I have listed certain players twice because they can play multiple positions and will almost certainly have the opportunity to pick-up minutes in multiple ways.
This list also operates under the assumption that all the players who currently have a team-option or a player-option for this upcoming season will be brought back. So with this in mind, here is how the core roster seems like it will look like after the draft and going into free agency.
* – starters
Point Guard(s) – TJ McConnell* | Kendall Marshall | Isaiah Canaan
Shooting Guard(s) – Nik Stauskas* | Isaiah Canaan | Hollis Thompson
Small Forward(s) – Robert Covington* | Jerami Grant | Ben Simmons
Power Forward(s) – Ben Simmons* | Nerlens Noel | Dario Saric | Jerami Grant | Carl Landry | Richaun Holmes
Center(s) – Jahlil Okafor* | Joel Embiid | Nerlens Noel | Ben Simmons
The listing here is kind of underwhelming, but for those who are already preparing for war with me on the front court seating chart, allow me to explain.
It can probably already be decided that the backcourt players (the guards and combo guards) are not an impressive bunch. The team will more than likely make those positions a top priority to address via free agency.
On the other hand, the small forward positon seems to be interesting to me. Covington, Grant, and Simmons should make fine mesh players, and they have the potential to make a rather large impact on the team’s play going forward.
Now about those big guys.
In my opinion, positions are not indicative of a player’s skills, and skills aren’t indicative of a player’s position. On the same side of that discussion, in the NBA, you are what you defend, and you cannot convince me that Simmons will be consistently defending players 4-6 inches shorter than him.
I also dislike the idea that Simmons can play primary point guard for the 76ers. This would put the Sixers at a distinct disadvantage in the paint because having Simmons run point would place the responsibility on him of setting up the offense, and orchestrating the attack on the basket.
Call me crazy if you want to, but most of Simmons’s assists came out of the post. Whether or not this was by design or the result of his comfort and skill set is debatable, but he is not the traditional point guard. He has shown the ability to create shots for his teammates in drive and dish scenarios, but that is not calling and running plays.
LSU essentially ran a 4-guard line-up with Simmons playing as a talented mesh guy. It is no blight on Simmons however as he was easily the team’s best playmaker and rebounder by a mile. His passing instincts would simply be better served and used in the post area where he can use his vision to find shooters and cutting players.
This is not to say that Simmons cannot operate on the outside as an adept passer either. Simmons’s passing instincts are so versatile that he can be placed in a variety of positions. It is just my belief that his game would translate better against NBA forwards in the post where he can use his vision and athleticism to be the nightmare he has the potential to be.
I also would not want Simmons spending the majority of his time outside the paint when he has not developed the ability to hurt a defense outside the paint, although this is not a knock on the young man. It is just my version of his projection.
The only other issue I can foresee people having is Okafor starting over Embiid, although it really should not be very surprising if it happens. Embiid’s injuries are well documented, but please do not think Okafor is a place-holder for Embiid to eventually take when he has healed.
Why would someone with no NBA experience, two foot surgeries, and two years of no high level competition take the place of someone who does have NBA experience, and proven he is a capable starter? It would be unprecedented and borderline ridiculous.
Anyone who believes Embiid should start over Okafor has one thread to hang from. Admittedly, Embiid was definitely a more athletic player with a higher defensive ceiling two years ago than Okafor has today. However, potential alone should not crown a player as the starter. It is production and consistency that does that.
I will be the first one to say that Okafor is not the most consistent or defensively adequate big-man on the team, but until Embiid proves that he can do better, he has absolutely no claim to any position except a roster spot on the team and a chance to earn more. Do not give Embiid anything based on a college record two years ago, or any workouts you have seen him run in.
Let him prove you are right by earning more time than Okafor.
Noel is another peculiar player that is relegated to the bench because Simmons takes his role as a starter. However that does not mean he won’t play significant minutes. His defensive presence can be felt in a multitude of ways, but until his offense becomes something other than “hard to watch,” I can’t ever see Noel seriously contending to be a starter on this team.
Also, if it seems like Saric is an afterthought in this line-up…it’s because he really is. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure how he fits into this team’s plans. Many have thrown around the idea of giving him 20 minutes a game to feel him out, but that is an extensive amount of time for a player like Saric on a team with this much talent down low. I will be able to project a better role for Saric once free agency is over and all the pieces begin to fall in place.
Overall, the list leaves a lot to be desired. The rotation seems extensive, and the backcourt is weak, but the front court has enough talent and promise for two teams. At the end of the day, this is the current roster (minus Simmons). At least you now have a better idea of what the team looks like.
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