2015-16 NBA Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers
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Philadelphia 76ers
2014-15
| Record | Atlantic | East | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-64 | 4th | 14th | N/A |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures | |
|---|---|---|
| Jahlil Okafor (No. 3 pick) | Jason Richardson (Signed with ATL then retired) | |
| Carl Landry (Acquired from SAC) | Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Not re-signed) | |
| Nik Stauskas (Acquired from SAC) | Thomas Robinson (Signed with BKN) | |
| Kendall Marshall (4/$7.5M) | ||
| Gerald Wallace (Acquired from GSW) | ||
| Richaun Holmes (No. 37 pick) | ||
| J.P. Tokoto (No. 58 pick) | ||
| Scottie Wilbekin (multi-year deal) |
Projected Starting 5
- PG Tony Wroten
- SG JaKarr Sampson
- SF Robert Covington
- PF Nerlens Noel
- C Jahlil Okafor
MVP and Breakout Player
The logical choice is Okafor, who's a trendy pick for NBA Rookie of the Year. As one of the most skilled offensive big men to come out of college in years, he will get the ball down low a lot, and he will score. How he'll fit with Noel has been a point of contention, but since the former is known for finishing around the basket and the latter for rebounding and blocking shots, their co-existence could work, likely with Noel sliding up to power forward when they're on the floor together.
The other lottery big man the 76ers picked in the last three years, center Joel Embiid, is likely to complete his second season in the NBA without having played a minute.
Season Expectations
There is a commuter rail station in the metropolitan area in which I live that seems to have been under construction forever. I do not see it every day, but semi-regularly; and when I do, I expect it to be closer to completion. Except it never is, although there is usually a new minor design feature, like a roof spire or something.
That is the best analogy I can think of for the 76ers. General manager Sam Hinkie's unprecedented long-term roster construction project is predicated on talent and nothing else; fit is irrelevant, which presents a multitude of unique short-term issues in basketball. Thirty-one individuals were on the Sixers' roster at some point last season, a game you can play here. Twenty-five of those players suited up in games, a league-high number matched only by the 16-66 Minnesota Timberwolves.
To recap the current 76ers' roster: starting point guard should come down to a player recovering from a torn ACL (Wroten) and a guy coming off a torn Achilles (Pierre Jackson). Wroten can also play two-guard, won't be ready to start the season, and is also on the trading block, potentially opening up more room for Kendall Marshall, who's also recovering from a torn ACL and isn't expected to ready for the start of the season either.
Another player, Isaiah Canaan, is not really a point guard. But what do positions matter? Sampson, by trade, is a 6-foot-9 forward who played most of his minutes at shooting guard last season. The addition of sniper Nik Stauskas and veteran Carl Landry from the Sacramento Kings looks to be a good move, at least on paper; Stauskas is looking to improve on a disappointing rookie season and should be a rotation player, if not a starter.
That said, the Sixers' starting lineup will change nightly. Last season, they used 41 different starting combinations. That's a new one every other game.
Though the New York Knicks will likely never forgive themselves for finishing a game behind the 76ers in 2014-15, their offseason moves figure to push Philly back into the basement of the Atlantic Division.