The 76ers, a team which was home to legends like Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Moses Malone, and many others. The 76ers have had many talented players over the years. However, right now, in 2016, this is certainly not the case.
The 76ers finished the 2013-14 season with a 19-63 record.
They finished the 2014-15 season with a 18-64 record.
They finished the 2015-16 season with a 10-72 record.
So, as you can see, the 76ers suck. The management in Philadelphia has been trading away young talent and drafting injury-prone players for the past few years. All of this needs to change.
For the 76ers to become contenders again, this is what they need to do:
1.Draft Ben Simmons
As you may know, the 76ers have the first overall pick in this year's draft. Now, what should they do with this pick? Draft Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons is a 6'10 forward from LSU who has been averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists a game in college. Many analysts call Simmons the next LeBron James, because of his playing style, athleticism, and potential.
The 76ers should take the first step to becoming contenders again by drafting this young superstar, who is ready to compete at the NBA level.
2.Trade one of their young Centers
The 76ers have three young big men who they have acquired through the draft over the past few years: Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid.
All of these young centers are valuable assets who can be traded to acquire players who will be of more value to the 76ers.
However, Joel Embiid will return to the 76ers to play soon, and it would not be wise to trade him away before he can show his potential on the basketball court.
This leaves Okafor and Noel, two players who the 76ers can trade to obtain the pieces they need.
First off, we can look at Okafor. Okafor averaged 17.5 points, as well as 7 rebounds a game, showing potential to eventually become one of the league's best centers. Although the Lakers already have a young power forward in Julius Randle, they could use a young center, because with just 5 rebounds and 6 points a game, Roy Hibbert is not playing too well.
Looking at the above trade scenario, the 76ers could ship Okafor to the Lakers in exchange for a young power forward in Brandon Bass, as well as a talented point guard in Jordan Clarkson, which would help them in the future.
Next, we can look at Nerlens Noel, who I believe the 76ers would be more likely to trade. Noel averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game, being a defensive presence for the 76ers. The Atlanta Hawks have Paul Millsap, who is getting up there in age, and Al Horford, who is likely to leave. The Hawks would be smart to acquire a young big man like Noel.
Looking at this trade scenario, the 76ers could send Noel and Kendall Marshall to the Hawks for Jeff Teague, a young point guard who averaged 20 points and 7.5 assists a game.
The 76ers should move either Okafor or Noel to acquire other young players who have shown potential.
3.Bring Back Dario Saric
In the 2014 draft, the 76ers traded Elfrid Payton to the Magic for Dario Saric, a Croatian player who had been playing well in Europe. Ever since the draft, Saric continued to play in European leagues, and has been posting decent stats, with 12 points and 6 rebounds a game, as well as a 40% 3-point percentage.
I believe that Saric has great potential. Also, Saric is versatile and can be used as a big man, and can step outside and hit a 3-pointer when necessary. This ability of the 22-year-old Saric will make him a huge weapon if the 76ers decide to bring him to Philadelphia.
4.Draft Wisely
In the 2013, 2014, and 2015 drafts, the 76ers have used their picks to draft three big men, as mentioned before. All of these players have had some type of injury take away playing time. As also mentioned earlier, the 76ers need to use their 2016 draft pick to obtain Ben Simmons.
This would be a strategic move for the 76ers to make. However, they need to use their other draft picks wisely as well.
In the 2017 draft, the 76ers should look to obtain a young point guard, such as Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Smith is a point guard who will attend North Carolina State this fall. Smith has shown an amazing ability to score from all parts of the court, explosiveness, and defensive playmaking. This type of point guard would definitely help the 76ers rise to become one of the better teams in the future. With Simmons and Smith playing on the same team in the future, the 76ers could be hard to stop.
5.Improve Management
The 76ers' management over the past few years hasn't been great. From drafting three injury-prone centers to trading away young point guard Michael Carter-Williams, to trading away another point guard in Jrue Holiday, everything has been going wrong.
Now that there is new management in Philadelphia, with Bryan Colangelo taking over the team, the 76ers should be better off. However, Philadelphia should be careful not to repeat their mistakes by drafting or acquiring big men who are injury-prone, and trading away players with a lot of potential.
If the 76ers' staff can learn to manage players, draft picks, and their assets better, they should be a huge threat in the near future.
Credits:
Statistics courtesy of http://www.basketball-reference.com/
Trade Scenarios courtesy of http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine
The 76ers finished the 2013-14 season with a 19-63 record.
They finished the 2014-15 season with a 18-64 record.
They finished the 2015-16 season with a 10-72 record.
So, as you can see, the 76ers suck. The management in Philadelphia has been trading away young talent and drafting injury-prone players for the past few years. All of this needs to change.
For the 76ers to become contenders again, this is what they need to do:
1.Draft Ben Simmons
As you may know, the 76ers have the first overall pick in this year's draft. Now, what should they do with this pick? Draft Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons is a 6'10 forward from LSU who has been averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists a game in college. Many analysts call Simmons the next LeBron James, because of his playing style, athleticism, and potential.
The 76ers should take the first step to becoming contenders again by drafting this young superstar, who is ready to compete at the NBA level.
2.Trade one of their young Centers
The 76ers have three young big men who they have acquired through the draft over the past few years: Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid.
All of these young centers are valuable assets who can be traded to acquire players who will be of more value to the 76ers.
However, Joel Embiid will return to the 76ers to play soon, and it would not be wise to trade him away before he can show his potential on the basketball court.
This leaves Okafor and Noel, two players who the 76ers can trade to obtain the pieces they need.
First off, we can look at Okafor. Okafor averaged 17.5 points, as well as 7 rebounds a game, showing potential to eventually become one of the league's best centers. Although the Lakers already have a young power forward in Julius Randle, they could use a young center, because with just 5 rebounds and 6 points a game, Roy Hibbert is not playing too well.
Looking at the above trade scenario, the 76ers could ship Okafor to the Lakers in exchange for a young power forward in Brandon Bass, as well as a talented point guard in Jordan Clarkson, which would help them in the future.
Next, we can look at Nerlens Noel, who I believe the 76ers would be more likely to trade. Noel averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game, being a defensive presence for the 76ers. The Atlanta Hawks have Paul Millsap, who is getting up there in age, and Al Horford, who is likely to leave. The Hawks would be smart to acquire a young big man like Noel.
Looking at this trade scenario, the 76ers could send Noel and Kendall Marshall to the Hawks for Jeff Teague, a young point guard who averaged 20 points and 7.5 assists a game.
The 76ers should move either Okafor or Noel to acquire other young players who have shown potential.
3.Bring Back Dario Saric
In the 2014 draft, the 76ers traded Elfrid Payton to the Magic for Dario Saric, a Croatian player who had been playing well in Europe. Ever since the draft, Saric continued to play in European leagues, and has been posting decent stats, with 12 points and 6 rebounds a game, as well as a 40% 3-point percentage.
I believe that Saric has great potential. Also, Saric is versatile and can be used as a big man, and can step outside and hit a 3-pointer when necessary. This ability of the 22-year-old Saric will make him a huge weapon if the 76ers decide to bring him to Philadelphia.
4.Draft Wisely
In the 2013, 2014, and 2015 drafts, the 76ers have used their picks to draft three big men, as mentioned before. All of these players have had some type of injury take away playing time. As also mentioned earlier, the 76ers need to use their 2016 draft pick to obtain Ben Simmons.
This would be a strategic move for the 76ers to make. However, they need to use their other draft picks wisely as well.
In the 2017 draft, the 76ers should look to obtain a young point guard, such as Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Smith is a point guard who will attend North Carolina State this fall. Smith has shown an amazing ability to score from all parts of the court, explosiveness, and defensive playmaking. This type of point guard would definitely help the 76ers rise to become one of the better teams in the future. With Simmons and Smith playing on the same team in the future, the 76ers could be hard to stop.
5.Improve Management
The 76ers' management over the past few years hasn't been great. From drafting three injury-prone centers to trading away young point guard Michael Carter-Williams, to trading away another point guard in Jrue Holiday, everything has been going wrong.
Now that there is new management in Philadelphia, with Bryan Colangelo taking over the team, the 76ers should be better off. However, Philadelphia should be careful not to repeat their mistakes by drafting or acquiring big men who are injury-prone, and trading away players with a lot of potential.
If the 76ers' staff can learn to manage players, draft picks, and their assets better, they should be a huge threat in the near future.
Credits:
Statistics courtesy of http://www.basketball-reference.com/
Trade Scenarios courtesy of http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine
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