5 Philadelphia 76ers Who Must Have Career Years for a Deep Postseason Run

If the 76ers" target="_blank">Philadelphia 76ers are going to have another shot at a deep postseason run, then certain players will have to have the best year of their careers.

After surprising most of the basketball world and getting to the second round of the NBA playoffs, expectations are much larger this year.

If you're a Sixers player, then you know that those expectations are well-deserved.

Of course, the big new acquisition in Andrew Bynum will help, but it's impossible to rely on one new player to carry an entire team. Philadelphia will need other specific players to step up and deliver great seasons.

With that, let's look at the five most important Sixers that need to have career years.

5. Thaddeus Young, SF/PF

Thaddeus Young is coming into the 2012-2013 season in an unfamiliar role.

He's now a starter.

And of course, being a starter comes with a series of new and exciting privileges. The most important of which is an increase in playing time.

Young averaged 27.9 minutes per game last year. He shared the sixth man role with Lou Williams, but still saw plenty of action on the floor.

His 12.8 points per game average meant that he was averaging one point every 2.17 minutes.

This isn't meant to feel like we're back in school, but breaking down the math is crucial.

This season, he's averaging 35.4 minutes per game as a starter. A 7.5-minute difference seems like a small number, but it couldn't mean more for the rest of his numbers.

Based on last year's numbers, Young getting 7.5 more minutes should equal about 3.5 more points per game.

When you break all of his statistical categories down in a similar way, then looking at an increase in playing time begins to mean more and more.

Now, producing at a higher level with more minutes will all come down to what Young does on the floor.

He needs to be able to put up higher numbers now that he's playing more, or else the increase in minutes is essentially wasteful.

If Thad does put up better numbers because he's playing more, then it's easy to see how his success could help the Sixers go deep into the playoffs.

4. Spencer Hawes, C/PF

This one is really no secret, but Spencer Hawes will need to have a career year for Philadelphia as it awaits the return of Bynum.

The Sixers lack a definitive big man.

Kwame Brown hasn't been an answer since he's been in the league. Lavoy Allen is talented and should have a good future, but he doesn't play like a seven-footer—probably because he's not one.

Of course there's Bynum, but who knows when he's coming back.

No, really, does anybody know when he's coming back?

This leaves the hero for the season, Spencer Hawes.

If Hawes can play with some consistency, then he'll help to offset some of Philadelphia's waiting pains.

Nobody is expecting him to play like a big man, because that's clearly not his style. Hawes is a perimeter big that is more comfortable shooting 17-footers than going to his right-handed jump hook.

Still, though, he'll need to do what true big guys do.

He'll need to rebound on both the defensive and offensive end of the floor, but more importantly, he'll need to block shots. Creating some kind of defensive presence in the low post will keep teams from fully taking advantage of Philly's biggest weakness.

Hawes isn't the most important player for the Sixers, but he'll need to play great for Philadelphia to have a deep playoff run.

3. Nick Young, SG

Nick Young is coming to Philadelphia trying to fill in for what Lou Williams did last year.

He's not going to come to Philly and help contribute on the glass. Don't expect him to make many highlight-worthy passes that lead to assists. If you want him to be a defensive stopper, then you should probably look the other way.

Young is a Sixer so that he can shoot and put up high scoring numbers off the bench.

CBSSports.com's Zach Harper wrote an article about how we can't expect Young to stop shooting the basketball. He breaks down Young's game pretty well:

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Young is one of the more recognizable gunners among NBA fans. He's one of those shoot-first, shoot-second, pass only on inbounds type of scorers in the NBA. He has averaged 11.4 points on 9.8 shots for his career. He's a career 42.8 percent shooter. He has more 3-pointers made (380) in his career than assists (340).

He's not an out-of-control player, either. He has averaging just 1.8 turnovers per 36 minutes for his career. When the ball comes to him, he's not going to wildly try to create a play for himself. He's just going to shoot the ball because that's what he does.

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Having more threes than assists through five years proves that Young is a one-dimensional player.

That doesn't have to be a negative, though.

The key will be executing at that one dimension. He'll need to be an efficient scorer off the bench.

More efficient than he's ever been.

Having a reliable threat in its second unit will be one of the most important aspects to Philadelphia's season and potential postseason run.

2. Evan Turner, SF/PG

Evan Turner needs to live up to his selection as a No. 2 draft pick. He's taken two years to get acclimated to the league, but it's time for him to step it up.

If there is a player on Philadelphia's roster that is capable of putting up high numbers in multiple statistical categories, then it's clearly Turner.

He's currently averaging 11.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, and quite honestly, he can do it all on the basketball court.

Turner's versatility will be crucial toward having a deep playoff run.

The heading of this slide has him as a small forward/point guard. Put the two together, and you have a point forward—Turner’s best position.

That translates into being able to play three different positions on the floor at any given time.

That's the definition of a threat.

Very few players are capable of doing what Turner can, but it doesn't mean anything if it doesn't end up happening on the court.

Coach Doug Collins needs to be able to rely on Turner at all times—something that he's never been able to do—and if he can, then look for Philadelphia to be an absolute threat in the East.

1. Jrue Holiday, PG

The most important Sixer that needs to have a career year is Jrue Holiday.

His success could and should lead to big results.

It's still early, but Holiday is already off to that career year.

Derek Bodner, writer for Philly's section of SB Nation, wrote an article about Holiday's play throughout the season. Bodner credits the majority of Holiday's success to his maturation over the offseason:

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Perhaps the factor that is most often overlooked, simple maturation in Holiday's skills and approach to the game cannot be emphasized enough.

Holiday came into the league at an extremely young age, the youngest in the league his rookie season, and he played well beyond what anybody could have reasonably expected during his rookie season. He then took a substantial jump during his second season, showing a quick maturation for a young player.

While Holiday took a step back during his third season, he was still only 22 years of age to start this year, far from a finished product as a basketball player. Holiday has been much more decisive so far during this season, most notably in his passing. Holiday is recognizing and reacting to situations much more quickly and instinctively, seeing openings as a passer he hasn't seen in years past.

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His maturation is coming with some growing pains. Holiday currently leads the league in turnovers, but is that too terrible considering that he's also averaging 9.5 assists per game?

Holiday is playing like a medium-risk/high-reward player right now. Give him 82 games, and if he can turn that into a low-risk/high-reward situation, then Philadelphia will reap the rewards.

A deep postseason run is always hard to come by, but the Sixers have the kind of team that can accomplish it.

Jrue Holiday is the key to it all.