Grading Philadelphia 76ers' Final 15-Man Roster
The Philadelphia 76ers have finalized their 15-man roster and are hoping it'll have more success than last year's 19-63 effort.
Well, who really knows? Are they actually wanting to do better?
The whole plan is a bit of a mystery. Philly obviously wants to put a team on the floor that's competitive yet still bad to the point of ending up at the bottom of the NBA. It's a strange strategy that makes the configuration of Philadelphia's roster particularly interesting.
Since the squad is clearly being built for the future, there will be something a little different with this article. Instead of only giving the current 2014-15 grade for each position, there'll also be a grade for how good the position could potentially become. It will give a look into if the right pieces are in place.
With that said, let's take a look at the Sixers' final 15-man roster as they prepare to open the season against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Center: C+
1 of 5
Projected Starter: Henry Sims
Bench: Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid
Nerlens Noel would be the clear starter at center if the Sixers had any kind of capable power forward. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and it forces him into the 4-spot and makes Henry Sims the starting center.
Still, Sims isn't a bad option after everything that took place last year.
Sims looked like his career was going to be made up of nothing more than limited bench minutes and spotty playing time until he was traded to the Sixers at last year's trade deadline. He went from averaging 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers to 11.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game when he arrived in Philly.
He deserves every opportunity at seeing the court for the majority of each game he plays in, and it'll be fun to see if he plateaued during the 2013-14 season or reached another level over the offseason.
And finally, Philadelphia fans can rejoice. After over a year off of organized basketball while recovering from a torn left ACL, Noel is healthy and ready to go. He's done a great job of showing the public that his bounce and uncanny quickness are back and better than ever.
A successful rookie season would consist of averaging around 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Combine those numbers with at least 70 games played, and he will have lived up to expectations.
The scary part will be how Philly looks after Embiid returns from injury. The Sixers will have two exceptional shot-blockers to go along with a team that's used to getting up and down the floor.
Embiid might miss the entire season for precautionary reasons, though. It could be premature to look at how good the center position will end up being.
That's still no reason to stop us from trying.
Current Grade: C+
Potential Future Grade: A
Power Forward: D-
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Projected Starter: Nerlens Noel
Bench: Brandon Davies, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, JaKarr Sampson, Malcolm Thomas
Again, Noel is technically a center, but there's a great chance of Sims starting at center, which would leave the former Kentucky product to start at power forward.
That leaves "The League of Unextraordinary Players" as the rest of the Sixers' power forwards.
It's simply amazing that Brandon Davies is still on the team. His level of effort is admirable, sure, but you still have to have a certain level of talent in order to play in the NBA.
Mbah a Moute has had a relatively steady career, as he spent his first five seasons playing for the Milwaukee Bucks while averaging at least 22.9 minutes per game. He's a defensive specialist at heart and makes up for his lack of height with a physical brand of basketball.
Sampson and Thomas ended up making the team as surprises. Both are low-risk, low-reward players with attributes that go well with Philadelphia's uptempo game.
Keeping four power forwards seems to be a bit of a stretch, as none of them scream upside; however, Noel will end up playing here to start the season, as well as when Embiid returns.
He alone would boost the grade, but Noel has already been counted among his actual position of center, therefore he's not a part of this position's score.
Current Grade: D- (considering Noel is a center)
Potential Future Grade: D
Small Forward: C-
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Projected Starter: Hollis Thompson
Bench: Chris Johnson, Jerami Grant
The amount of experience among the three small forwards on Philadelphia's roster is incredible. Hollis Thompson has played in 77 games, Chris Johnson has seen 48 and Jerami Grant is a rookie. The trio makes up Philly's lack of depth and plays a role in its exceptional athletic ability.
Thompson is 6'8" with the physical tools to be a pest on defense. He's coming off an unlikely rookie season where he started 41 games after battling to even make the team since he ended up going undrafted. There is a good chance of Thompson starting as the season gets underway, but the possibility to see the rest of the roster's youth could lower some of his minutes.
Johnson will enter the game as a scorer, whereas Grant will see the court in order to rebound and for dribble-drive protection. The two will rarely ever see the same amount of playing time in consecutive games since the Sixers won't be shy to mix up their rotations.
You can attempt to cut it up in any kind of way, but there's just not much potential for the position to improve over any length of time.
The bottom line is that Dario Saric needs to make his way over from Turkey as quickly as possible. He's the answer to all of Philadelphia's small forward questions.
Current Grade: C-
Potential Future Grade Without Saric: C
Potential Future Grade With Saric: B+
Shooting Guard: D+
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Projected Starter: Tony Wroten
Bench: K.J. McDaniels, Jason Richardson
This could go badly…
Philadelphia clearly doesn't have any shooting guards talented enough to be a starter in the league. If you're hesitant to say that, then take a look at the three names on the list and ask yourself if any of them would start on a different team.
The answer has to be a resounding no.
Tony Wroten is certainly a solid NBA player, but he's clearly better suited off the bench. He thrives in a scoring role and one in which he's the go-to guy. There's no room for that spot in the starting lineup.
Seeing an increase in production will be a virtual certainty, as there's a good chance of him playing more based on the Sixers' lack of depth. The potential of more than 24.5 minutes per game and only being 21 years old work in Wroten's favor when it comes to production.
It just might be similar to the kind you see during garbage time at the end of NBA games, though.
The Sixers look to have gotten an absolute steal in the draft by being able to secure McDaniels in the second round, but there's no guarantee as to how much he'll play in his rookie season. He has every physical tool possible and possesses the ability to use them to guard point guards through small forwards. McDaniels just doesn't have the skill set to separate himself enough to overcome the inconsistencies that come with a rookie season.
Jason Richardson's slow exit out of the NBA is still taking place. He recently suffered a stress fracture in his foot while rehabbing from last year's knee injury, and there are questions about whether he'll ever play again.
Shooting guard is definitely not one of Philadelphia's strengths. The inexperience is striking and has a great chance of leading to consistently inconsistent play.
Current Grade: D+
Potential Future Grade: C+
Point Guard: B-
5 of 5
Projected Starter: Michael Carter-Williams
Bench: Alexey Shved
This might be Philadelphia's lightest position in terms of numbers; however, it's also currently the team's strongest.
Michael Carter-Williams is an offseason removed from winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award after leading all rookies in points, rebounds, assists and steals. His performance was nothing short of fantastic, especially considering the fact that he was the No. 11 pick in the draft.
Unfortunately, Carter-Williams will be starting his second season on the bench as he recovers from surgery on his right shoulder. There's no clear timetable for his return, but there have been reports of him being cleared to practice as early as November 6. Whether he plays soon after is up in the air.
Shved is a unique player with the potential to be an excellent addition off the bench. His 6'6" frame is nearly identical to Carter-Williams', but he plays the game of basketball in a completely different way.
Shved is a shoot-first player with the ability to play either guard spot. He thrives in transition and has taken nearly half of his shots throughout his career from behind the three-point line. The Sixers are going to look for his defensive game to improve as it's what the team will benefit from most, but having any kind of production off the bench will be more than useful.
There's certainly some long-term potential among Philadelphia's point guards. Carter-Williams needs to successfully recover from his injury in order to continue to play healthy, and Shved has to shoot with more efficiency while playing better defense.
If both take place, then the Sixers could have locked down one of the tougher positions to fill.
Current Grade: B-
Potential Future Grade: B+
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