Philadelphia 76ers Power Rankings: Rating Every Sixer Near Season's Midpoint
The Philadelphia 76ers' roster is undoubtedly the NBA's most unknown. So far this season, the Sixers have doled out minutes to 17 players, with several anonymous D-League talents shuffled on and off of the 15-man roster as the team has attempted to find diamonds in the rough.
However, even recognizable names like Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams have disappointed in the midst of a 4-28 start that has the Sixers occupying the Eastern Conference cellar.
So as the midway point of the 2014-15 season approaches, it's time to rank each player on the team's roster and see how they stack up in relation to one another.
But as you flip through the list of eligible candidates, keep a few things in mind: Players were ranked solely on their performance during the present campaign, meaning complete bodies of work were not considered.
Additionally, players received numerical rankings based on how they've performed relative to expectations, which is why Carter-Williams and Noel slid back a few spots and unproven youngsters like K.J. McDaniels and Robert Covington vaulted toward the top.
No. 15-11: Injured Players and Recent Acquisitions
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15. Andrei Kirilenko
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Andrei Kirilenko in a December trade with the Brooklyn Nets, but the Russian wing has yet to suit up for Brett Brown's club as he deals with a family medical issue.
However, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, "The Sixers want Kirilenko to start working his way back into playing condition and eventually be activated to play in games. Ultimately, this could set up the opportunity for Philadelphia to either deal Kirilenko for an asset at the NBA’s February trade deadline or let him reclaim his market value for free agency this summer."
With no resolution to this saga on the horizon, we wouldn't expect to see Kirilenko on the floor at the Wells Fargo Center any time soon.
14. Joel Embiid
No. 3 overall pick Joel Embiid isn't expected to play this season as he recovers from a stress fracture to the navicular bone in his right foot. In a similar situation as Nerlens Noel a season ago, Embiid is simply learning the ropes of the professional game from afar as he preps for a 2015-16 debut.
13. Jason Richardson
Out of professional action since the conclusion of the 2012-13 season due to chronic knee problems, Jason Richardson may finally be close to a return, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears.
"Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson told Yahoo Sports he expects to return to the court in late January after being sidelined for nearly two years," Spears wrote on Dec. 31.
If Richardson returns, it remains to be seen how many minutes are thrown his way as Brown seeks to hone the skills of his younger players.
12. Malcolm Thomas
Reacquired by the Sixers when the team waived Ronny Turiaf following a three-way trade with the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves that netted Philadelphia a second-round pick, Malcolm Thomas has appeared in eight games during the 2014-15 campaign.
Waived back in early November, Thomas has received nominal rotational playing time after making five early-season appearances of little consequence.
11. Furkan Aldemir
Signed to a four-year, $12 million deal that released him from his Turkish club back in December, Furkan Aldemir has battled a plantar fascia injury and generally struggled assimilating to the NBA game.
As was the case with Thomas, it would be unfair to completely judge Aldemir on a six-game sample that's seen him total nine points and 20 rebounds.
10. JaKarr Sampson
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It's been a strange ride for undrafted rookie JaKarr Sampson, who's oscillated between starting wing and rotational afterthought.
Starter of seven games so far this season, Sampson appeared to be stealing valuable minutes from K.J. McDaniels, who's spent the majority of the season's first trimester coming off the bench.
However, head coach Brett Brown may be changing his mind for the better.
During Friday's 112-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns, McDaniels earned just his second start of the season while Sampson played a mere two minutes, scoring two points on two shots.
With a player efficiency rating (6.3) that ranks as the worst among players on the 15-man roster, per Basketball-Reference.com, and a broken jump shot (40.8 percent from the field, 19.2 percent from three) that's fueling those inefficiencies, don't be surprised if Sampson appears on the D-League radar as the Sixers seek to make mid-season roster adjustments.
9. Jerami Grant
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At 6'8'' and 210 pounds, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jerami Grant has been tasked with using tremendous bursts of energy to compensate for his lack of bulk and height.
Playing 58 percent of his minutes at the 3 and another 21 percent at the 4, per Basketball-Reference.com, Grant has made his hay in the restricted area as a second-chance opportunist and feisty rebounder.
Despite shooting an unthinkably poor 26.6 percent from the field, Grant has flashed promise to the tune of per-36 averages of 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals, according to Basketball-Reference.
Developing any semblance of a jump shot below the free-throw line would allow Grant to operate more competently as a face-up weapon or with his back to the basket, but that sort of progress is likely years—not months—away.
8. Hollis Thompson
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Dealing with an upper respiratory infection that's sidelined him for the Philadelphia 76ers' last six games, Hollis Thompson has been forced to watch from afar as Robert Covington has usurped his role as the team's three-point marksman.
Projected as the team's primary perimeter threat prior to the season, Thompson hasn't been able to live up to his prime-time billing after leading all rookies in three-point field-goal percentage (40.1 percent) last season.
With Thompson now shooting just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc this season, the Sixers are attempting to tinker with his release to make him a more lethal knockdown shooter, according to Liberty Ballers' Derek Bodner:
"At first it's like 'I don't want anybody messing with my shot,'" Thompson said, per Bodner. "But at the end of the day, they know what they're doing, and I do need to find ways to get my shot off quicker and faster. So I just have to work on it and push through."
Largely dependent upon catch-and-shoot opportunities to damage opposing defenses, Thompson will need to work out the kinks in his jumper quickly in order to retain a significant rotational role with Covington and K.J. McDaniels rapidly emerging on the wing.
7. Luc Mbah a Moute
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Luc Mbah a Moute has been a valuable defensive teacher for a team starved of reliable veteran presences. That said, Mbah a Moute's numbers are still underwhelming in the grand scheme of things.
Viewed through the prism of Philadelphia's futility, they're admittedly respectable. According to Basketball-Reference.com, the 28-year-old ranks second on the team in defensive win shares (0.8) while holding opponents to 35.7 percent shooting on attempts outside of 15 feet, per NBA.com. That's 2.6 percent better than the league average to date.
However, Mbah a Moute has struggled as the team's primary defender against the game's most lethal scoring weapons. Case in point: Mbah a Moute has allowed Kevin Durant, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to shoot 62.5, 84.6 and 70.0 percent from the field, respectively, when he's operated as their primary defender, per NBASavant.com.
There's also the matter of Mbah a Moute's anemic offensive performance.
According to NBA.com, the Sixers have been 7.5 points better per 100 offensive possessions with the seven-year vet off the floor. During the minutes he's been operating at the two forward spots, the Sixers have recorded an offensive rating of 87.4, which would easily be the worst mark in league history, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
6. Nerlens Noel
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At this point, there's no reason to sugarcoat it: Nerlens Noel has struggled as he's adapted to the professional game.
While his length and pure athleticism have helped buoy him to a degree, Noel hasn't been able to compensate for a 228-pound frame and limited offensive arsenal.
Entering his rookie season, the primary concern regarding Noel's game related to his inability to defend more powerful, bulkier centers. To date, those concerns have been validated by some concerning numbers.
Playing more than 90 percent of his minutes at center, Noel has ceded a player efficiency rating of 23.1 to opposing 5s, according to 82games.com. Comparatively, Noel has mustered a PER of 10.0 when playing in the middle.
Shooting 18.2 percent on shots outside of 16 feet, per NBA.com, Noel has struggled to discover a go-to offensive move. However, as CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam reports, Noel is developing confidence in his left-handed floater despite being right-handed.
"I think it is interesting that he likes his left hand, that he feels comfortable with it," head coach Brett Brown said of Noel's left hand, per Lynam. "If you asked him what his go-to move would be, he would say that left floater."
But we'll leave on a high note, because it hasn't been all doom and gloom for Noel.
Already a tremendous shot-blocking force, Noel is limiting opponents to 54.2 percent shooting inside of six feet, 6.4 percent below the league average, per NBA.com. Capable of casting a long shadow thanks to a 7'4'' wingspan, Noel is living up to his billing as a disruptive presence above the rim.
5. Michael Carter-Williams
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Even with Rookie of the Year hardware on his mantle, there's no reason to give Michael Carter-Williams preferential treatment.
Although per-game averages of 15.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds suggest Carter-Williams is on course to join exclusive company, those numbers are inflated by the fact that the 23-year-old floor general is one of the few capable ball-handlers on Philadelphia's roster.
Despite seeing his usage rate increase by nearly two points compared to last season, per Basketball-Reference.com, Carter-Williams' efficiency rating has plummeted to 11.4 from 15.5.
Additionally, Carter-Williams is one of four players—including Kemba Walker, Kobe Bryant and DeMar DeRozan—shooting worse than 40 percent from the field despite attempting more than 15 field goals per game, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
As he is currently shooting a cringe-worthy 20.0 percent from mid-range and 24.3 percent from three, it's going to take some serious formulaic reform in order for Carter-Williams to nudge his way into respectable offensive territory.
4. Henry Sims
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Surprised? You shouldn't be.
On a team where consistency is an elusive concept, Henry Sims has emerged as one of the Philadelphia 76ers' few constants.
And while it's hardly the most impressive feat, Sims is on pace to join a group of 16 qualified players averaging better than 10 points and five rebounds while shooting at least 50 percent from the field, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Also one of the team's few competent mid-range shooters, Sims has banged home 45.8 percent of his looks between 16 feet and the three-point line while converting another 45.7 percent of his attempts between 10 and 16 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com.
With Alexey Shved out of the picture, Sims now owns the team's highest player efficiency rating (15.7) as well, which is a nice achievement for the 24-year-old big.
3. K.J. McDaniels
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Let's start with the good: K.J. McDaniels has validated the hype surrounding his massive athletic ceiling. In fact, he leads all rookies with 1.5 blocks per game, one spot ahead of teammate Nerlens Noel.
Furthermore, the Sixers are a noticeably more competent team with McDaniels on the floor. Specifically, the Sixers are 5.9 points better per 100 possessions with McDaniels operating as a bounty hunter of airborne basketballs, per NBA.com.
And while the Sixers' offense is 2.7 points better per 100 possessions with McDaniels on the perimeter, his individual numbers don't reflect a particularly significant impact.
Specifically, McDaniels' three-point shooting has regressed well beyond the mean. After knocking down a surprising 39.5 percent of his triples in November, the second-round pick made good on a meager 18.2 percent of his three-point attempts in December.
Considering pull-up jumpers comprise just 13.4 percent of McDaniels' offensive portfolio and he's hitting them at a sub-25 percent clip, per NBA.com, he'll remain a partial liability until the threes start to fall again.
2. Tony Wroten
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Tony Wroten has a legitimate case for the No. 1 spot, but scoring inefficiencies and turnover problems dropped him to No. 2.
Despite being one of 16 players to average at least 17 points and five assists this season, per Basketball-Reference.com, Wroten is shooting at just a 41.7 percent clip overall. Fortunately, his three-point conversion rate has ticked up by nearly 8 percent, which has helped steady his player efficiency rating (15.3).
But here's the dark side: Wroten is turning the ball over four times per game, joining teammate Michael Carter-Williams as the only other player to meet that futile threshold this season, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
What's worse is that Wroten's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.3 ranks as the second-worst among all qualified players, ahead of only Pau Gasol, per ESPN.com. That's also the worst mark among guards.
While the aggressive rack attacks are certainly appreciated in times of offensive strife, Wroten's recklessness has contributed to the team's league-worst turnover mark of 19.1 per game.
1. Robert Covington
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It would hardly be a stretch to call Robert Covington the Philadelphia 76ers' steadiest scorer.
Since joining the team in mid-November, he has shot the rock at a team-best 43.5 percent from beyond the arc, drilling 2.2 of his 5.0 three-point attempts per game.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Covington is one of six players—including Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver and Kevin Durant—shooting better than 43 percent from deep while attempting at least five triples per game.
What's even more impressive is that Covington has drilled the same number of threes (42) over the past 15 games as Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, per NBA.com's Max Rappaport.
Averaging 12.1 points while posting a player efficiency rating that sits right at the league average (15.0), he has helped the Sixers record an offensive rating of 95.4 during his 588 minutes on the floor, per NBA.com. With Covington off the floor, the team's efficiency rating sits 8.5 points lower.
As a result, it's no surprise that he has started nearly half (11) of his games since arriving in the City of Brotherly Love, playing 25.6 minutes per night.
Firmly entrenched as Philadelphia's most lethal outside shooter, Covington has easily been the team's most pleasant surprise this season.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and current as of Jan. 4 unless noted otherwise.
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