Final Regular-Season Grades for Every Philadelphia 76ers Player
The end of the 2014-15 NBA year is almost here, and we are able to give the final regular-season grades for every player on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Let's be honest here: This was the kind of year that seemed as if it would never end.
Philly started the year out with an 0-17 record (still hard to believe). There was clearly never a chance to make the postseason. It truly got to the point where the upcoming draft became more important than the outcome of the Sixers' next game.
These kind of things make an 82-game season feel even longer.
Still though, anyone who said they would wait to pay attention until after the season missed out on some incredible growth. Philadelphia lost a lot of basketball games, but it also played in an amazing amount of fun ones.
Sure, it still wasn't the most talented team. It was still an entertaining one nonetheless.
Here's a look at the final regular-season grades for those who made it fun to watch the 18-62 Sixers.
The Rest of the Reserves
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Jerami Grant
Grant turned into a weapon on both ends of the floor, as he could knock down an open three and was often tasked with guarding the opposition's best wing.
He has all the attributes to become a valuable role player down the line.
Grade: B+
JaKarr Sampson
Sampson beat out Nerlens Noel for best hair on the team and managed to fit in nicely, as he was above-average in every area of the game.
Grade: B-
Sims is the ultimate professional. He went through multiple games where he didn't see the floor, only to play 15-20 minutes in the next contest.
It takes a special kind of person to willingly accept that role.
Grade: B-
Philadelphia was Robinson's fourth team in three NBA seasons, but his 8.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game are both career bests.
The Sixers would be wise to hold on to him during the upcoming free-agency period.
Grade: B+
Furkan Aldemir
Aldemir must prove that he can do something more than rebound in order to have a long-term spot in the NBA.
His level of effort was right among the team's best, though.
Grade: C-
Glenn Robinson III
Robinson III only saw significant time in three games this year. He never really got the chance to prove anything during his minutes.
Grade: D+
Wroten was playing the best basketball of his career until he tore his ACL and had to undergo surgery. It'll be exciting to see him back on the court once he gets healthy.
Grade Before Injury: B
Embiid's future rests on his overall health. The talent is there, but it means nothing if he can't get onto the court.
At least we have his Twitter profile in the meantime, though.
Grade: N/A
Personality: League's Best
Key Reserve: Hollis Thompson
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Hollis Thompson is still a bit of a mystery.
He has flashes of looking like a legitimate pro. He prefers to float on the perimeter more than his 6'8" frame would suggest, but he manages to make it work.
Thompson rarely turns the ball over, and a 40.4 three-point percentage on 3.9 attempts per game proves that he can shoot the ball with consistency.
There are just parts of his game that work.
Then there are those that don't.
Watch any film on Thompson and you'll see how long his body is at shooting guard. He's usually a matchup problem for the opposition, but it manages to go both ways. Defending is the furthest thing from one of his strengths, and he has the tendency to look lazy while guarding the ball.
It could be a result of his one-speed play, but it still doesn't work in his favor.
He'll continue to have a future if he can keep shooting the long ball at a 40 percent clip. It'll be tough for him otherwise.
Grade: C+
Sixth Man: Isaiah Canaan
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Isaiah Canaan is an all-or-nothing type of player.
There will be times when he puts up lines like he did in a 118-123 overtime loss on March 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists, including an 8-of-13 three-point shooting night. And there will be other moments where he has three points, two assists and a rebound on 1-of-12 shooting. Exactly what happened in a March 22, 87-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Canaan's performances resemble a roller coaster more than a highway, and it's difficult to predict his future.
He can shoot from anywhere on the floor, his 1.8 turnovers in 25.9 minutes per game are incredibly low and an 84.6 free-throw percentage leads the team.
The problem is that he doesn't have an attribute that shines when he competes. He plays more like a 6'0" shooting guard than a floor general, and that isn't what the Sixers need.
Canaan played well during his 22 games with Philly; there's no denying that. It just feels like he left some questions unanswered as the season comes to a close—his future being one of them.
Grade: B-
Point Guard: Ish Smith
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Ish Smith is almost always the smallest player on the floor. You just wouldn't know it with how he plays.
He manages to get into the paint in a variety of ways, and he specializes in attacking off the pick-and-roll. His smaller stature doesn't limit his ability to finish around the basket, either, as he's shooting 45.1 percent within 10 feet of the basket.
CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam wrote an article about Nerlens Noel's on-court relationship with the 6'0", 175-pound point guard. Noel highlights Smith's biggest strength better than anyone else can.
"I love that kid," Noel said. "He finds me whenever I am open. He is the first true point guard I have ever played with, and he says I am the first alley-oop big man he's played with. I think we complement each other. He's my favorite."
That's right, the first true point guard. Those words shouldn't be as much of a knock against people like Canaan or Michael Carter-Williams as they should be a compliment to Smith.
He plays the point guard position in a traditional sense, and it helps people like Noel thrive.
The Sixers are Smith's ninth team in five NBA seasons. It's an incredibly high number, but one that could have hit its limit if he showed Philadelphia enough to stick around.
Grade: B
Shooting Guard: Jason Richardson
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Just seeing Jason Richardson play again has been special enough.
There were rumors about him having to retire after he suffered a stress fracture in his foot while recovering from a knee surgery. He somehow found the miracle cure or everything came together for the 13-year veteran, as he overcame all of his troubles and suited up for the first time in over a year.
Richardson might have been a step slow when he did finally play, but he managed to hold on to his shooting skills during the long break. His 32.3 three-point percentage was more than serviceable for a guy who has shot 5.1 per game.
Nothing he does will blow people away like it used to, but he's playing in NBA games.
That's more than enough for him.
He has brought a veteran attitude along with a love for the game, and it has shined in his time on and off the court this season.
Grade: C+
Small Forward: Robert Covington
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Robert Covington is one of the NBA's best-kept secrets, and it'll be fun to hear people ask about him once the Sixers become relevant to the rest of the NBA community.
It's easy to see how he's flown under the radar.
He only played in seven games with the Houston Rockets last year with stints in the NBA Development League as well. It wasn't big news when Philadelphia decided to sign him, because it seems like the Sixers have tried to sign every no-name player over the past two years.
His arrival in Philly began slowly, but he eventually took off, as he's ending the year as the Sixers' leading scorer with 13.2 points per game.
Covington is easily the most offensively versatile player on the roster as well. He can shoot from deep, slash to the basket or go to the post and expose a mismatch. He's like a poor man's Kevin Durant.
And I only say "poor man" because, who's going to really live up to Durant?
Covington's worth is extended even more based on his ability to defend. He's no slouch on the ball or in help side with his 1.4 steals per game.
The eventual arrival of Dario Saric and any possible draft picks puts Covington's true future with the Sixers on hold. The team has made it clear that he is in its plans. It just hasn't said in what way.
Grade: A-
Power Forward: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
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It's easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of NBA basketball. The high-flying dunks, ankle-breaking crossovers and no-look passes are all fun, and they warrant the attention they receive.
There's just another side of the game, too. It's one that doesn't see much camera time but is necessary for a team to both function and win basketball games.
That aspect would be toughness, and it's exactly what Luc Richard Mbah a Moute embodies.
He takes on one of the most difficult defensive tasks on a nightly basis by playing the power forward position at only 6'8", 230 pounds. He might be outsized, but Mbah a Moute does his best to turn the game into a battle of physical strength and mind games.
It helps to neutralize any disadvantage caused by height.
His 9.9 points per game look better than they are, considering he's only shooting 39.5 percent from the field. He's still managing to expand in certain areas, though, as Mbah a Moute is averaging five times as many three-pointers per game than he has in any season of his career—he's connecting on 30.7 percent of them.
It's definitely progress.
This slide wouldn't be complete if we didn't mention his character, either.
If his toughness wasn't enough this season, then his support for Embiid during an incredibly difficult personal moment early in the year should be enough to win anybody over.
He's everything a veteran should be.
Grade: C+
Center: Nerlens Noel
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What more could we have asked for from Nerlens Noel?
His defensive numbers are elite for a seasoned veteran, let alone a rookie. There aren't many other players who can average 1.9 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. It's evidenced by Noel being the only person in the NBA who's in the top 10 of both categories.
His energy level has also boosted his scoring and rebounding numbers near the end of the year.
Noel averaged 7.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 29.8 minutes during the month of November. Those numbers jumped to a staggering 14.3 points and 11.2 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game during all of March. Seeing a double-double out of him surprisingly turned into a regular occurrence.
On top of everything, he has played in 75 of the team's 80 games thus far. Durability was a major concern after the fragile-looking Noel tore his left ACL during a college game in February 2013.
The Sixers took a serious risk by trading All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the No. 6 pick, which was used to select Noel.
Luckily, there isn't an aspect about the risk that wasn't rewarded.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote an article about how Noel has turned into exactly what the Sixers need. Coach Brett Brown spoke about the rookie's next step, and his transition to power forward with Joel Embiid's return.
"There is a little bit of pain with him at the 4," Brown said. "I'm getting a clearer picture of how we can make it work better. But clearly there is a development...issue now with Nerlens that we have to work on over the summer. I'm excited for that."
The former Kentucky product also talked about what he expects out of his second year.
"I see myself developing my game and being able to step out and hit the jump shot and stretch the floor out," Noel said. "I see myself being able to be an elite forward in this league and being able to play both positions. I want to be a versatile player that can be able to do many things on the court."
Noel has had a spectacular season, and he is definitely set for an incredibly bright future if he's able to stay healthy.
There are few young big men with his kind of promise, and Philadelphia is lucky to have him.
Grade: A
Zachary Arthur is a Featured Columnist for the Sixers on Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @Zach_ArthurSLC for thoughts on everything basketball.
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