With 2020-2021 NBA season starting up in less than a month, team training camps are set to begin on December 1st. The 76ers have made some changes to their roster since draft night to help their two young cornerstones. Daryl Morey, Elton Brand, and Doc Rivers put together a roster with more spacing, shooting, and ball handling. During training camp, there will be a lot that Rivers and the front office have to figure out regarding rotations. Take a look at my initial predictions on who makes the opening day roster and possible rotations.

Let’s start with the roster as it stands:

G/F Ben Simmons
C Joel Embiid
F Tobias Harris
C Tony Bradley
G/F Ryan Broekhoff
G Seth Curry
C Dwight Howard
G Isaiah Joe
G/F Furkan Korkmaz
G Tyrese Maxey
G Shake Milton
G Danny Green
G/F Terrance Ferguson
F Paul Reed (2-Way G-League)
F Matisse Thybulle
F Mike Scott
G/F Justin Anderson
G Derrick Walton Jr.
G/F Dakota Mathias (2-Way G-League)

There can only be 15 players on an NBA roster with 13 active each game, so there will be some competitions on who makes the roster and what their roles will be. Reed and Mathias are already designated for the G-League and at maximum 45 days in the NBA. Let’s look at my prediction for the starters:

G/F Ben Simmons
G Seth Curry
G Danny Green
F Tobias Harris
C Joel Embiid

I went back and forth with the idea of Shake Milton or Matisse Thybulle starting over either Curry or Green. I listened to Daryl Morey’s interview regarding Curry being the “gravity” shooter that the team lacked since the departure of JJ Redick. He also mentioned when Embiid and Simmons were surrounded by shooting in the past, they flourished. Having a vet 3&D wing on the court would add the necessary shooting to open things up for Ben and Joel.

Rotation Players (Guaranteed minutes)

C Dwight Howard
G Shake Milton
F Matisse Thybulle
G Tyrese Maxey
G Furkan Korkmaz

Dwight Howard will be Embiid’s back up and start when Joel gets his planned rest. This is by far the best back up the Sixers have had behind Joel. It will be interesting to see how Simmons plays with a big who is a lob threat but not floor spacer. Shake Milton has a chance to start but I think ultimately he will be the ball handler and run the offense when Simmons is resting. Shake will be given the keys to run the second unit and will serve well in that role. Matisse’s minutes will be predicated on how well he shoots the 3-pointer. His defense will get him on the floor but his shooting will keep him on the floor. If Matisse can improve his catch and shoot 3-point percentage, he has a chance to possibly overtake Green as a starter. Tyrese Maxey will get his chance to be a shot creator and ball handler for the second unit. Doc usually doesn’t play too many rookies unless they are an impact player (i.e Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). I’d also love to see Maxey in pick and roll action with Embiid. Korkmaz has earned some rotation minutes after his improvement last season. He was the only knock down shooter the Sixers really had on the roster. The downfall of playing Korkmaz is if he isn’t hitting his shots, he won’t be able to stay on the floor due to his lack of defense.

Fringe Rotation Players (Less than 10 mins per game, unless there is an injury)

F Mike Scott
C Tony Bradley
G Isaiah Joe
G/F Terrance Ferguson
G/F Justin Anderson

Out of these five players, only three will be active on game day. Those three will more than likely be Scott, Joe, and Ferguson. Mike Scott is one of my favorite Sixers but he seemed to have fallen out of the rotation for Brett Brown at the end of the season. Scott could overtake Korkmaz for rotation minutes in Doc’s system because he is a former Clipper and veteran. They drafted Isaiah Joe because they really like his deep range and shooting ability. Doc will give the kid some chances but I don’t see him playing a ton of mins. Ferguson will get a handful for minutes based off of his athleticism and defense alone.

Derrick Walton Jr. and Ryan Broekhoff will be camp guys but I don’t think they will make the final roster. They could end up with the Delaware Blue Coats, but could leave themselves available to sign with another NBA Team.

Some lineups I would like to see other than the starting lineup:

Embiid, Curry, Green, Milton, Harris – Could be the best shooting lineup the Sixers put on the floor surrounding Embiid.

Simmons, Maxey, Green, Thybulle, Embiid- This defensive lineup could have the potential to be suffocating.

Milton, Maxey, Harris, Korkmaz, Howard- Lots of pick and roll action, something Sixers fans haven’t seen during the Brett Brown era.

Look out for more regarding our beloved Sixers as we get closer to the season.

Draft Night for the 76ers started out with a bang! A few hours before the draft kicked off, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand started making moves. The Sixers traded Al Horford, 2025 1^st round draft pick, 2020 2^nd round draft pick (34^th overall), and the rights to European PG Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder for SG Danny Green and SG Terrance Ferguson. I know Twitter sang the song of many who rejoiced in Horford trade. Horford isn’t a bad NBA player; he just didn’t fit with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Those guys need spacing and he just didn’t provide that. This trade wasn’t just about fit but it was about financial flexibility for the future. The Sixers already had three max contracts on the books with Simmons, Embiid, and Harris. Horford was owed 80 million dollars over the next three years and that put the Sixers in a salary cap bind for a team that was not working. Green and Ferguson’s combined salary is only 19 million and could come off the books next year. Green is a veteran with championship experience, who can stretch the floor for the team. Morey worked his magic to not only save money on the books but get some shooting around Philly’s two young cornerstones.

Tyrese Maxey picked with the 21^st overall pick

Watching the first round unfold, it began to look like the Sixers would get “their” guy. Almost all the guys they had on their draft board were available when they were on the clock. The Sixers selected 6’3 SG Tyrese Maxey from the University of Kentucky. When writing my preview, I didn’t have Maxey on my shortlist because I thought he would be drafted within the Top-15 picks. Historically Kentucky has produced great guards under Head Coach John Calipari and Maxey has a chance to live up to those expectations. Maxey averaged 14 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.2 apg during his only season with the Wildcats. He is a 3-level scorer with a high defensive motor. His 3-point percentage could use some improvement (29.2%) but he can get a bucket. He is a shot creator/ball handler that the Sixers can grow into something special.  He also needs to improve his shot selection, which was partially due to the role Coach Calipari had him in. Having guys like Ben and Joel creating open looks for him will help increase his 3-point percentage. He will have a chance to carve out a role right away as a scorer. Check out some of his highlights below:

Seth Curry Traded to the Sixers for Josh Richardson

During the second round of the NBA Draft, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand made another move to help surround its young stars with more shooting. The Sixers traded SG Josh Richardson and the 36^th pick in the draft to the Dallas Mavericks for SG Seth Curry. Some may say the team paid “too much” for Curry, but you can’t overpay for better fit and shooting. Josh Richardson never really got his footing here. He was often injured and didn’t really provide the offensive spark we thought he would. Defensively, he lived up to expectations but just wasn’t consistent enough. Seth Curry will be brining the shooting the team lacked when JJ Reddick departed for New Orleans. Curry is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter and connected on 45 percent of his attempts last season with the Mavericks (3^rd in the NBA). Curry also is a good on ball defender and won’t get abused on defense. Side Note: Seth Curry will be playing for his Father-In-Law Doc Rivers in Philadelphia.

Sixers select Isaiah Joe 49^th overall

Leading up to the draft, there had been rumors that the Sixers promised a player they would draft them with the 21^st or 34^th overall pick. As things began to uncover, it was confirmed that Isaiah Joe from Arkansas was the player they promised to take. After trading their early second round picks, they were still able to get Joe 49^th overall. The 76ers were very high on Joe as a shooter as he had range in college. Joe’s shooting numbers dipped his senior year, but he still has a lot of upside as a shooter. He put up 9.1 3-pointers a game his last two seasons, which is a high volume of shots. Joe’s stature has caused some concerns for NBA teams. He’s 6’5 and weighs 175 pounds. That puts him at a disadvantage on defense when he first joins the league. If he continues to fill out his frame and can maintain reliability as a spot up shooter, he will carve out a role in Philadelphia.

Sixers Select Paul Reed 58^th overall

With their final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the 76ers selected DePaul PF Paul Reed. He’s a crafty offensive forward who can finish well at the rim. He has some upside as a shooter but that isn’t necessarily his strong suit. He is also a versatile defender who can switch on to guard in the pick and roll. This late in the draft, the team decided to take a flier on the potential of Reed. He will more than likely be a 2-way guy, spending time with the Delaware Blue Coats in the GLeague.

Overall, it was a great night for Morey, Brand, and the 76ers. They began reshaping the roster to really make life easier for their two young stars. They also were able to get Al Horford’s contract off the books and gain some financial flexibility immediately and in the future. I’m interested to see what other moves they make when free agency begins Friday evening at 6PM.

It seems like it was yesterday when the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned NBA Champions in October. A month earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. A lot has happened since the Sixers have left the “bubble”. Brett Brown was fired and replaced by Doc Rivers. The Sixers also hired former Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey. Now here we are with the 2020 NBA Draft coming up on November 18^th and the season kicking off on December 22^nd. It is time to take a look at who the Sixers are expected to draft when they are on the clock.

The Sixers have the 21^st pick in the draft which was originally the pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a top 20 protected pick apart of the trade that sent Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic. Let’s take a look at some prospects who could be on the board when the Sixers are drafting:

Tyrell Terry- PG Stanford

My previous post about how I would fix the Sixers highlighted Terry. He is a 6’1 guard who is an elite shooter. He can shoot well off the dribble, the catch, and contested. Terry reminds me of the role that Landry Shamet once had on this team before he was traded to the Clippers in the Tobias Harris trade. He averaged 14.6 PPG with 40.1% 3-point shooting. He made plays for his team but was a defensive liability at times when guarding bigger guards. He is only 165 pounds so he could have trouble defending in the NBA. I think the upside and his shooting is something the Sixers would really need to take a chance on. He could be a contributor right away to a roster that needs spacing.

Cole Anthony- PG North Carolina

A year ago, many scouts were convinced Cole Anthony, son of former NBA point guard Greg Anthony, would be a top-5 pick in this year’s draft. He had an underwhelming season at North Carolina due to injury and some mediocre play. Anthony averaged 18.5 ppg and 4 apg in his lone season in Chapel Hill. Anthony is 6’3 with great scoring ability and can put pressure on the defense by attacking the rim. He has great instincts in the pick and roll and can also shoot off the dribble and off the catch. Some say he can be too aggressive, which sometimes lead to careless turnovers. He has also showed some good defensive instincts. He fights over screens and has good help defense IQ. His role with the Sixers would include being the main scoring threat off the bench and providing spacing when he is on the floor with Simmons/Embiid. He could grow into the main ball handler and shot creator which is the exact type of player the Sixers need.

Desmond Bane- SG TCU

Bane was considered one of the best shooters in the country last year and has that same reputation amongst all the draft eligible players. He averaged almost 17 ppg as a senior, while shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc. His 6’6 frame allowed him to shoot over defenders on offense and to be a willing defender on defense. He runs the floor well and can create for others when he is placed into a role where he is handling the ball. Bane is not too shifty or explosive but uses some craftiness to get a bucket. He could play a good role on the Sixers as a flat-out knockdown shooter. He could play a lot of two-man game with Embiid, which could open both players up for open looks.

The Sixers struck gold with Matisse Thybulle in last year’s draft. Let’s hope they can do the same this year if they still have the pick. With Daryl Morey at the helm, you can expect the unexpected.