A Simply In-Depth 76ers Team (as of now) Write Up
Hey r/sixers,
Yesterday u/Tieguy87 posted about leaving the perennial dumpster fire that is the Charlotte No More Kembas and joining us. I said I'd do a write up of the team to give him some info on us and figured the sub might want to read and point out some stuff I missed/should add. Warning, it's pretty long and will only get longer if I keep it updated for Korver (pls Elton).
Please excuse if I have some grammar fuck ups. I'll fix them if I come across them later. Maybe a mod could put this in the side bar for new fans to read or just for the info. Of course, it's fine if not.
###The Staff
Brett, a Pop protege and NBA Champion assistant coach with the Spurs, has been with the process from the start. Appointed during the 13-14 season with a freshly nuked roster by Sam Hinkie, he's taken his fair share of losing throughout the years. However during that losing came an amazing team culture that has been cultivated by Brown over the last six seasons. There's rarely any drama from our players and the egos are very much in check on the squad. The team gives off a big family type vibe and the whole city embraces it.
Brett uses the regular season as an extensive testing ground for the playoffs. You'll see him run things that clearly don't work over and over to see if the players can adapt to it, improve at it, or if he should literally throw that play into a flaming barrel and never use it again. In the playoffs he's proven to be much more ruthless in his decisions.
The departure of JJ Redick and Butler as well as the arrival of Richardson and Horford should see an entirely new offensive system being run this season. Previously our offense was largely based off of JJ's gravity in the regular season and Jimmy/Embiid pick and rolls in playoff crunch time.
He also has a badass New England accent with a tad bit of Australian mixed in and his favorite phrase is "you good people." Brett is an outstanding human being and you'll likely love the man he is regardless of his coaching performance.
####Elton Brand (GM)
Former Sixers Player & NBA All-Star, Elton is in his second year (and first full off-season) as the Sixers GM. He was primed for this role under the regime of Bryan "Big Collars" Colangelo. For the record, we all hate Bryan for being forced on us by the NBA (who didn't appreciate Hinkie's style of tanking and forcing him out), making some suspect basketball decisions, and running multiple burner accounts on twitter attacking current players like Embiid and defending the size of his own huge collars. Regardless, he made some good moves and getting Brand ready for the GM role was one of them.
Elton has shown a willingness to get rid of assets to win. He made two huge trades altering the direction of the franchise last season with Butler and Harris, and has shown great flexibility in salvaging the Butler situation this off-season. He's also done very well with acquiring future picks (which will be very important with our cap situation) with what little trade value we had this summer. He was also ruthless in letting go of Markelle Fultz (another of the Sixers process memes at this point). He's still a very young GM with a lot of room for growth, but he's been very solid so far in my opinion.
Josh Harris is the main owner of the 76ers. He also owns the New Jersey Devils (Disgusting) in the NHL, and a significant portion of Crystal Palace Football Club in the English Premier League. He was disliked by fans for letting the NBA essentially force out Sam Hinkie (mastermind behind the process) and put Bryan Colangelo in his place. Recently he seems to be winning some of them back by the apparent willingness to pay the luxury tax on 4 big money contracts (Embiid, Simmons, Horford, Tobias) for the next few years.
Newly appointed Ime Udoka (another Pop assistant from the Spurs) is an exciting hire for the team this season. Generally regarded as one of the best assistants in the league, Ime will undoubtedly look to follow the path of former Brett assistants Mike D'Antoni (Rockets HC), Monty Williams (Suns HC) and Lloyd Pierce (Hawks HC).
According to many, he's one of the biggest reasons the Spurs always seem to be developing great players and was Pop's right hand man over Messina (who is a great coach as well). He is one of the big man coaches in SA and likely will improve Joel's game. He's also married to Nia Long, replacing the attractiveness of our overall team lost in JJ Redick this off-season.
####Other Assistants
Kevin Young - 37 year old assistant that was promoted from the sixers G-League affiliate 3 seasons ago. Seems to be a "prospect" type coach that Brett and the others are grooming.
Joseph Blair - Former HC of the G-League champion Vipers (Rockets Affiliate) who was hired as an assistant coach this off-season while the Rockets were too busy trying to persuade the Sixers and Butler to do a sign and trade with them (LOL).
John Bryant - Another former Delaware BlueCoats coach. Was promoted to the Sixers three seasons ago with Young.
For a full list of the Sixers coaching and development staff click here.
###The Starting 5
####Joel Hans Embiid, "The Process/Hulu Has Live Sports" (Center)
Easily our star player, 25 year old Embiid started playing basketball only in his mid-teen years. Born in Cameroon, he came to the states in high school and ended up being the #3 pick in the 2014 draft. He sat out his first two years with injuries, and is entering his 4th year of NBA playing experience. He's a jokester and a troll which comes off as arrogant and dickheaded to some people. Especially the jealous ones in r/nba. However he really is a guy who respects his opposition at the end of the day and competes like the best of them. Nobody in the NBA seems to have a problem with him (other than Westbrook lol). He was an All-Star in both his 2nd and 3rd seasons. He only played 31 games his rookie year which likely lost him the ROTY.
His defense is beyond elite. Should be in DPOTY contention. He has a great post game, good mid-range, decent 3 ball (31.5% career) and is a surprisingly good ball handler for his size. His athleticism is off he charts for a guy his size. Extremely fluid and has eurosteps, dreamshakes, fadeaways, and crossovers in his arsenal as a 7'2" behemoth. He's improved every year he's been in the league and should only continue to do so with some key flaws in his game at the moment.
Areas he needs to improve is late game decision making, passing from the post (improved as year went on this past season), and getting his 3-ball up to around 35% or so. With those 3 improvements to his game he'd be virtually unguardable. The only bigs that have managed to really slow him down are Marc Gasol and Al Horford (who is now his teammate lol).
Links to Embiid's...
Story (from JJ Redick's podcast)
He's a point guard! Born in Australia, Ben was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He missed his first season with a broken foot but has been immune to injuries since then (knock on wood). He has a great relationship with Coach Brown, who coached his Father in Australia, and has known him since birth. Ben won Rookie of the Year in his rookie season and was named an All-Star in his second (tbh he was snubbed for Dragic in year one too). He has a smooth, reserved, and laid back demeanor that is sometimes mistaken as arrogance.
Ben is lowkey one of the most underrated players on the team because he doesn't shoot outside shots and some people can't see past that fact. The guy is a 6'10 Lebron-esque freight train. If you took LeBron James and told him he couldn't shoot jumpers, you'd have Ben Simmons. He is a good post player (bullies smaller guards and wings that get matched on him), an elite passer, a great to elite defender, great rebounder, and probably one of, if not the best, open court player in the entire league.
His obvious flaws are his mid-range and 3 pt shooting. I don't know if it's because of a confidence or an over-obsessed efficiency thing, but he'll need a shot to maximize his ability as a player and as a fit on any team. Besides his shot, he can improve his decision making, off ball movement, and pnr as the roller to compensate for his lack of shooting. His Free throw improved 4% from his 1st to 2nd year and he goes through month long stretches where he shoots 70%+. I can see him doing that consistently at some point.
Links to Ben's...
####Al Joel Horford, "Embiid Stopper Turned Protector" (Power Forward / Center)
Al Horford was the big name free agency signing by Elton Brand this summer. It was pretty unexpected but also an extremely exciting addition. The veteran 6'11 elite defensive big joins from the evil rival Boston Celtics to help propel the Sixers to a championship winning squad. He provides savy big man leadership that guys like Joel and Ben haven't really had in their careers so far as well as replaces some of the overall leadership lost in Jimmy and JJ.
Horford is a great fit in this Philadelphia team. He is an elite inside defender who will form an unreal front court partnership with Joel Embiid (to try and stop Giannis). He fits well with Ben as a stretch four and as a pick and pop player. He also frees up Tobias to do more ball handling at the 3 position like he was so successful with at LAC. Another plus for Horford is that he will be able to provide an adequate backup center (biggest weakness in last year's run) in the playoffs for Embiid with staggered lineups.
Some concerns are Horford's age (33) and outside shooting (Although he's a pretty good 3 pt shooter at 36% last year -- better than Jimmy and Tobias were last season for the Sixers).
Links to Horford's...
####Tobias John Harris, "Tobi" (Small Forward, Power Forward)
Tobias (26 years old) joined the Sixers from the Clippers last season in a trade deadline deal and was extended with a near max 5 year contract this season. The 6'9 Harris brings offensive versatility in spades and is a much needed fit in this Philadelphia team. He has improved his game every year he's been in the league and would have made an all-star team if he was an Eastern Conference player last season. His play-style is reminiscent of a less selfish Carmelo and he has a laid back personality.
He can create shots off the dribble, is adept at utilizing the pick and roll, can shoot the lights out from 3 (40% overall last year and 41% the year before), has a solid and strong post game, smooth pull-ups, and can attack the basket. High efficiency FT shooter at 82% for his career and around 85% his last three seasons. He can score any type of way he needs to.
His areas of improvement could be his defense. It's not that bad and his strength/height give him some advantages match up wise, but he could be better. He could improve his passing as well.
Links to Tobi's...
####Josh Michael Richardson, "J-Rich/New Jimmy"(Shooting Guard)
Acquired in a sign & trade with Miami for Jimmy Butler, Josh brings a lot of the same intangibles and attributes to the table as his trade counterpart. The 25 year old 6'6 shooting guard is entering his 5th NBA season and was drafted with the 10th pick in the 2nd round of the 2015 NBA draft. He'll be an outstanding fit in this 76ers team and, according to Miami fans, should blossom in a more structured/controlled role. In Miami he was "the guy" and it doesn't fit his style of play much. In Philadelphia he'll be an outstanding 3rd through 5th option, depending on the night. Most of my "scouting report" on Richardson is from Miami fans or articles so take this with a grain of salt.
Richardson is already arguably a better defender than Jimmy Butler and a better three point shooter. He has a versatile skill set and can do pretty much everything decently other than create his own shot / shots for others (which is why he will fit in with players like Embiid and Ben who can create tons of space/opportunities for J-Rich). He's the perfect player to be a 4th/5th option on a championship team and can occasionally get hot from 3.
From what I can tell, the weaknesses in his game are that he isn't an amazing shot creator, finisher, or play maker. He can be decent at all three but he's a much better fit not being the guy that needs to create offense by himself.
Links to Richardson's...
###The Bench
####James Michael Scott, "The Threegional Manager" (Power Forward)
Mike Scott is a badass and the backup PF (or small ball C). Acquired in the Tobias Harris trade and re-signed this off-season, he will likely start the season as the 6th man. The 6'8 forward is a decent defender with size and a knock down 3 point shooter (40%). He brings grit and toughness like nobody else on the team and is an absolute gem of a teammate. He hit some pretty clutch shots last season as well and is already loved by the Philadelphia crowd. He Ain't No Bitch, rocks the ninja tie headband, and sipped a fans beer (Jack with no ice). It's impossible to not love this dude.
Links to Scott's...
####James Alfred Ennis III, "Was that Ennis with that putback??" (Small Forward)
James Ennis III was acquired last trade deadline for a 2nd rounder and proved to be well worth the investment. He left money on the table to re-sign for the Sixers this off-season and will be a nice bench player for the rotation.
He plays with tons of energy, active competitor on D (though not the most skilled defender in the world), great on the offensive glass and will surprise you with some nice put backs and jams. He can hit some threes (35% last season) and is one of Ben's closest friends on the team apparently. His game, as pointed out by u/juiceindem, is the elite version of that old guy at your local YMCA.
Links to Ennis's...
####Zhaire Jahi-ihmi Smith, "Zhawhi/ZhAIR" (Shooting Guard / Small Forward)
Zhaire Smith is our most promising young player (not counting Ben). He's got HOPS. The 20 year old SG was draft 16th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and missed almost the entire year with an allergic reaction to sesame that created a hole in his esophagus. He was hospital ridden for months, lost most of his muscle mass, and almost died. He made his NBA debut late in the season and did not play in the playoffs.
This kid is an explosive athlete. He has ridiculous bounce and throws down some mean oops. Ben is going to have a field day passing to him. He looks to have a nice mid-range and 3 pt shot as well although we haven't seen a huge sample size at the NBA level yet. Coach Brown has compared him to a young Kawhi Leonard (Who he worked with in San Antonio). His lateral quickness is very good and he has a long wingspan. Should develop into a nice defender. He is an underrated passer too.
Links to Zhaire's...
####Matisse Vincent Thybulle, "Covington 2.0" (Shooting Guard / Small Forward)
Matisse Thybulle was the 76ers' first round pick (20th ovr) in this year's NBA Draft. He is basically a Robert Covington clone with a tad more driving skill (still not the best though). He was the best defender in the NCAA with 4 steals and 2 blocks a game. Has a very consistent FT and an average three ball. Promising upside, very well spoken/intelligent, and should fit in extremely well with the current roster as his career progresses.
Links to Thybulle's...
####Shake Benjamin Milton, "Shake 'n Bake" (Shooting Guard / Point Guard)
He looks like Chadwick Boseman mixed with Donald Glover, and he pulverized the G-League last season. The 6'6" SG/PG is a unexpected promising rookie that was drafted 54th overall in the 2018 draft. He averaged 25/5/5 last season in the G-League and signed a 4 year extension this off-season. He'll likely see some time at backup PG this year but it's too soon to tell if he's ready for it full time yet.
He seems to be able to score at every level (this is based on his G-League play however) combined with being a decent facilitator and has size to defend. He has not looked super impressive in his NBA minutes or this summer league (which looks more like an out of the ordinary slump than his talent), but it may just take him a little while to adapt his game to NBA level.
Links to Shake's...
####Backups/Prospects
Raul Neto (PG) - Brazilian who signed to a vet min this summer. Should see some time as backup PG this year. Small, high energy, crafty guard. Stats.
Kyle O'Quinn (C) - Signed to a vet min this summer. Will see ample playing time in games that Embiid or Horford are load managed in. Put up decent per 36 stats with the Pacers last year.
Jonah Bolden (C/PF) - An Australian big drafted by the Sixers in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft. He has some potential if he can figure out his defensive positioning, big fouling problem, and get a more consistent jumper from 3. He has good athleticism and has had some great games over the course of the year. However he's older (23) and may be a potential trade piece to fill a hole in the playoff rotation later on this season if he isn't showing much improvement. Stats.
Marial Shayock (SG) - Marial was a 2nd round pick of the team in this summer's draft. If Kevin Durant was not as overpowered and 6'6", he'd be Marial Shayok. Shayok looks very promising as a scorer if he can translate his game to the NBA and shot an insane 88% from the line his final college season. College Stats and highlights from Summer League. The Sixers signed him to a 2-Way Contract.
Norvel Pelle (C) - A long, athletic, shot blocking and rim crushing big. Likely won't be anything note-worthy in the NBA as he is already 26 years old, but the Sixers signed him to a 2 way contract and he could see some NBA game time with Embiid and Horford resting some games. He is an immense shot blocker (in the G-League he was DPOTY iirc) and reminds me of Nerlens Noel. Stats from G-League..
###Things To Know About The Sixers
####Future Draft Picks
The 76ers' future draft picks are listed here
####The "wtf is wrong with this franchise" stories of The Process
->Hinkie Suddenly Resigns (Fuck Adam Silver)
->Bryan Colangelo Burner accounts lmfao
->All of our 1st round rookies get injured (*knock on wood)
->Zhaire Smith almost dies (Linked above in Zhaire Smith section)
####The Frosties
Hashtag FrostyCulure - The fans get free frosties if an opponent misses all their free throws (0/2 or 0/3).
####76ers Wikipedia Page for a more in-depth history.
Posted Jul 9, 2019, 6:47 PM UTC · edited