Q: What is the primary goal of this season, besides tanking and hopefully getting nice lottery pick(s)?
A: The main goal of the season is to develop and evaluate talent. In some cases, with players like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, the season will be about developing their skill sets and getting them valuable on-court and leadership experience. In other cases, the team will be evaluating players for potential future fit. This is where guys like Kendall Marshall, JaKarr Sampson, Hollis Thompson, and new-comers like T.J. McConnell and Christian Wood will be looking to prove that they can contribute to the franchise moving forward.
Q: After Embiid, Noel, Okafor and Covington, who is the most member of the Sixers?
As far as long-term fit, the most important Sixer could very well not even be on the team yet, as the team’s restructuring process is far from complete. For the 2015-16 season, I would say the most important Sixer behind Noel, Okafor, and Covington is Nik Stauskas. The Sixers got Stauskas on the cheap after an inconsistent rookie season, and Philadelphia provides a great opportunity for Stauskas. He has the potential to be an elite shooter in the league, and if he is able to capitalize on that potential than he could be a huge weapon for the Sixers down the line. It will be very interesting to see how he performs with his new team this season.
Q: What is Brett Brown's future with the Sixers?
A: Brett Brown has done everything asked of him throughout the rebuilding process, and has gotten the most out of a structurally over-matched lineup. The players like him and seem to respond well to him as well. He is in no risk of losing his job this year, regardless of record. Unforeseen events aside, I would expect him to finish out his four-year contract with the team, and in my opinion, he deserves a re-up after that. It would be nice to see what he could do with some real talent and depth at his disposal. In short, I expected Brett to be on the sideline for the Sixers for at least the near future.
Q: What is the deal with Dario Saric? Will he ever be a Sixer?
It is somewhat difficult to predict, but I expect Saric to join the Sixers next summer. He is on record saying that he wants to, and expects to join the team next summer, and at that time he will be able to walk away from his Turkish contract. He was recently voted the best international player not currently in the NBA by the league’s GMs, and with his versatile skill-set I expect him to be able to contribute in one way or another almost immediately upon joining the Sixers.
Q: What do you think is the solution to point guard for the Sixers? Is there anyone they should target in the upcoming draft?
A: There is no clear-cut answer to the Sixers’ point guard situation currently, but it is something that the team certainly needs to address as it builds back into a contender. The team’s starting point of the future is not currently on the roster, so it will have to come either through the draft or free agency. There is no shortage of stellar point guards in today’s NBA, and the Sixers certainly have the cap space and asset-base to potentially make a move. As far as the draft is concerned, with four potential first round picks it is very possible that the Sixers will target and select a point guard. Jamal Murray and Kris Dunn are a couple names to keep an eye on.
Q: What are your thoughts on how Noel and Okafor will work together through the season?
A: There will likely be some growing pains between Noel and Okafor, as they are both learning the NBA game, but there is real potential for a solid duo there. Noel is obviously a dominant defender while Okafor is more of an offensive-minded player, so they obviously complement each other in that regard. One of the biggest concerns involving the two of them is spacing on offense, as neither are reliable perimeter shooters at this point. How the two co-exist will be one of the biggest storylines to pay attention to throughout the Sixers season.
Q: Will Joel Embiid ever don an NBA uniform?
A: Hopefully. At this point there is certainly some doubt that he ever will; successful NBA careers don’t usually start with a player missing two consecutive seasons for an injury issue, but the Sixers have to hold out hope. The team will continue to be patient with him considering his upside potential, and how much they have invested in him. I wrote prior to the 2014 Draft that the Sixers should avoid Embiid, but they took the risk, so at this point all you can do is hope for the best.
Q: After what season do you consider the rebuild a failure? How far behind are they in the process now?
A: I think it is reasonable to expect to see some legitimate on-court improvement next season. The 2016 summer is a big one for the Sixers with the potential arrival of Saric, the potential return of Embiid, four potential first round picks and tons of cap space. While the team will need to start showing improvement sooner than later, at least Sam Hinkie is not saddling the team with bad contracts that they will be regretting down the road like some of the previous regimes. If Hinkie’s approach is unsuccessful and the Sixers eventually decide to go in another direction, they will at least be well-off financially and will have a solid asset base.
