The Philadelphia 76ers are on the verge of collapse, but next season still harbors the same end goal: a championship for Joel Embiid and whoever accompanies him. These players deserve more attention as potential pieces to the puzzle.
The Philadelphia 76ers are once again marred in controversy and uncertainty as the sun breaks the horizon on a new NBA season. Joel Embiid, lest he gets too comfortable with the same group, is again staring down the barrel of a nasty breakup with his star point guard. James Harden has requested a trade and Philadelphia is short on options with Harden's contract set to expire next summer.
To make matters worse, Daryl Morey did not exactly "win the offseason." The Sixers lost several rotation players to free agency — Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton — and did little except re-sign Montrezl Harrell (who tore his ACL), sign a ludicrous number of backup centers, and sneak Patrick Beverley into the fold.
It's impossible to rule a team out of contention with Joel Embiid on the roster, but the Sixers have seldom been on shakier ground — and man, the Sixers are more than accustomed to shaky ground. Any Harden trade will return pennies on the dollar and Tyrese Maxey, for all his brilliance, is unproven as a genuine second option. Nick Nurse is a talented head coach with a championship pedigree, but he can only do so much if the roster crumbles around him.
That said, Nurse is a historically creative coach. That creativity doesn't always extend deep into the rotation, as he loves a short bench, but his defensive scheming could unearth new and interesting lineup configurations. We already have Mo Bamba talking about two-big lineups at his opening presser and frankly, Nurse's history would suggest that is a very real possibility.
As Nurse figures out how to maximize a deeply flawed and frighteningly shallow roster (until the Harden trade returns three completely average role players and a second-round pick), here are three players who could impact winning and are deserving of more attention.
76ers player who deserves attention: 3. Ricky Council IV
The Sixers did not own any 2023 NBA Draft picks after trading out of the second round to swap Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels, who they subsequently allowed to walk for a very reasonable price in free agency. While Morey's motivations for such a series of decisions can be validly disputed, the Sixers' boss did ace the NBA Draft test. Or, more accurately, the undrafted free agent test.
The Sixers signed the two best UDFAs on our board — Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith. Both received top-40 grades here at FanSided and should have been drafted, but the Sixers will have them on two-way contracts next season. While Smith has a skill set more in tune with Embiid and the Sixers' offensive needs, he's a slender guard who may not find much of an avenue to playing time with Tyrese Maxey in the fold. Therefore, Council deserves more eyeballs in the immediate future.
Philadelphia's wing depth at the moment is dire. Behind Tobias Harris and the rapidly aging P.J. Tucker, it's essentially De'Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr., and Furkan Korkmaz. Melton is 6-foot-4, House was benched for a large portion of last season, and Korkmaz is a bench-dweller who has requested multiple trades from Philadelphia. Not the best group, unfortunately.
Council probably won't get much shine as a rookie — he's going to start the season in the G-League — but he's worth monitoring. He's a bursty athlete with one elite NBA-level skill: finishing. His penchant for acrobatics at the rim is not terribly common and he could provide instant value as a downhill driver who pressures the rim. If Harden sticks around or Embiid continues to embrace his playmaking acumen from the elbow, Council should have no shortage of clean catches and open driving lanes to attack.
At 6-foot-6, Council can also defend multiple positions. He will have some discipline issues to work though but Nurse is a brilliant defensive coach. The complexity of his schemes could work against a young rookie like Council, but we're taking about a first-round talent who mysteriously fell into Philadelphia's lap. He merits watching.
76ers player who deserves attention: 2. Paul Reed
The Sixers began last season with Montrezl Harrell over Paul Reed in the center rotation. That was plainly incorrect from the start, and even the notoriously stubborn Doc Rivers realized by midseason that Reed was the only logical answer behind Embiid. That remains the case entering the 2023-24 season, despite a slew of new centers populating the roster.
Philadelphia signed Mo Bamba and brought over 2021 second-round pick Filip Petrusev from Europe. The former is an established NBA player, the latter is a rookie who merits some level of attention. That said, Philadelphia only gave long-term money to one player this summer and it was Paul Reed. The contract isn't fully guaranteed, but three years and $21 million is a decent-sized investment for a backup center. It shows real and well-earned faith in Reed.
The Sixers should continue to give Reed free reign over the non-Embiid minutes. He's already a genuinely impactful defender by sheer force of will, mucking up passing lanes with his activity and never shying away from contact in the paint. Reed is 6-foot-9, and therefore undersized in some matchups, but he's also switchable, which makes him very useful in other matchups.
Nurse should get the most out of Reed's unique and versatile defensive skill set. His discipline has improved drastically over the last couple years, to the point where Reed is no longer a first-degree foul magnet. He also competes hard on the glass, an area where the Sixers are notoriously flimsy. Reed addresses several areas of need and he's the only backup center over the last few years who has consistently kept the defense at a passable level when Embiid sits.
Offensively, Reed's skill set needs refinement. He shot over 40 percent from deep in his G-League MVP season, but that hasn't translated to the NBA yet. There are flashes of genuine self-creation in the post. He will face up from the elbow and pirroute awkwardly into reverse layups that leave one scratching their chin in bewilderment. But generally, he's better off focusing on solid screens and simple finishes. That said, Reed has alluded to conversations with Nick Nurse comparing him to Pascal Siakam. Don't be shocked if Reed spends a fair amount of time next to Embiid next season given the fragility of the Sixers' wing depth, which could lead to, um, interesting results.
76ers player who deserves attention: 1. Jaden Springer
Denizens of Springer Island, rejoice! Your time is near. The Sixers selected Jaden Springer out of Tennessee with the No. 28 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. At the time, he was the youngest player on the board — billed as a project who would require several years of gestation before blossoming into a two-way force of nature.
Springer should have been a lottery pick in this writer's book, and while the last couple years have been broadly disappointing for the impatient members of Philly's fanbase, Springer is starting to show signs of his imminent arrival. There are still myriad flaws to iron out, but the man is 20 years old. He's younger than several 2023 lottery picks. Patience is, in fact, a virtue.
Nick Nurse got a firsthand look at Springer while coaching the Summer League squad. While there are still valid concerns about Springer's ability to contribute offensively in the NBA, the defense is rock solid. Nurse is a defense-first coach and the Sixers could be looking at a thin guard rotation depending on the outcome of a potential Harden trade. For the first time in Springer's career, it feels like there's a real path to opportunity.
He's only 6-foot-4, but Springer is built like a linebacker. He's strong as hell at the point of attack and he's a sneakily bouncy defender. Springer will climb the ladder for blocks and he's a pest in passing lanes, possessing tremendous instincts for such a young guard. He's already a bonafide defensive playmaker and he's probably one of the Sixers' best point-of-attack options. He should shadow Patrick Beverley all season.
The offensive questions marks will persist, but Springer is fairly good at using his strength to carve out space and fight through contact on drives to the rim. He's a below-the-rim guard at 6-foot-4 and he doesn't shoot the 3 close to well enough, but there's enough there to hope. If he can supply enough simple finishes and connective passing, his defense should be enough to make Springer a prospect of interest for Philly fans moving forward. He's approaching a critical point in his rookie contract. Sooner or later, the Sixers need to see what they've got in real games.