5 Reason To Pay Attention To The Sixers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- We're one week away from the start of another Sixers season! Unfortunately, no one seems to care, and you can't really blame them. After all, it's another tanking "rebuilding" season without many victories.
So, you're probably thinking, why should I care? Well, here's why.
5. How does Nerlens Noel handle his first season in the NBA?
Noel will be making his debut for the Sixers this year after spending all of last season on the sidelines recovering from ACL surgery. Noel was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school and was touted at the consensus No. 1 NBA Draft pick in college, before suffering the knee injury. Noel's a rangy athlete who runs the floor like a guard and a shot-blocking machine. At Kentucky, Noel set the school's single-game blocks record with 12.
The 6'11" center from Massachusetts is without question one of the cornerstones of the franchise. Noel is still a work in progress on offense, but how Noel plays in his first year will speak volumes to whether Hinkie has the team moving in the right direction.
4. Is Michael Carter-Williams more of a Russell Westbrook or Tyreke Evans type?
Before we could even determine if Carter-Williams was due for a sophomore slump, word got out that MCW would likely need more time than the two to four month recovery time initially reported for his shoulder surgery.
Whenever Carter-Williams gets on the court, Sixers fans will need to keep a close eye to determine whether Carter-Williams is more of the player that took the league by storm in the first two months of the season and finished strong in April to secure the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, or the player that struggled for most of the second half of the season.
Many were shocked when Carter-Williams' name came up in trade rumors, but it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise considering his second-half decline, combined with Hinkie's trade-happy philosophy.
In order for MCW to make the jump into the top-tier of point guards in year two, he must improve on his shooting percentage (40% FG, 27% 3P last season) and keep his turnovers down (3.5 TPG last season).
3. Is Brett Brown the right man to move forward with?
Brown was commended last season for fighting through such a difficult season with so little to work with. Brown showed good leadership and presence during what was one of the worst seasons in franchise history; highlighted by a league record 26 straight losses. Brown will have even less to work with this season now that the Sixers traded veteran forward Thaddeus Young to Minnesota.
Brown remains safe as long as Hinkie continues to tank seasons, and the continued success of the San Antonio Spurs, where Brown was an assistant for 11 years, will likely act as a pillar of credibility to Brown's coaching ability. However, how Brown and his staff continue to develop promising young players like Carter-Williams, Noel, and eventually Joel Embiid will be worth watching this season.
2. Which role players will be keepers for the rebuild?
With so many veterans from last season's opening night roster gone, a bunch of young players will get an audition with the team to see whether they're worth keeping around for Hinkie's long-term plan. It's likely some of these players will never see an NBA floor again after this season, but some may prove to have value playing an extended role this year.
Former first-round pick Tony Wroten turned some heads last season with his aggressive play. Wroten has good size for a combo guard at 6'6", 210-pounds and showed a nice ability to finish at the rim last season. Wroten is the kind of low-risk/high ceiling player that'll be worth keeping an eye on.
Second-round picks KJ McDaniels and Jerami Grant are two athletic wings who can supply some defense intensity and highlight reels on fast breaks, while veterans like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved will be asked to bring stability to Brown's rotation.
1. What will be Joel Embiid's status this season?
At this point, Embiid has given Sixers fans more excitement on twitter than on the court. While Embiid has been loads of fun during his short time in Philly, eventually it'll be time for him to put up or shut up.
Embiid, much like Noel, was the consensus No.1 pick in this year's NBA draft before breaking his foot during a workout. When healthy, Embiid showcased a rare set of skills for a young big man. At 7'1", Embiid's excellent footwork, polished post game, and elite shot-blocking ability had NBA scouts raving about his play last season at Kansas.
It is unclear when, or even if, Embiid will step onto the floor this season for the Sixers, but if he does play, it'll be interesting to see how he recovers from the foot surgery and how he meshes with Noel in the front court.
Elijah Stewart is a former 94WIP Morning Show intern, and continues his studies at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York.
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