Assessing which Sixers have improved, retreated and stagnated this season
The 76ers have been given approval to resume playing a little basketball in preparation for the likely July return of something resembling the NBA.
Limited in scope, the workouts have been heavily shielded in a Camden, N.J., facility protected by slamming gates and video surveillance that would not be out of place at a military base. Maybe it’s for safety. Maybe it’s because the organization doesn’t need any film leaking of Ben Simmons clanking foul shots. Maybe it’s some of both. Either way, June is too late for small groups of players loosening to change what has been happening since September. No, the 65 games the Sixers have played in the 20192020 season have been sufficient for conclusion-drawing.
So which players have used this season to accelerate their careers? Who neither progressed nor retreated? And which 76ers just used most of a regular season to stumble into disturbing professional decline?
In alphabetical order, here goes.
Sixers who have made the most of the season:
• Furkan Korkmaz: A year after the organization chose not to extend his rookie contract, he remained determined to be an NBA factor. Not the best defender, he has proven to be enough of a streaky and clutch outside shooter to keep in the rotation.
• Shake Milton: On a two-way contract through his rookie season, he showed all the signs of a second-round draft choice just talented enough for the NBA-G League shuffle. But when injuries to his regulars made Brett Brown become inventive, Milton was thrust into the lineup in January and played well enough prove he belonged. His 42.7 three-point percentage at SMU should have been a better clue about his distance shooting, which he has shown can translate to the NBA.
• Norvel Pelle: As a 26-yearold rookie, he was out of much time to impress. Yet he used his limited minutes to reveal cutabove rim-protection skills.
• Josh Richardson: Something of an acquired taste, he was destined for the initial reaction, which was that he did not have Jimmy Butler’s variety of skills. Few do. But the more he played, the more he validated Elton Brand’s decision to enact that sign-and-trade. Not only did he ably handle multiple positions and defend well, but he was what Butler will never be: A valuable clubhouse leader.
• Simmons: He’s not going to be an outside shooter. That much he made clear by big-timing Brown, refusing to take even one three-point attempt per night. But he did show a willingness to move more often to the frontcourt where, as a valuable screen-setter, has been able to score while attacking the basket. His defense, always intense, has taken a half-step forward too.
• Matisse Thybulle: A firstround pick, 20th overall, he was the defender the Sixers envisioned, leading NBA rookies in steals. He sagged around midseason, particularly offensively. But he has been using his rookie season to show that his length and defensive instincts will always have NBA value.
Sixers who have performed as expected:
• Alec Burks: In his 11 games, he showed a little edge, which can come in handy in the postseason.
• Joel Embiid: After three years of growth, he has plateaued in his fourth active season, remaining prone to injury and curious shot-selection. He does remain a certified NBA great, with value at both ends and behind the arc. Sixers fans, though, are best not to expect more than what they’ve already seen from the 26-year-old center.
• Tobias Harris: He’s 27 and in his ninth NBA season, and his story remains unchanged. He’s just good enough to be an AllStar Game just-miss. But he can play two or three positions and, when hot, can score on anyone. Most of his statistics this season are eerily similar to his career numbers, further certifying him as reliable. But when the Sixers gave him a $180,000,000 fiveyear contract, they were hoping he would bump from star to superstar. It’s not how it works.
• Raul Neto: He’s shown he can be a reliable, short-time fillin point guard with a streaky three-point shot. The Sixers were expecting more, but not much.
• Glenn Robinson III: He’s only played 12 games since the trade with Golden State, not enough to stress over his 28.6 three-point accuracy, which should improve in the playoffs.
• Marial Shayok: He’s played in two games, spending the bulk of his time in the G League. As the 54th pick in the draft, that’s about right. When he has played, he has displayed nice basketball actions.
Sixers who are in career retreat:
• Al Horford: He’s been more comfortable in recent games and was imported from Boston mostly for what he can do in the postseason. So his story is incomplete. But he has been horrifyingly out of place in a frontcourt with Embiid, a situation Brand cannot allow to continue for long.
• Kyle O’Quinn: Expected to be a productive veteran fill-in on nights when Embiid was being load-managed, he’s been so useless that Brown has resorted to stressing how supportive he has been on the team bus.
• Mike Scott: He has earned some man-of-the people popularity. But he has been far less reliable than some short-term bursts in the last postseason hinted.
• Zhaire Smith: The 16th overall pick in the 2018 draft has minor-league skills.
• No basketball team is perfect. And the Sixers have a fair distribution among those improving, stagnating and in retreat. They are doing some kind of practicing in preparation of what is next. After 65 games, though, little that happens now should surprise.