76ers-Lakers Important For All The Wrong Reasons

The Philadelphia 76ers-Los Angeles Lakers game on New Year’s Day is important for each team’s tanking aspirations.

Gone are the days of Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal for the Los Angeles Lakers and Allen Iverson and Julius Erving for the Philadelphia 76ers. These two historic franchises are in the midst of forgettable seasons, with Philadelphia on pace for the worst record in NBA history at 3-31 and Los Angeles keeping pace at 6-27.

Both teams also are the least competitive organizations in the association, as Philadelphia has a minus-11.9 point differential while Los Angeles is right behind at minus-10.4.

Fueled by Kobe Bryant‘s unconscious shooting efforts–due to his announced retirement early in the season–and head coach Byron Scott‘s questionable rotations, the Lakers have struggled to gain traction in the  loaded Western Conference.

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Philadelphia’s inability to enter the win column consistently stems from management’s abstinence from signing marquee, or even productive talents in free agency to help develop their youthful core in place. Once a unit bereft of point guard talent, the addition of Ish Smith on Dec. 24 has given Philadelphia a viable option as a lead guard.

He also has been a product of the Sixers’ two wins in the last three games.

Some view Smith’s arrival as a stepping stone to more Philadelphia victories in the future, which could be a positive or negative depending on who you’re talking to. The Sixers might be the No. 22 ranked team in efficiency from the point guard position and also No. 28 in points scored at the position, but the Wake Forest product isn’t the main culprit for the struggles at the position.

While Smith has elevated the Sixers offensive and defensive attack, highly touted rookie D’Angelo Russell looks to be getting acclimated to the professional level after struggling early in the season.

Russell, along with 2014 first-round pick Julius Randle, has been relegated to backup duty for Byron Scott despite offering arguably the most upside on the team. It’s almost bizarre, considering the Lakers are evidently rebuilding this season and have few priorities outside of developing their youth and letting Kobe hoist consistent perimeter shots.

Friday’s game, on the surface, looks like a low-key League Pass matchup for passionate NBA fans and those in the Los Angeles and Philadelphia markets, but it could be ugly and that’s by design. It’s all for the chance to have the premier odds to be able to select No. 1 in the 2016 NBA Draft.

As 2016 begins, it’s clear who stands out among his peers at the collegiate level. He’s been labeled and hyped up to have a skill set similar to LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Ben Simmons is this year’s transcendent prospect, with ability so diverse that it’s unconventionally appealing.

The LSU point forward has been a multidimensional dynamo for the Tigers, leading the team in scoring (19.3 PPG), rebounding (13.0 RPG), assists (5.5 APG) and multiple defensive categories.

He also appears to be a fan of the Lakers, a team vying for his services, as well. “You can catch me on the Lakers,” said Simmons in October via Snapchat. In high school, Montverde Academy’s, the high school he attended, were purple and yellow. The LSU Tigers have a purple and yellow color pattern.

The only NBA team with that palate is the Lakers, which makes for a smooth visual transition for Simmons.

Of the remaining 49 games for the Lakers, 23 of them are against teams with losing records. For Philadelphia only 18 of their remaining 48 are against teams with losing records. Both teams last year faltered down the stretch, one intentionally and one unintentionally.

The Lakers last season had both Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, two frontcourt rotational players, give way to the younger talent on the roster and sit multiple games late in the season. Los Angeles went 2-10 to end the season and allowed guard Jordan Clarkson to take the reins of the offense as a rookie.

With both Russell and Randle healthy, Scott can once again sacrifice wins for extensive player development late in the season by giving heavy burn to the two rookies.

For Philadelphia, the Sixers dropped 12 of their final 13 games en route to setting the longest losing streak in american professional sports in the 2015-16 season. Nerlens Noel, as a rookie, saw incremental improvement in the 2014-15 season, despite Philadelphia not finding Noel’s prime lead guard in Smith until just after the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

Noel developed into Philadelphia’s primary scoring option down low late in the season, as head coach Brett Brown dealt with the big man’s inefficiencies. He watched him grow into a two-way center and Noel has recently showed the ability to find his offensive game again with Smith in the fold.

Simmons would be able to slot in the starting small forward slot for both teams right away. With position versatility as a combo forward, the Aussie would give teams flexibility. He could slide next to Jahlil Okafor on the block or be featured in a lengthy set with Noel at the four and Simmons at the three.

On the Lakers, Simmons would be another playmaker to pair with Russell and is a more polished scorer than Julius Randle. He’d be able to find Randle easier than his teammates, as Randle consistently has to create his own shot in the paint or on the perimeter.

Another option would be Duke small forward Brandon Ingram, who is a more diverse scorer than Simmons. While Simmons shoots at a high rate (56.5 percent), he does most of his work around the rim and only is a 32.3 percent shooter on two-point jumpers.

Ingram, who is averaging 21.3 points in his last six games, is the more complete shooter, nailing 47.2 percent of his two-point jumpers and converting 36.2 percent of his looks from deep.

Where Simmons loses separation from Ingram is in his jump shooting ability. Simmons is only a 32.3 percent shooter from within the arc and has only attempted two three-point attempts on the season. While the lack of a jumper hasn’t kept Simmons from overpowering Division 1 competition, it could limit his overall ceiling in the pros.

Ingram also fills in admirably at the small forward position for both teams and could operate as a go-to option on the offensive end in his prime. He’s currently been mocked to go No. 2, behind Simmons, in the 2016 NBA Draft, but with the injury to big man Amile Jefferson, Ingram will be more encompassed in the national spotlight due to Duke’s necessity of a scoring big.

He’s arguably the most talented small forward prospect since former Duke product Jabari Parker back in 2014 and would give any team drafting among the first few picks a dynamic scorer. With a 6’9″ frame and a 7’3″ wingspan, Ingram’s evolving two-way ability stems from length that will continue to benefit him and he progresses to the professional level.

Whoever ends the 2015-16 NBA season with the worst record has a 64.3 percent chance of securing a top-three pick in the draft. Philadelphia currently has those odds, while Los Angeles has a 55.8 percent chance. The Lakers ending up in the aforementioned drafting tier is paramount due to the protection Philadelphia has on the Lakers’ protected pick.

Losing a first-round pick after Kobe’s final season would be more than a disaster for general manager Mitch Kupchak, Scott and the Lakers’ brass.

Los Angeles, long term, would be more benefited to let their brimming talent develop and have the losses accumulate rather than pick up wins and bask in short-term glory. Philadelphia is hoping that dealing Michael Carter-Williams last season at the trade deadline will eventually lead to a high pick with the Lakers rebuilding.

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With just 3.5 games separating the Lakers and the Sixers from the coveted last place, it will definitely be interesting to see the effort each team displays Friday night. It’s a new year, but the goal of both teams looks to be the same; take the best route for the more impactful future.