The Los Angeles Lakers Can Shape the 76ers Rebuilding Process

The Los Angeles Lakers can both positively and negatively shift the flow of the Philadelphia 76ers rebuilding process

There are few teams in the NBA that are more heavily invested in how well other teams are doing than the Philadelphia 76ers. In the 2013-14 season, the Sixers were locked in on the New Orleans Pelicans, who relinquished a top-five protected pick in the Jrue Holiday trade. Last season, the focus was on the sporadic Miami Heat, who were in the Eastern Conference playoff race throughout the season but hung on to their top-10 protected pick after failing to reach the No. 8 seed.

This year, the primary outside contributor to the rebuilding process exists in Tinseltown.

General manager Sam Hinkie netted the Lakers first-round pick last year (protected top-5) through a three-team trade at the trade deadline last season. Both questioned and spontaneous, trading Michael Carter-Williams as part of the deal was one of Hinkie’s biggest and most daring moves as a GM to date.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

• That escalated quickly: How the Harden-Morey situation intensified
• 3 NBA superstars with legacies on the line heading into 2023–24
• Ranking the 4 riskiest boom-or-bust NBA teams in 2023–24
• NBA Rumors: Stalled trade talks may lead to Blazers, 76ers keeping stars
• NBA Trades: This Blazers, Heat, 76ers, and Clippers swap would alter NBA

As a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Carter-Williams hasn’t led Milwaukee to the breakout start many envisioned, but is once again sprinkling the stat sheet with his versatility. He’s fourth on the team in scoring (12.0 PPG), third in rebounds (3.5 RPG) and leads the team in assists per game (4.9).

However, he’s shown the traits that rendered him expendable on a Sixers team thirsting for talent last season. Through eight games, he’s connected on only 33.3  percent of his looks from deep and catch-and-shoot looks from the field. Carter-Williams also has a less-than-ideal 4.9/3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio as the lead guard for the Bucks.

It will take many years to fully have an accurate gauge on whether Milwaukee or Philadelphia benefited more from the deal, but MCW has yet to show the ability to operate as a franchise point guard. The Sixers also have yet to get the full return on their investment.

The Lakers jumped ahead two spots last year to select D’Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Now, the restrictions have shifted to more favorable levels for the Sixers, but Los Angeles looks to be a complete on-court disaster — one that could have significant ramifications on the rebuilding timeline for Philadelphia.

Currently 2-11 and sitting in last place of the Western Conference, Byron Scott hasn’t effectively meshed Kobe Bryant‘s volume shooting tendencies with the development of his younger talent. Kobe can take these low percentage shots, according to Scott. Why? Because he’s Kobe freakin’ Bryant:

Instead of getting both Russell and Jordan Clarkson — two predominate lead guards — to coexist, he’s content with Bryant chucking up 16.6 attempts per game while the two youthful guards play supporting roles.

Bryant tops every Laker in usage rate (29.2) and is a hinderance on offense with negative-0.3 win shares, per basketball reference.com. The Lakers can showcase their iconic star and abide by his desire to move up the career scoring list, but limiting their next wave of stars is a negative for both Los Angeles and the Sixers.

In six out of their most effective eight lineups, Bryant is not among the five players involved. That’s not enough of a measurement to tell Scott to refrain from playing Bryant heavy minutes, but it’s a theme that will decide whether Bryant can regain his shooting touch and enter the realm of efficiency.

It’s not just Bryant who has yet to rev up the motor this season. Offseason signee Lou Williams, notoriously a volume scorer off the bench for a variety of teams, is shooting a career-worst 33.1 percent from the floor, per sports-reference.com. The 29-year-old is taking the fifth-most shot attempts for the Lakers this season (9.7), but the irrational confidence he displays is needed on a second unit.

Russell also has yet to find the fluid and consistent stroke he displayed in college. He’s reached double figures in scoring the last three games (13,17,13) but is only shooting to the tune of 39.9 percent from the floor on the season. With ill-advised shots and the incremental process of skills translating, Russell is a process. That’s bad news if you’re the Sixers.

After dropping to 0-15 after a loss last night to Minnesota — a game in which Philadelphia led by five with under 3:00 left remaining in the fourth quarter — Brett Brown’s group is one of the impeding forces stopping the Lakers from having the best odds for their top-3 protected pick to not convey.

Philadelphia has a host of other teams necessary to fend off the Lakers from finishing the season with ideal odds, but can’t expect the Rockets or Pelicans — two Western Conference playoff teams last season — to continue their unexpected start.

Next: NBA Power Rankings

Even if the Lakers finish in the top-3 by season’s end or they finish either No. 4 or No. 5 and land in the top-3, the pick has the same protections next season. In a projected transcendent 2017 draft class, it’s not a deathblow to the Sixers rebuild if the pick doesn’t convey after this season. It will, however, alter the course of how the Sixers operate in their questioned, but loud, ascension.