Philadelphia 76ers Need Some Talent At Wing Position

The glut of talent in the frontcourt and the need of a lead guard both pale in comparison to the Philadelphia 76ers’ need at the off-guard position.

The Philadelphia 76ers finished with a record of 10-72 this past season, so there’s truly nowhere to go but up.

With the first pick in this year’s draft, 2014 first-round pick Dario Saric coming stateside and Joel Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, finally healthy enough to play, the Sixers should be getting a nice boost for next season.

If I’m Philadelphia, I’m pushing for talent on the perimeter, guards and long wings who can space the floor and defend, before worrying about moving someone from the glut of frontcourt players or aligning a trade for a point guard.

As the league continues to get smaller, guards continue to grow in value.

Along with an athletic big man who can defend the rim and multiple positions, the need for a wing who can assist in other areas — mostly defense, but I find the ability to playmaker and operate the offense underrated out of wing players — is top rate.

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Philadelphia has a fine set of players at the small forward position. Robert Covington is one of the more under-appreciated two-way players in the league, capable of defending several positions and spacing the floor with his three-point shooting.

Jerami Grant is still on his way as a shooter, but he’s a versatile defender who affects the game with thunderous blocks. As far as I’m concerned, that position is fine.

The shooting guard position, however, could use a sizable upgrade. Hollis Thompson is one of the team’s best shooters, but offers little else on the floor.

Two years into his career, Nik Stauskas has struggled to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor and recorded back-to-back seasons at less than 34 percent from three after coming from college with a reputation as a knockdown shooter. No bueno.

This is why I think the Sixers need to invest in the position both in the draft and in either free agency or trading for one.

Free agency is where things get tricky. The Sixers will have the cap space to sign a few big-name players on the roster, but will they overpay for one? DeMar DeRozan seems to be either going to Los Angeles or remaining in Toronto.

After that, the Sixers are looking at the restricted free agency pool for a possible upgrade, giving the opposing team a chance to match.

From that pool of talent, Bradley Beal is the best of the bunch, but wants a max contract and has suffered from injuries over the last three seasons.

Jordan Clarkson will remain a Laker, while Allen Crabbe and Evan Fournier, from Portland and Orlando respectively, will have to get offers upward of $14 million to $15 million to sway their current team from matching their contract offers.

While the free agency pool could bring some potential problems, the Sixers should find some solace in the draft.

Outside of the first overall pick, where the Sixers will be choosing between two frontcourt players, the Sixers will have a chance to add players with the 23rd and 26th picks in the draft.

The Sixers could also trade those picks for someone who can help right away, something CBS Sports’ Sam Vecenie offered in his latest mock draft.

If the Sixers do keep their picks, I continue to find myself a fan of UNLV forward Patrick McCaw. He’s a good guard prospect with good size at 6-foot-6 and a nice wingspan. He can space the floor, has good defensive upside and he’s a pretty decent passer.

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He can’t step in right away, but I find McCaw to be an excellent prospect for Philadelphia to add if they keep the 23rd pick in the draft.

Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon is another player that fits the mold of a 3-and-D wing player. A 6-foot-6 with a wingspan near 7 feet, Brogdon knocked down close to 40 percent of his three-pointers and starred on one the best defenses in college basketball.

Entering the NBA as a 23-year-old rookie, Brogdon could contribute right away as a role player.

The Sixers will have a glut of frontcourt players, but there are several teams who will call and express interest in one of Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and even Saric.

They need a point guard, but you have Ish Smith in tow that can be re-signed and I find Jeremy Lin as an ideal free agency target they can pay to hold that position down for a couple seasons.

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The off-guard position? It’s not a hot-button topic now, but if the front office is serious about taking that next step, adding an influx of talent at wing position is just as important as figuring out the point guard dilemma.