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Philadelphia 76ers: The Process Thriving, And The Trade Deadline

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers
Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Future Frontcourt

There’s no question that Embiid has proven himself as the most precious asset the Sixers have. He’s a seven-footer who can shoot threes, protect the rim, throw down monstrous dunks, handle the ball and dominate social media. He’s a star on and off the court, making him untouchable.

The question is, where does that leave the rest of a crowded frontcourt?

The 22-year-old Saric is only in his rookie season, and since he has the potential to spread the floor as a power forward, he shouldn’t be going anywhere.

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On the flip side of the coin, Ilyasova is already 29, but he’s clearly the better stretch-4 right now and he’s been useful to the Sixers during their recent upswing, so there’s no need to trade him either.

There’s also poor Richaun Holmes, another 6’10” power forward who’s been all but removed from the rotation because the Sixers just have too many 4s, let alone 5s, but he won’t have much value on the trade market.

The key to all this, especially at the 4-spot, will be Ben Simmons. He has all the tools to be a star, and playing with stretch-bigs should ease the pressure for him to develop a reliable perimeter shot right away. His traditional position would be power forward, but his court vision and passing ability will make him this team’s point guard once he’s healthy.

When Simmons does return, the Sixers should start him at the 1, and either have T.J. McConnell play alongside him since he’s been playing so well, or have a more traditional 2 like Nik Stauskas start next to him. In either case, that’d allow Ilyasova to continue starting at the 4, with Embiid at the 5 and Robert Covington at the 3.

That would continue to leave room for Saric off the bench…and enough minutes for one backup center. The question is, should it be Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor?