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Philadelphia 76ers: 3 potential replacements for Marco Belinelli

By Simon Smith

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 5: Marco Belinelli #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts along with Joel Embiid #21 after tying the game at the end of regulation against the Boston Celtics during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoff at Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Marco Belinelli;Joel Embiid
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 5: Marco Belinelli #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts along with Joel Embiid #21 after tying the game at the end of regulation against the Boston Celtics during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoff at Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Marco Belinelli;Joel Embiid /
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(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Following the loss of Marco Belinelli in free agency, here are three potential replacements the Philadelphia 76ers could acquire this offseason.

Signed by the Philadelphia 76ers in February after being bought out by the Atlanta Hawks, Marco Belinelli made an immediate impact during his short stint with the Sixers..

Over 28 regular season games, Belinelli fit like a glove in the Sixers’ system of constant ball movement, averaging 13.6 points in 26.3 minutes per game while returning .441/.377/.908 shooting splits. An excellent player moving off the ball, Belinelli also possesses the innate ability to get off his own shot despite a relative lack of explosion or athleticism.

Granted, the return of starting shooting guard J.J. Redick somewhat helps offset the loss of Belinelli in the backcourt rotation. Furthermore this offseason, the Sixers have also added forward Wilson Chandler and another forward in Nemanja Bjelica to their rotation.

However, the loss of Belinelli is a real stinger. During the regular season, the Sixers possessed an offensive rating of 112.0 when the 32-year-old Belinelli was on the floor. To put this in context, this rating would ranked third in the league over the course of last season.

Overall, the Sixers finished 11th in offensive rating. This extended to the postseason, where Belinelli’s importance was even more significant given the Sixers were 7.9 points per 100 possessions better off when Belinelli stepped on the court.

Granted, one option the Sixers have to fill his spot in the rotation is second-year swingman Furkan Korkmaz. A native of Turkey, Korkmaz made just 14 appearances in his debut season, and just one appearance in the postseason in the midst of a blowout win.

While he made some noise recently with a 40-point explosion in the Summer League in Las Vegas, he followed this up with a four-point performance on just 1-of-9 shooting from the field. So although he has potential, Korkmaz is not yet at the stage of being a regular contributor.

There’s also the small matter of the Sixers having 17 players under contract for next season, not including Shake Milton and Jonah Bolden. Trimming the roster will be difficult, especially if yet another player is signed.

Then there is Markelle Fultz, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick who is bound to have an increased role next season. However, with an unproven jump shot and just 14 regular season games under his belt, his impact next season is still to be determined.

With this in mind, here are three potential free agent targets the Sixers should target to replace Belinelli in the rotation.