Another round of fantastic questions from you all. Doing my best to answer them!
Holy moly, you all sure had a lot of questions!
No intro needed. Let’s get right into Part II!
OK, there’s a lot here. Let’s unpack it.
If the lottery gods smile upon the Sixers and they get Cooper Flagg you simply put him in the starting lineup between Joel Embiid and Paul George and try to win. He’s so good already and would be a dynamite fit. Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, George, Flagg and Embiid would be a formidable starting five — even with Flagg being just 18 years old when next season starts.
If you attempt to trade Embiid or George this offseason it’s akin to a salary dump and you’d likely have to attach assets to do so. Why not just hang on to your future assets and let the chips fall with Embiid and George? Even if they sit every game next season (they won’t), Maxey, Grimes, Flagg and Jared McCain is a strong enough quartet to keep the Sixers competitive. Unless you’re getting real value in a trade (they probably won’t), it would only hurt the team now and, perhaps more importantly, for the future.
For the next question, I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I’m going to keep puffing my chest out and saying it: you draft the best player available, you do not draft for need or fit. Dylan Harper isn’t a clean fit. I don’t care. He’s way too freaking good to pass up. You draft him and then you figure it out. I wouldn’t consider a trade if I’m in the top four — maybe even the top five — unless there’s a godfather-type offer. The top four prospects in this draft are too good.
You never know with trades or free agency. I won’t name a specific player but I would say that Daryl Morey should continue to trust his scouting department to find hidden gems. They’ve crushed the draft since Morey’s been here. In free agency, they’ve bought low on guys like Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele with great success. They traded for Grimes and Jared Butler. No more veteran retreads. If you want to make Kyle Lowry your Udonis Haslem, fine, but stick to getting younger and more dynamic.
Lastly, I would bring back Nick Nurse because I’m not sure Red Auerbach could’ve done much with this team this season. Nobody was complaining about Nurse to start 2023-24 when Embiid looked like he was about to get his second MVP and Maxey made his first All-Star team. Also, for as miserable as this season has been, I’ve never gotten the sense that the players quit on Nurse. That’s not to say Nurse should garner any Coach of the Year votes or anything, but let’s see what he can do with a reasonably healthy roster.
This is a great question. I would say I value the matchups, how teams are defending certain guys, how sustainable the numbers appear, etc.
Starting with Grimes, is what he did in March sustainable? Probably not. But were there signs that he’s a hell of a lot more than a 3-and-D player? Absolutely.
It starts with the fact that while on the surface it looks like Grimes “came out of nowhere,” that’s not really the case at all. He was a five-star recruit and spent a year at Kansas. It took him a bit to find his footing in college, but he starred at Houston and was a first-round pick. It would make perfect sense that it took him some time to figure it all out at the NBA level. His ascension in skill came along with this opportunity.
Likewise for Edwards. I recently wrote about his pedigree as Pennsylvania Mr. Basketball and one of the top recruits in the country. For whatever reason, he had a tough lone year at Kentucky. So, it’s not unreasonable to think Edwards is simply finding himself with this opportunity. One thing that’s always stood out about Edwards — even when he got minutes while other guys were healthy — is he makes such quick decisions. That’s so important for the type of role Edwards will likely find himself in here. His defense has also been a very pleasant surprise. He’s taken on plenty of difficult assignments and handled himself well.
Is Grimes going to score 25 a night on crazy efficiency over an 82-game season? Probably not. But like 18-20 on good efficiency while playing excellent on-ball defense? Sign me up! Is Edwards going to give you 20 a night while everyone is healthy? No. But he’s shown plenty of signs that he can have a massive and effective role in the NBA.
There’s a little bit of that with Jared Butler as well. He won MOP of the Final Four and has mostly just dealt with health issues. He’s getting consistent run and flashing his ability. As for Adem Bona, I think the improvement is what’s most encouraging. To me, he’s sort of flying under the radar as a really intriguing piece for next season. If it were me, he would have the inside track on being the team’s primary backup five.
All in all, I think it’s important to simply watch the games and not pay as much attention to stats. Grimes has put up some impressive scoring totals. What’s impressed me more is how he’s gotten those points — threes and midrange shots off the dribble, getting to the rim and free throw line — and also his playmaking for others.
I’m not the biggest Duke fan so it pains me to acknowledge how awesome their current team is built. Their roster is so balanced and complementary. They have a great shot at taking the whole thing.
Tyrese Proctor is a huge part of that. I love his size as a point guard. He definitely feels like more of a floor general/floor spacer than a big-time creator but that might be perfect for the Sixers. He’s already played with guys like McCain and Flagg and knows how to fill in the gaps around stars. He’s steadily improved in each season at Duke. He just turned 21 so he’s actually on the younger side for a third-year player. My question would be whether or not he can guard wings at the next level. If he can, he’d be a steal in the early second round.
Sticking with Duke guards, I like Sion James as well. He’s built like a tank but he’s also really skilled. Both guys play a drive-and-kick style that should translate well to the NBA — and they both defend!
I know next to nothing about Rocco Zikarsky but you’ve put him on my radar! The Sixers are due for some luck with an Australian prospect, whether it be Proctor or Zikarsky.
I love this question. I think when you’re stuck covering a team in the middle of a miserable season, your eyes can get wide watching a player do anything positive. I bring that up because I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought Chuma Okeke brought something to the table during his 10-day contract.
I think if you talked to Morey and Nurse they’d mostly agree with your assessment. I knew he was a 3-and-D guy and his injury history was rough, but I didn’t realize how good of a rebounder he was. He’s such a versatile defender too. He’s big, strong and has good feet. While he’s definitely more of a floor spacer on offense, he’s not a zero with the ball in his hands. He can beat a closeout and generally makes good decisions.
The Sixers just weren’t in a position to offer him another contract. They would’ve had to waive somebody from the current roster. There was no real candidate for that, especially given the dire injury situation. With that said, I wouldn’t hate the Sixers bringing him back on a minimum deal. Perhaps he’s your next Oubre or Yabusele. Okeke is still only 26 and he seems to fit the mold of the type of player Nurse likes. Bring him back.