To review the 2020-21 season for six players at the end of the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench, I had the pleasure of joining Liberty Ballers’ own Jackson Frank on his new Sixers podcast with the Blue Wire network, The House That Hinkie Built.
You can find the episode here (“Report Card: Grading the Sixers’ low-minute squad”). We began by talking about the veterans at the end of the roster — Anthony Tolliver, Gary Clark and Mike Scott, who should probably be moving on from Philly this offseason. We also discussed the intrigue of Rayjon Tucker and why it would make sense to keep him around on a two-way contract due to his athleticism, defensive tools, and some of the upside he has in that spot with his explosiveness as a slasher.
Then we discussed the most interesting players in this section of the roster: rookies Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed.
Joe wasn’t in the Sixers’ rotation for most of the year but he showed off plenty of promise at both ends of the floor when he had the chance to play, especially when he received more minutes earlier in the season while the Sixers were shorthanded due to injuries and COVID protocols. He displayed his advanced three-point shooting and some impressive defense for a rookie, with his lateral quickness, competitiveness on the ball, and sharp off-ball IQ and rotations.
As for fan favorite BBall Paul, a lot of his best play came in the G League. He absolutely dominated on his way to being named G League MVP and Rookie of the Year, and even made the All-Defensive team. Paul had some bright spots for the Sixers as well in his occasional minutes, showing some of his face-up skill and athleticism on offense, and his impressive agility, shot-blocking flashes, and defensive upside at the other end of the floor.
Listen to the episode to hear all of our thoughts on what we saw from both rookies this season, what they need to work on, and how they could contribute more next season. Jackson will have more episodes coming soon to review the seasons of everyone else on the roster, so look out for those, too.
As you’ll know from reading Jackson’s work here at Liberty Ballers (and his other work covering the NBA if you follow his coverage on Twitter @jackfrank_jjf), he does a brilliant job covering the Sixers and the rest of the league in great detail. His podcast is a must-listen as well, and you won’t want to miss out on the insight he and his guests will be sharing there.
Check out the podcast here with links to everywhere you can listen, and make sure you go subscribe.
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