The Philadelphia 76ers offseason is nearing an end as training camp is starting on September 27th.
It will be very exciting to see how the Simmons situation will play out next week. There are only two outcomes, he will either show up or he will not. There are a vast number of scenarios that could happen during training camp. September 26th is media day, where most of the questions we had these past three months will be answered.
These are three expectations going into training camp:
Ben Simmons will be a Sixer throughout the 21/22 Season.
As of now, expect that Ben Simmons will stay on this team for this season. This season could very much be the best season of his career. The series against the Hawks is arguably the worst series by an NBA star in history, so Ben should improve from it. Hopefully, media day clears the air of this situation regarding the multiple rumors about his camp. It will be interesting to see how he will respond to the likely boos from his own fans at the start of next season if he shows up to camp. It has been reported that the front office fully expects Simmons to show up. If not, trust Daryl Morey to make the right decision. If there is one thing Morey has shown in his career as a general manager, it is that he can acquire superstars. So if Simmons does not show up, don’t expect Morey to dish him off to Minnesota or Sacramento as it would have likely happened by now.
The Sixers will finish top 3 in the Eastern Conference.
Many see the Sixers falling out of the top 3 of the Eastern Conference this season. If Simmons does not show up that could be the case, but if he shows up or gets traded for a superstar, this team is looking much better than last year. The Sixers have improved their depth going into this season. The acquisition of Andre Drummond is slowly flying under the radar. At 27 years old, he is an upgrade over Dwight Howard. Doc Rivers loves traditional centers and hopefully he can bring the best out of Andre Drummond. Along with Drummond, the Sixers acquired Georges Niang, a proven stretch four to play a flexible role behind Simmons and Tobias. This acquisition can help the Sixers provide Embiid and Drummond with better floor spacing in Docs rotations. It is also important to note that Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, and Shake Milton did not shoot well from three last season. It is very likely one of those three will shoot more efficiently from three next year.
Tyrese Maxey will not be given a starting spot going into the season.
Tyrese Maxey has shown multiple flashes of star guard with his quickness, handle, and confidence on the court last season. This was most impressive during his game 6 explosion, where he gave life to a dead Sixers offense. Expect Tyrese Maxey to come off the bench to start off the season, likely as the sixth man The Sixers starting lineup of Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid had the best net rating out of any lineup in the NBA last season. It is unlikely Doc will change that up to start the year, especially if Simmons shows up. Though he might not be starting, it does not mean he won’t help the team. It will be a fun duo to see Tyrese Maxey commanding pick and rolls with Andre Drummond this year. Maxey will be challenged as a playmaker as he is likely going to command the second unit. Maxey’s three point shooting has much room for improvement from his rookie season. Though coming off the bench, the young guard is poised to break out and become the combo guard that this fanbase has waited years to come along.
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