by Jack Coolahan
With just over a month left until the 2014-15 NBA season tips off, The Sports Hub will be previewing all 30 NBA teams, counting down from our predicted 30th best team, to our predicted best team. The Philadelphia 76ers have been chosen for the 30th spot on the NBA countdown.
Coach: Brett Brown
2013-14 Record: 19-63
Projected 2014-15 Record: 16-66
Projected Starting Lineup
PG: Michael Carter-Williams
SG: Tony Wroten
SF: KJ McDaniels
PF: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
C: Nerlens Noel
The 76ers hired current general manager Sam Hinkie on May 14, 2013. Since then, Hinkie has conducted a total overhaul of the Sixers' roster. Only one player, Jason Richardson, remains from the disastrous 2012-13 campaign. Hinkie's plan was to bring Philadelphia out of NBA no-man's land; the sixth, seventh, and eighth playoff seeds that the 76ers frequented for years. Before Hinkie, Sixers seasons often ended in first-round playoff exits, which resulted in mid-first round draft picks that were not enough to elevate the Sixers into serious contention. Hinkie traded the core of the team that pushed the Celtics to seven games in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Andre Igoudala, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Evan Turner, all key players on that 2012 team, are now scattered around the NBA. To Hinkie's delight, the Sixers sank to the bottom of the standings in 2013-14, and also to his delight, he was rewarded for his sacrifice with the third and tenth overall picks in the NBA draft.
Many Sixers fans were hoping that general manager Sam Hinkie would draft two players that would make the Sixers more watchable this season. However, as fans found out on draft night, Hinkie's tankapalooza will continue for another season. By drafting injured center Joel Embiid, who will likely sit out this season, and Croatian forward Dario Saric, who will not play in the NBA until 2016, Hinkie ensured that the Sixers will have another high lottery pick in next year's draft.
While tanking for high draft picks may seem like a smart decision, there is risk involved. The fans could become restless if it continues for a long time. Also, by throwing away at least two whole seasons, the Sixers are betting that Embiid, or whoever they draft in the lottery in 2015, is a franchise player capable of leading a team to a championship. If they don't draft a superstar, the Sixers could end up in the same boat that Hinkie is trying to lead them out of. On a larger scale, the outcome of Hinkie's experiment with the Sixers could determine the future of tanking in the NBA.
Concerning the Sixers actual on court-product, this purpose of this season will most likely be assessing and developing players, rather than winning games. Here are some Sixers players to watch this season:
Michael Carter-Williams- The prodigious 6'6 point guard will look to take a big step forward during his second season. Carter-Williams displayed great defensive potential last year, but he developed bad habits while playing on a pitiful defensive team. While he is a promising distributor, Carter-Williams was sloppy at times as a rookie; he averaged 3.5 turnovers per game. MCW has the talent to be an all-star, but he needs to tighten up his game this year to elevate himself into the upper echelon of young point guards. Also, watch for Carter-Williams to become a better leader with one season under his belt.
Nerlens Noel- The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans for Noel during the 2013 draft. Noel likely would have been drafted #1 overall had he not torn his ACL while playing at Kentucky. Noel projects to be a force on the defensive end (he averaged 4.4 blocks per game at Kentucky), but whether he can be an offensive threat remains to be seen. At Kentucky, Noel was not a high-volume scorer, and most of his points came on drives, dunks, and offensive rebounds. Hopefully, he spent his year off getting stronger, and refining his jump shot and post game. Nerlens Noel's potential and athleticism will definitely make him a fun player to watch this season.
Tony Wroten- Wroten had some very good games for a very bad Sixers team last season. He has talent, but Wroten's stats last year were heavily inflated by playing a lot of minutes on team without much scoring punch. The Sixers want to see if Wroten can be a reliable player on a playoff team, not just a triple-double threat on a laughingstock.
Henry Sims- The Sixers acquired Sims in the Spencer Hawes trade last season, and he showed the potential to be a solid backup big man. Sims will likely get a lot of minutes off the bench and start some games.
KJ McDaniels and Jerami Grant- Both players are small forwards the Sixers drafted in the second round this year. McDaniels was a first-team All-ACC selection at Clemson last year, and Grant was a key piece on Syracuse's NCAA Tournament team last year. McDaniels has potential to be an Andre Igoudala-type defensive stopper and slasher. Grant has NBA-level athleticism but needs to develop an NBA-level offensive game.
The Sixers will struggle to stay competitive in many of their games this year, but they are building for the future, and the growth of Michael-Carter Williams and Nerlens Noel will affect the future of the 76ers
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