2020-21-22 Sixers Season

[allentown]

Enlighten me -- I don't get the big deal about Brooklyn 'giving' 5 swaps.. Surely Brooklyn expects their draft position to be a lot worse than Houston's, so what are they giving up? They are expecting to be good enough that the first-rounders they traded are equivalent to good 2nd round picks.

[zambonir]

Sort of. The potential swaps are 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027, while the Rockets actually own 2022, 2024 and 2026. At least four of those will probably be after the Nets collapse. One assumes Harden and Durant will stay in 2023 (they both have player options) but not necessarily, and you can't rule out age/injury.

The swaps are certainly not as important as the actual picks, but they are not nothing, and all of it sets up the Rockets to wheel and deal both now and in the future too. I doubt they actually intend to stink by 2023 (or even 2022) if they can help it.

[phillychuck]

As I mentioned, although Brooklyn thinks they will continue to be a playoff team, what they think can come crashing down with injury or players not wanting to be there. So the swaps have possible value, and certainly have trade value. The '21 and '23 swaps might not happen, but '25 and '27 could be seasons where Houston is a better team than Brooklyn.

[phillychuck]

On another subject, Joel is missing two more games this weekend due to knee soreness. It's probably smart to keep him home, he wasn't going to play Sunday in any case, but I worry that he's never going to be able to play completely healthy through a post-season of playoff series, and he clearly makes a huge difference to how the Sixers play when he's on the court. If we are in pursuit of a championship can we really count on him being a part of that chase? It makes me sad to think he could never reach his true potential in an NBA playoff series--now that his conditioning is improved, the injuries seem to be dogging him.

[bigegypt0417]

I'm wondering if these were important games would he be playing? Seems like the lack of camp is making nba teams rest more stars....

[zambonir]

If we are in pursuit of a championship can we really count on him being a part of that chase?

It remains the never-ending question. It's why you consider trading Ben and also why you don't trade Ben (who is not without his injuries either). And why last year was such a squandered chance. Getting Harden would have been an all-or nothing bet on the next three seasons but Joel is kind of already that.

[philsphan67]

I don't think the Sixers have a choice. I think they have to hope Embiid continues to mature and the team gets a little better. I think IF Embiid could play 4 series in a row (22-24 games is a guess) they are close right now.

I also think, in fairness to Embiid (I do think he could be in better shape) that the new age sports medicine of putting a lot of muscle/weight on these guys young does increase their chances of injury. You look at the old big men - Chamberlain, Jabbar, Russel, Lanier, etc..- they put weight on naturally over the years. More weight - same ligaments, bones and tendons - more injuries.

This team is fun to watch! If they can't get it done and are not that close in the next year or two I think they move Simmons.

[zambonir]

This team is fun to watch! If they can't get it done and are not that close in the next year or two I think they move Simmons.

I think it has to be sooner than that. They may well be "close" enough, i.e., at least better than the last two years, and with the ability to keep tinkering, that it doesn't come up. But if you trade Simmons and Joel doesn't seem worth another max contract (right now he obviously is but who knows in three years) what then?

Who knows what kind of deal they might still make in March, for that matter.

[philsphan67]

IMO close is an Eastern Conference finals where they are competitive or make the finals. If they struggle in the play-offs and the half court offense is brutal (my fear with Simmons) I think you'll see a major move in the off-season. I do think that Simmons is young, athletic, and intriguing enough to get a very good player straight up.

[zambonir]

That sounds about right and it has to happen after this season (at least making the conference finals and doing okay). They don't get to do that twice even with the new coach and COVID as cover.

I would like to just accept Simmons for who he is and hope he continues to improve (which could still take 3-4 years to happen in full) but you probably have to move Harris to allow for more improvements elsewhere in that case.

[allentown]

But if you trade Simmons and Joel doesn't seem worth another max contract (right now he obviously is but who knows in three years) what then?

Then you are like the Eagles with Wentz. The fuller answer to your question is that it depends entirely upon what return they get for Simmons in trade. I'm talking about the Eagles with Wentz after he had some major injuries and performance had faded a bit and they needed to decide whether to give him the big contract extension. In both cases, it is needing to place a huge bet on a guy with health questions which effect playing time/performance.

[zambonir]

This is nothing new for the Ringer, but also nothing's changed (though it's a bit early to really say so).

The Sixers Added Shooters, but There’s Still No Room for Ben Simmons

[bigegypt0417]

Sixers game canceled for tonight duexto the sixers not having enough players due to contact tracing.

[bkeich]

Lucky break since Embiid is out. My outlook at this point is with him we are likely to win, without we are likely to lose.

[zambonir]

I'd like to think they could have beaten OKC (the Grizzlies are on a hot streak, and it was close), but will definitely take it. Of course, be careful what you wish for.

[xogfog]

Sixers sweep Celtics back to back with 2 great performances by Embiid, scoring 42 in the first game and 38 in the second.

[bigegypt0417]

Simmons was basically nonexistent for 3 quarters and then blew up in the 4th. This team has a very good second unit.

[phillychuck]

Last night was basically the Embiid/Tobi/Curry show in terms of scoring. It's the first game in a while that the second unit didn't contribute by scoring much, but Thybulle played great defense.

[bigegypt0417]

You have to be impressed with harris so far...rivers is getting more out of him.

[zambonir]

To be expected given their history, but also he's playing the correct position now.