Fresh off a massive offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have nearly rebuilt their roster with new additions including LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The spotlight is now on this team as never before, with media scrutiny intensifying. The Liberty Ballers crew weighs in on key questions in this three-part series.
For Part 2, we’re focusing on the supporting cast and front office. From the role players who’ll anchor the rotation to Mike Gansey’s bold offseason construction, here’s our crew’s take:
What’s your immediate reaction to Mike Gansey’s debut as an executive? Would you have done anything different?
Bryan
Toporek: I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to figure out how to get Gansey’s high school jersey. Does that answer the question?
I was lukewarm on the Dean Wade and Ariel Hukporti signings when they happened, but they make far more sense in retrospect with Brown and LeBron now in the fold. The Simons deal was a heist at that price point, too.
But those are all small potatoes. I thought it’d cost the Sixers one or two unprotected first-round picks just to get off Paul George’s contract. Paying that price and landing Jaylen Brown in return is absurd. And that being the domino that set into motion LeBron signing with the Sixers on a minimum contract makes it that much funnier. Give Brad Stevens another Executive of the Year award!
I probably would not have given Hukporti a portion of the bi-annual exception, but after the offseason he just had, In Gansey We Trust.
Sean Kennedy: Gansey has completely turned the vibes around for this franchise. He made a number of very solid moves around the margins, all while perfectly reading the Jaylen Brown situation in Boston to snag an All-NBA-caliber player in his prime for Paul George, who had been considered one of the worst contracts in the league, and a couple good, but not great, draft picks. That move then convinced LeBron James (!) that the Philadelphia 76ers (!) were his best option in free agency to win a title. I now believe Mike Gansey could solve any problem in less than two months. Have him assigned to the traffic situation on the Schuylkill, SEPTA’s budget crisis, potholes, whatever, he’ll figure it out.
Josh Grieb: The guy just goes for it, and you have to respect that. One of my biggest complaints towards the end of the Daryl Morey era was how he was just punting on years of Joel Embiid’s prime.
Gansey inherited a team with far less clear of a window, and still took a swing at trading for an All-NBA talent because the price was right. I had, and still do have, as many doubts about the Sixers adding Jaylen Brown as just about anybody. At the same time, it feels right that Gansey’s boldness in making that decision was rewarded by being chosen by LeBron James.
As someone who really didn’t like the Jaylen Brown trade when it first happened, I could get up here and say I’d have done things a bit differently. But LeBron freaking James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Drew Peltzman: Gansey has come a long way from jinxing Jesus Luzardo’s no-hitter at the Phillies game just a month and a half ago. It’s hard not to be impressed by him considering where the overall vibe of the team was at after the season. Every decision, from LeBron and Brown, down to drafting Labaron Philon Jr. and trading Johni Broome, has been sound. He has brought in plenty of fountains, arguably too many fountains, but no drains, and I am a fan of him sticking to his vision. I would not have done anything different.
Harrison Grimm: I’ve seen several people at the helm during my time covering this team—Sam Hinkie, Brett Brown for a bit, Bryan “Burner” Colangelo, Elton Brand, and eventually Daryl Morey. And I can comfortably say none of them had an offseason quite like Mike Gansey, let alone in their first year.
Heading into the summer, I expected the Sixers to do more of what we’ve become accustomed to: keep their trade powder dry, make decent marginal moves, and get a bit younger. Gansey said “screw that,” making a calculated gamble that led to the Jaylen Brown trade, which eventually led to LeBron signing for the minimum. I also thought Philon was a great mid-first round pick, and the signings of Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons were solid. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is an excellent bet on a minimum contract, and Caleb Love on a two-way seems like incredible value.
My only hesitation with his offseason is the backup center spot; either Adem Bona is going to have to take a good leap forward or they’re betting on Ariel Hukporti panning out. However, the money they had to work with at that position was tight, and I think betting on either of those guys at their age and price point was probably their best bet. All in all, there’s not much I think they could’ve done better.
Apart from Brown and LeBron, which new addition do you think will play the biggest role and possibly surprise people?
BT: With all due respect to Hukporti and KCP, it has to be one of Wade or Simons, right? Simons is going to be a high-volume shooter and is all but guaranteed to outscore Wade, but Wade’s two-way impact shouldn’t be discounted. He’s a plus defender and a solid three-point shooter, both of which should earn him significant minutes.
If I had to guess, Wade winds up playing more than Simons, especially in the playoffs. But Simons is all but guaranteed to swing at least a few games for the Sixers this season.
SK: I don’t know if it will surprise people, but Dean Wade is going to be an essential glue guy for this roster. He can guard multiple positions and doesn’t demand the ball offensively, which will be crucial with all the high-usage guys now on the roster. He’s lost in all the star-studded “starting five” graphics being shared, but he will start more than half the team’s games by virtue of being the guy to slot in whenever anyone other than Embiid is unavailable.
JG: Labaron Philon Jr. If we’re going to overreact to Summer League, he looked like he would already have the best handle and some of the passing chops on the team pre-LeBron signing.
While the addition of LeBron might make it tougher for the rookie to crack the rotation, if he’s able to show those skills at the NBA level, it could very well force his way into more playing time. Anfernee Simons will hopefully add a nice scoring burst off the bench, but Philon is the only reserve right now that looks like he can add true point guard skills. That could be pretty important depending on how Nurse staggers his stars.
DP: I think Anfernee Simons will be a breath of fresh air compared to the Quentin Grimes experience. Having a solidified backup point guard who can shoot, play make and finish at the rim could do wonders for a team who struggled to produce with Tyrese Maxey off the floor. It’s someone that the coaches can trust to make the right play and I think he will take a step forward in that regard. His quick release off the catch makes him a weapon off-ball, and I expect his shooting prowess to surprise people from the backup guard spot.
HG: I have to go Dean Wade on this one. The Sixers are stacked with talent, and a guy of his skillset is going to be more crucial than I think people realize. There’s a reason he was featured frequently on a pretty deep Cleveland Cavaliers team. He should do well as a gap filler, and slot in everywhere regardless of who is on the floor.
There’s been public discourse about VJ Edgecombe getting lost among all the talent. Do you share that concern, and where might he carve out a role?
BT: If Rich Paul doesn’t, I also do not. As Paul pointed out, the superteam Sixers line up perfectly for Edgecombe contract-wise, as LeBron figures to be long gone by the time Edgecombe’s rookie deal expires. For now, proving that he can be a critical cog in a championship-caliber team might do more for his earning potential than putting up empty numbers on a middle-of-the-road Sixers squad.
Edgecombe isn’t likely to handle the ball as much as he was projected to prior to the arrival of LeBron and Brown, although he could still get some spot playmaking minutes whenever LeBron and Maxey are off the floor. Otherwise, he figures to do most of his damage on offense in transition, as a cutter and off catch-and-shoot threes, which have surely been a focus of his this offseason. He should also be one of the Sixers’ main weapons defensively both on and off the ball.
SK: I honestly don’t understand this argument at all. Edgecombe played far too many minutes as a rookie and can now ease into things in a more natural way. He can focus on the defensive end, and offensively, will see a steady diet of wide-open looks and feast on the offensive glass with the opposing teams’ worst defender on him. Plus, he will still have plenty of on-ball opportunities playing with the second unit and needing to scale up when players are unavailable on a given night.
JG: I can kind of see where that concern comes from, but I don’t share it. Edgecombe may lose a few on-ball reps over the next two years that would be good for his development, but just getting to play with someone like LeBron James will more than make up for that.
Edgecombe will also be at the forefront of the Sixers trying to force a lot of turnovers in the backcourt and their efforts to be a dangerous transition offense. His skillset makes him crucial to those efforts.
DP: I think VJ will have to take the toughest matchup on defense in the back court and have a chance to grow as a playmaker. With how much this team will be running, I’d expect him to be able to sneak past defenses for easy lob finishes on multiple occasions each game. He is best suited off-ball, and now he can thrive letting his athleticism do most of the work. If he can keep shooting like he did his rookie year, he will be more than fine considering defenses will naturally leave him open with the other stars on the floor.
HG: I’ve said this before, but I feel like I’m in the twilight zone regarding how people talk about VJ online. And this is no different.
Assuming the top five are on the floor (admittedly a big if), Edgecombe is going to be guarded by the other team’s worst defender. “There’s only one ball,” people will say, however Edgecombe is not the type of player to just sit in the corner. Yes, he’ll do that from time to time, but he’s got a relentless motor and should move well off the ball. In particular, he was excellent sneaking along the baseline for easy buckets last season. He’ll have opportunities like that, or he can attack weak defenders off the dribble. The Sixers will also need him to defend and take on tough guard assignments, so there’s a significant role for him to fill, even with a small decrease in shot attempts or usage.
Keep in mind: Nick Nurse sticks with his guys. Last season, we saw no shortage of Edgecombe — and that was during a rookie campaign. The Sixers are going to need him, and there’s a good chance he’s doing a healthy share of playmaking in lineups without Maxey and LeBron.
