Sixer Sense delivers the goods for OKC Thunder TIP3
Christopher Kline offers insight:
TI Q1- The process moves on to the core.
After years of high lottery picks the young 76ers are making noise in the East with the NBA avidly watching their development. Two of those first round picks have turned into stats darlings and it’s clear they will be at the pinnacle of the future Sixers success.
Specifically Ben Simmons is playing his rookie year with the grizzled leadership and poise of a vet and is the odds on winner of the Rookie of the Year award. Despite the deepest draft class in eons, Simmons stands head and shoulders above his competitors. Even the king of the league is reaping praise on the young point forward suggesting he could be the ‘next one’.
As for Joel Embiid, it’s impossible as a lover of the NBA and basketball not to recognize just how exciting Embiid is. And, it’s not just his talent. Rarely in sports do you come across a player who is equally engaging off court as they are on it. His charisma is so think it drips off him like sap running from a maple tree.
Even if you aren’t a Sixers fan how can you not buy into his good natured ribbing of fellow players. And, then when he delivers on the court — well let’s just say I find myself grinning as it happens.
The duo of Simmons and Embiid seemingly have the (no pun intended) sixth sense of where each other are on the court at all times. That’s not typically something fans witness in year one. Thinking toward the future it’s hard not to be excited for the growth of this team.
That said, there appears to be issues when Embiid sits (or Robert Covington – another quality player discovered during the early years of the process). NBA stat master John Schuhmann provided the evidence.
"The Jahlil Okafor saga is over, but the Markelle Fultz saga continues with an update that the rookie is pain-free, but still three weeks away … from being evaluated again. More injuries (to Robert Covington, Joel Embiid, T.J. McConnell and Dario Saric) have them back at .500 with a four-game losing streak. They’ve outscored their opponents by 15.1 points per 100 possessions with both Covington and Embiid on the floor, but are a minus-4.5 per 100 with one of the two on the bench and a minus-15.6 per 100 with both off the floor. The Sixers are the only team that hasn’t won a game it trailed by double-digits, now 0-11 with a double-digit deficit after last week’s four losses."
Clearly Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are franchise stars and the core components of the Sixers future. So, a multi tiered question:
What are the ceilings for Simmons and Embiid? Is there still concern in Philly regarding Embiid’s health? And is there a player on the existing roster who can take the step to becoming the third star or conversely if not what position is the most crucial to fill as with a view to adding that third star talent?