The first season of the Doc Rivers era went according to plan for the Philadelphia 76ers, at least for a while. The Sixers earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and, even with an injury to Joel Embiid, Philadelphia breezed through the first round and took a 2-1 lead against the Atlanta Hawks in round two. From there, things crumbled, with the Sixers blowing multiple leads in the series and ultimately losing a Game 7 at home to begin their offseason earlier than expected.
That loss doesn’t mean that the Sixers are now in a terribly perilous position, but it perhaps changes the calculus. Most attention will be paid to the status of Ben Simmons, who virtually disappeared offensively against Atlanta, especially in big moments. That isn’t the only question for a team that had glaring holes on its bench and with floor spacing, but Philadelphia certainly won’t rest on its laurels with a (very) active decision-maker in place with Daryl Morey.
Roster Needs: Lead perimeter creator, shooting, overall depth
Jaden Springer (No. 28 Overall), Grade: A-
Admittedly, I am higher on Springer than the consensus. Through that lens, this is a fantastic pick for Philadelphia. He does overlap a bit with Tyrese Maxey, who the Sixers nabbed in another value selection last year, but Springer’s defense should fit right in with Philadelphia and he’s an underrated shot creator. It was an odd season at Tennessee, but Springer falling this far is a bit strange, and the Sixers found themselves a strong prospect without having to trade up to do it.
2021-22 Roster
Tobias Harris
Ben Simmons
Joel Embiid
George Hill (non-guaranteed)
Seth Curry
Matisse Thybulle
Anthony Tolliver (non-guaranteed)
Tyrese Maxey
Shake Milton
Jaden Springer
Isaiah Joe
Paul Reed (non-guarantee)
2021 Free Agents
Gary Clark (RFA)
Danny Green (UFA)
Dwight Howard (UFA)
Furkan Korkmaz (UFA)
Mike Scott (UFA)
Rayjon Tucker (RFA)