Why on earth must the Sixers always be so weird? For whatever reason, few (if any) teams provide the constant drama that come from the fellas in Philadelphia, and this year, things are going to a new level due to Ben Simmons’ insistence that his basketball career continues elsewhere. As such, Philly is stuck in a pretty unforeseen holding pattern, as a 25-year-old All-Star who is under contract for another four years is just not going to play until he’s given the trade he wants. For a team with aspirations of winning a championship behind an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, all the eyes are on this, and in classic Sixers fashion, things are going to be awfully weird until the situation resolves itself and it can figure out what it is — and, for that matter, will be — with Simmons gone and some collection of players and picks in.
Roster:
Seth Curry
Andre Drummond
Joel Embiid
Danny Green
Tobias Harris
Aaron Henry (two-way)
Isaiah Joe
Furkan Korkmaz
Tyrese Maxey
Shake Milton
Georges Niang
Paul Reed
Grant Riller (two-way)
Ben Simmons
Jaden Springer
Matisse Thybulle
Projected Vegas Win Total: 51.5
Biggest Addition: Andre Drummond
Philly didn’t exactly go out and reshape its roster during the offseason, and it must be said that the team’s biggest addition is not on the roster yet, because it is “the best player they get back in a Ben Simmons trade.” But among the players they brought in, Drummond is probably going to be asked to answer a very important question, one that the Sixers have struggled with for years: How can they remain a good basketball team while Joel Embiid sits? Maybe he can’t get the job done, at which case Paul Reed might get some run, but Drummond will assuredly get some opportunities.
Biggest Loss: Ben Simmons
Who knows, maybe we’re here in a month and Simmons decides he wants to return to the team. But while he is on the roster, the assumption is that Simmons will never play for the Philadelphia 76ers again, in large part because, well, he doesn’t seem like he wants to. This leads to…
Biggest Question: What do they get back for Ben Simmons?
There is no more interesting question in the NBA right now than what Philly gets back for Simmons. The team obviously has the bar set exceedingly high, to the point that no team can really justify clearing it right now. At the same time, the Sixers do not seem in any rush to lower that bar, meaning it looks like we’re barreling towards a situation where Simmons just does not play basketball for a while as the season begins, drags on, and heads towards the trade deadline.
All of these questions, of course, will continue to exist. Will the Sixers be able to get a team, desperate to compete for something, to decide to part way with a huge package of players and picks? Will Philly ultimately decide the best thing is to just cut bait altogether? Will they get lucky and see another All-Star request a trade, so that they can offer up Simmons and, in all likelihood, cut to the front of the line by being able to offer Simmons? Who knows! It’s a legitimately fascinating situation, one that is going to hang over the team until Simmons is sent somewhere … or, you know, if he has a change of heart and plays for the team. But probably not. But maybe!
What Makes This Season A Success: They look like a team that can win a championship in the next few years. Having Joel Embiid means Philly is always going to be good (if he remains healthy, of course). Getting rid of Simmons means the team is officially building entirely around him, and it is pretty exciting to think about what that could look like. But it also has to be something that can make sure they win. Brooklyn and Milwaukee are both probably better right now, can Philly position themselves, through the Simmons trade and growth from some of their young guys, to pounce if either falter?
What Makes This Season A Failure: Everything stalls out. The Sixers have had a defined ceiling of “the conference semis” each of the last few years because that just keeps turning into the hurdle they can’t clear, for one reason or another. They cannot, with how much talent exists in the East, afford to continue to be stuck there. Of course, everything comes back to the Simmons trade, but even then, a falling off in form from Embiid, or Tobias Harris not rising to the occasion, or their young dudes not getting better would be a tough pill to swallow.