Here's Your Sixers Free Agency Roundup
Today Sixers fans everywhere are trying to rouse themselves from the post coital malaise they were left in by the Ben Simmons summer league debut. He dazzled us with behind the ear passes and court-long skips, leaving us dreamy eyed about how magical a future with him could be.
Meanwhile Brett Brown is talking about playing him at point guard. Not point forward. The analogous names he mentioned were 80s Isaiah Thomas and Chris Paul. He wants Simmons as a bring-the-ball-up-defend-the-1 point guard. And if you watched him on Monday night, that’s where he shined the most. His body’s not big and clunky like the frame of a power forward. He really more of a 6’10 Russ Westbrook, but with negative jumpshot.
If you think Sixers nation is getting ahead of themselves, making anointments after one game in Vegas, you’re right. I’m 10 blocks ahead of myself and loving it. It’s the Process way. Live in the future so the present doesn’t suck so bad. It sounds sad, but don’t worry, we’ve convinced ourselves that it’s not.
Meanwhile, free agency plugged along as mediocracy turned scores of NBA players in to 8 figure millionaires. I pitched in and took some time off from my time off this weekend to convince KD to stay out of Boston.
No response yet, but actions obviously speak louder than words.
With the huge splash in Oakland, it’s clear that several teams fell out of contention very immediately. The teams with a realistic shot at the title next year will be the Warriors, the Cavs, the Spurs and maybe whatever team Russ Westbrook goes to. It’s about who can emerge as a the next big team, which sucks for the rest of the league, but is great for the Sixers cause we didn’t care about the now anyway.
The best thing that the Sixers could do is not sink any huge cost in free agency. There is no reason to pay superstar money for a middling star like Harrison Barnes, and frankly no top tier free agent would have wanted to come to the Sixers anyway. We needed solid players on short deals and that’s what we got.
Jerryd Bayless
As evidenced above, Bayless hasn’t lost his ability to hit the high pressure one footer. More importantly, he’s a great fit; a point guard who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. At three years and 9 mil a year, it’s just a sound signing, and frankly a pleasant surprise from Bryan Colangelo.
Bayless shot 43.7% from three last year, which was among he league leaders, but unfortunately it’s a red flag. Why you might ask? He shot 30.8% the year before. And we all know what a numbers jump like that means: steroids. If Bayless really is juicing, expect Adam Silver’s retribution to be swift, but if he can get any of that secret stuff to Simmons it’ll all be worth it.
Sergio Rodriguez
Love him as a fit for the Sixers, and not even from a basketball point of view. By adding the Spaniard, the Sixers now turning into goddamn Epcot. Along with Simmons, Embiid, Saric, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Korkmaz, etc. the Sixers are building a well balanced international roster.
And apart from that creating a cool United Nations vibe it could mean promising things as far as ball movement and movement without the ball. Simmons and Luwauw both curled off screens and ran to space in ways that would make Popovich proud.
Also, he’s listed as the Spanish Curry in the video above but I far prefer his other nickname Spanish Chocolate. It’s hard to expect much from someone who has been out of the league this long, but he was a Euro league MVP and at one year for 8 mil it’s pretty much a no-lose.
Gerald Henderson
The local boy. Henderson went to Episcopal 10 years ago and it’s a wonder than he and Wayne Ellington, teammates there, are still in the league. Very importantly, Henderson famously distrusts cats and cat owners (look it up), which clearly correlates to a strong locker room presence.
Henderson is another stopgap player, but he’ll offer sound D and a serviceable midrange game. There’s also not the risk of him pulling a Dion Waiters or a Rajon Rondo and messing up the identity of a still young team.
Importantly, a move back to the East will bring more match ups with Charlotte and Psyco T. No one forgets.
The best thing about the Sixers free agency was their restraint. Many feared that Colangelo would topple the apple cart and overspend. Conversely, he seems to be following in Hinkie’s rubric.
They didn’t give Alan Crabbe 20 million a year for five years or anything crazy. Allen Crabbe could turn into a nice player. But he could also be the guy on your team in three years clogging up your roster while fans wonder why the fuck were spending 20 mil a year on Allan Crabbe.
But I’m sure all those Knicks contacts will look reaaaal good in three years.