Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
In direct contrast to their frontcourt, the backcourt of the Philadelphia 76ers remained their Achilles heel.
The success of the Philadelphia 76ers' backcourt this season was almost doomed from the start.
No.1 overall pick Ben Simmons suffered a foot injury in the preseason and never returned to the court, eventually being ruled out for the season. Seen as the Sixers' floor general for the next decade, this was a real body blow for head coach Brett Brown and the team.
Another, albeit less-heralded absence, was the loss of guard Jerryd Bayless.
Bayless was signed by the Sixers last offseason to a three-year, $27 million deal. Unfortunately for Bayless and the Sixers, he played in just three games before succumbing to season-ending wrist surgery.
So although the Sixers' backcourt was short on talent, the durability of the rest of its contingent was quite notable. Point guard T.J. McConnell equalled forward Dario Saric with the most games played with 81.
Following these two, the next four players on the list for games played were all members of the backcourt.
The problem here though is that none of the five backcourt players ranked in the top six for minutes played were able reach double figures in points per game.
And although McConnell returned the best field goal percentage of this quintet, his three-point accuracy was a miserable 20 percent.
Here we take a look at how the key members of the Sixers' backcourt rotation performed this season, and the implications moving forward.
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
T.J. McConnell, PG
Year: 2nd Season
2016-17: 81 GP. 26.3 MPG, 6.9 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 46.1 FG%, 20.0 3P%
T.J. McConnell started the season as the Sixers' backup point guard, coming off the bench to support newcomer Sergio Rodriguez. But when Rodriguez was sidelined for three games with an ankle injury, McConnell took the reins for the remainder of the season.
In 51 games as a starter, McConnell averaged 8.6 points, 7.8 assists and 1.9 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. However, the area in which McConnell struggled mightily all season, both as a starter and a reserve, was his three-point shooting.
Hitting at a 20 percent clip for the season on 0.7 attempts per game for the season (and 20.5 percent on 0.8 attempts as a starter) was a glaring weakness.
Among players in the league who played at least 50 games and averaged at least 20 minutes and 0.7 attempts per game, McConnell ranked dead last in three-point accuracy.
For a player at just 6-foot-2 and without blinding speed or any other discernible physical attributes, this area of his game clearly needs addressing.
In his time as a starter, McConnell's 7.8 assists per game ranked seventh in the league among players who started at least 50 games. Considering the Sixers ranked 27th in the league shooting at a 44.1 percent clip, this is an impressive feat.
Overall, McConnell can lay claim to leading the league in one category: passes per game. McConnell led the league with 69.4 passes per game, despite averaging the fewest minutes of those in the top 13.
It's safe to say that with better shooting surrounding McConnell, his assist numbers could nudge double figures per game.
Furthermore, McConnell's assist-to-turnover ratio was among the elite in the league. For players who played in at least 60 games and averaged at least 24 minutes per game, McConnell ranked fifth with a 3:36 ratio.
McConnell's most impressive performance this season came during a narrow loss to the Boston Celtics. Playing 37 minutes, McConnell posted nine points and a career-high 17 assists. He connected on 4-of-6 from the field and was a team-high +10.
With Simmons set to take the starting point guard role next season, McConnell's progression will be interesting to monitor.
Grade: B-
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Nik Stauskas, SG
Year: 3rd Season
2016-17: 80 GP. 27.3 MPG, 9.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 39.6 FG%, 36.8 3P%
Nik Stauskas completed his second season in Philadelphia by playing a career-high 80 games, which included 27 starts. But Stauskas was once again unable to break the 40 percent barrier for field goal percentage, coming in at 39.6 percent for the season.
His three-point shooting, however, was a career-high 36.8 percent.
One area in which Stauskas excelled this past season was connecting on three-pointers classified as wide open (six or more feet from the closest defender, per NBA.com). Among players who attempted at least 2.1 per game, he ranked third, hitting at a 46.4 percent clip.
Stauskas trailed only Tony Snell (47.6 percent) and Klay Thompson (46.8 percent).
Another area in which Stauskas performed admirably was with his passing. With Rodriguez going down with a hamstring injury late in the season, Stauskas was thrust into the role of a pseudo backup point guard.
Over the last eight games of the season, Stauskas averaged 4.4 assists per game. To illustrate the increase in his ball-handling duties, Stauskas passes per game increased from 28.8 to 46.6 over the final eight games.
Stauskas' most impressive performance came during a blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons. Starting at shooting guard, Stauskas registered a career-high 24 points on an impressive 10-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three.
He also registered five rebounds, two assists and two steals in his 37 minutes of action.
Despite having a year to run on his contract, the Sixers' upcoming draft and free agency period leave Stauskas' future in Philadelphia undecided.
Grade: C
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sergio Rodriguez, PG
Year: 5th Season
2016-17: 68 GP, 22.3 MPG, 7.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.3 RPG, 39.2 FG%, 36.5 3P%
Returning to the league after a six-year absence, Sergio Rodriguez was signed to a one-year, $8 million contract to provide experience and stability to a youthful Sixers team.
Rodriguez started in 29 of his first 30 games before a minor ankle injury relegated him to a backup role upon return. As a starter, Rodriguez averaged 9.7 points and 6.3 assists with a very commendable 2.54 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Rodriguez had seven or more assists on 21 occasions, including four games in double figures. Notably, eight of these 21 games came in a reserve role. Furthermore, the area which set Rodriguez apart from fellow point guar McConnell was his proficiency from three-point range.
Rodriguez was able to hit two or more three-pointers on 27 occasions compared to just once for McConnell. Hence, his 36.5 percent accuracy compared favorably to McConnell's 20.0 percent for the season.
Rodgriguez's most impressive performance was a 21-point, seven-assist performance against the Phoenix Suns. In 26 minutes, Rodriguez shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-8 from downtown.
At 30 years of age and on an expiring contract, it's unsure at this stage if Rodriguez will return to the Sixers next season. Their activity in the upcoming free agency period will most likely decide the future of Rodriguez in Philadelphia.
Grade: C
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Gerald Henderson, SG
Year: 8th Season
2016-17: 72 GP. 23.2 MPG, 9.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 42.3 FG%, 35.3 3P%
Gerald Henderson joined the Sixers in a similar position to the aforementioned Bayless and Rodriguez — providing experience and leadership to a young, up-and-coming team.
Having alternated between a starting and bench role throughout his career, this was again the case as Henderson started in 41 of his 72 games for the season.
Henderson was hampered through much of the season with a hip ailment, making it even more commendable that he was able to compete in 72 games. This effort certainly didn't go unnoticed, with coach Brown making special mention of Henderson recently:
"He fought through it, and I think over summer we can get it better. I very much appreciate him, and I very much respect him, for the way he handled himself and how he conducted himself as a leader in a locker room and on a court."
Henderson's best performance came during a 114-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Coming off the bench, Henderson notched 20 points and four assists on 7-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes.
With a year remaining on a two-year deal, Henderson's locker room presence will be again valued next season with the 76ers.
Grade: C
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, SG
Year: Rookie
2016-17: 69 GP, 17.2 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 40.2 FG%, 31.1 3P%
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is certainly one of the surprises of the season. Selected 24th overall in the 2016 draft, the product of France started his NBA journey somewhat inauspiciously.
Through the end of December, Luwawu-Cabarrot played in just 20 games, averaging a meager 2.2 points on 33.3 percent shooting in 7.4 minutes per game. This period also included several Did Not Play – Coach's Decisions and a three-game stint in the D-League.
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Over his next 31 games, Luwawu-Cabarrot made gradual improvement, averaging 5.5 points on 39.1 percent shooting in 16.1 minutes per game, including his first career start.
Following this stretch, due to a combination of injuries and the playoffs being out of reach, Luwawu-Cabarrot started the final 18 games of the season.
Averaging 30.2 minutes per game over those final 18 games, Luwawu-Cabarrot averaged 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 42.4 percent from the field and an excellent 91.7 percent from the free throw line.
But breaking this down even further, Luwawu-Cabarrot's final seven games of the season were exceptional, averaging 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 35.0 minutes per game.
Luwawu-Cabarrot's best performance of his rookie campaign came in the penultimate game of the season. Playing 37 minutes, Luwawu-Cabarrot notched 24 points and five rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from behind the three-point line.
The rapid improvement of Luwawu-Cabarrot has clearly been one of a number of positives to be gained from the season.
Grade: B
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Next Season
This is certainly the area which could look markedly different next season. With Simmons already tabbed as the starting point guard from next season, shaping the roster around him is going to be an interesting exercise.
With Rodriguez being 30 and a pending free agent, its unlikely he would return to Philadelphia. Henderson, Stauskas and McConnell (team option) all have contracts expiring at the end of next season. Whether or not this trio remains on the team to commence next season remains to be seen.
Bayless still has two years remaining on his deal and it'd be reasonable that the Sixers would want to take an extended look at him before deciding if he fits in their long-term plans.
With a forecast salary cap $101 million, the Sixers presently have just $49.4 million in committed salary for 2017-18. The Sixers' president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo, recently made a declarative statement:
"We certainly will make it known that we are in the market. If there is the right free agent to spend money on, we will."
With potentially two of the top four selections in the upcoming draft and a clear willingness to spend, the Sixers' backcourt could certainly be transformed come opening night of the 2017-18 season.
If the Sixers' backcourt can reach the level of their forecourt, anything is possible.
