Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers: The Future of the Point Guard

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Philadelphia 76ers have 3 average-below average point guards on their active roster this season. Who is apart of the long-term plan?

Over the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers signed veteran point guard Jerryd Bayless to a three year deal. They also brought in former NBA player and European star Sergio Rodriguez on a one year deal. From last year, they still have T.J. McConnell. A good perimeter defender, McConnell has solid passing vision on the offensive side of the ball, but severely lacks outside shooting and scoring ability.

T.J. McConnell

As of now, T.J. appears to be the odd man out of the point guard rotation. With the return of Jerryd Bayless from his wrist injury, everyone has been bumped down in the depth chart. When Bayless is healthy, he is starting. Rodriguez — who was previously the starter — backs up Bayless, and rolls with the second unit. This leaves T.J. McConnell as the 3rd stringer, where he sees little to no time. This can be a result of his lack of offensive production, turnovers, and inability to guard bigger guys.

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Sergio Rodriguez

Sergio Rodriguez started the season off as the starting point guard for the sixers. He has excellent court vision and currently ranks number 10 in the league in assists per game. His inconsistent outside shot, knack for turnovers, and atrocious perimeter defense are three of the major reasons he is currently coming off the bench.

Jerryd Bayless

Jerryd Bayless was signed here after a year with the Milwaukee Bucks where he shot over 40 percent from three. Bayless is a much better defender and outside shooter than Rodriguez, and is smarter with the basketball as well. Right now, Bayless is still battling a wrist injury and is in and out of the lineup, but is expected to be the full time starter when he is healthy.

The Future

Overall, none of these three guys appear to be a part of the future team of starters for the 76ers. Jerryd Bayless is 28 years old, and can be an excellent backup and role player on this team for a guard the Sixers draft. Sergio Rodriguez is 32 years old, and is only on a one-year deal. There is no telling whether or not the 76ers will try to bring him back or not this offseason.

As for T.J. Mcconnell, he is not the long term answer here either, and most likely will not be a part of the team in the coming years. The 76ers will likely draft a top guard in the guard-heavy 2017 draft that will be a franchise piece for them. Among those guards may be Markelle Fultz, Dennis Smith Jr., Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, etc. Overall, the only current point guard who appears to be a part of the 76ers future is Jerryd Bayless, who is on a 3 year deal and can be a solid role player and veteran presence for a young guard.

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