Three questions the 76ers face heading into training camp
With training camp about to tip off, here’s what to watch for as your favorite team prepares for the 2015-16 season. Some of these questions will be answered quickly; others could linger into the regular season. Either way, here are three things that will define the first month of this new season:
Who will the starting point guard be?
Brett Brown said he expects the battle for starting point guard to be a "fistfight" during training camp, and with good reason. The team's best qualified for the position, Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall, will both begin the season on the sidelines due to injury. Isaiah Canaan or Pierre Jackson would appear to have the inside track, but Scott Wilbekin and T.J. McConell will be in camp to compete, as well.
Can Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel coexist?
The Sixers selected Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick in this summer's draft, but they didn't do so out of necessity. Once D'Angelo Russell was somewhat unexpectedly snatched up by the Lakers, however, Philadelphia stuck with its philosophy of taking the best player available. But Okafor and Noel like to occupy the same spots on the floor, and the team expects it to be a "tremendous challenge" getting things figured out where the pairing is concerned.
Will the young talent continue to develop so Brett Brown sticks around?
The media in Philadelphia has already begun asking why Brown hasn't received a contract extension as head coach, but the reasons seem fairly obvious. Not only is there a lack of urgency because Brown still has two more years on his deal, but he also hasn't given management anything to get excited about while amassing just 37 wins over his first two seasons. A lot of that is on management for the rebuilding plan that's in place, but this is a key season for Brown to show continued development with the team's young players, and prove he's the right man for the job.
