The Philadelphia 76ers are a very bad basketball team because they're actively trying to be one. But is this year's roster more talented than last year's squad? It's a reasonable enough question worth entertaining.
Here's the Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Cooney trying to do just that:
"But the big question among fans is this: Is this another season of losing in the hopes of landing yet another high draft pick, perhaps the first overall? The answer is probably so, but maybe not as badly as the past two seasons, which yielded 19 and 18 wins. While there are still many holes to fill, and Embiid will be sidelined for another season, there have been improvements made to the roster, and that alone is why the win total should grow."
The Sixers have rookie Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel's second season to look forward to, and those guys are both very talented. But beyond that there's not much to write home about.
Nik Stauskas may become the team's starting shooting guard, but he was terrible last season. And the rest of their backcourt is paper thin. They still don't have much three-point shooting or any wings who can efficiently score in isolation.
There aren't any players who actively make those around them better, either. That's a problem, and until they grab a few this team will continue to struggle.
(h/t: Philadelphia Inquirer)
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
