The National Basketball Association is just under one week away, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Philadelphia 76ers.
Key Acquisitions
In a rather late free agent signing, the 76ers signed small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. of New Orleans, Louisiana to a one-year deal worth $2 million on September 26. Last year with the Charlotte Hornets, Oubre Jr. had 20.3 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 1.4 steals per game, and 1.1 assists per game. He also had a field goal percentage of .431, three-point percentage of .319 and a free throw percentage of .760.
The 76ers also added experience with the acquisitions of Patrick Beverley and Danny Green. Known for his defense, Beverley split his time last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. He has also played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Green meanwhile has won three NBA Finals with three different teams (2014 with the San Antonio Spurs, 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers).
From a coaching perspective, Nick Nurse is replacing Doc Rivers. Nurse coached Green to a NBA title in 2019. It will be interesting to see the differences between Nurse and Rivers from a strategical standpoint.
Fantasy Star
Center Joel Embiid of Yaounde, Cameroon led the NBA with 33.1 points per game this past season in being named the NBA most valuable player. He also had 10.2 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game, 1.7 blocks per game, one steal per game, a field goal percentage of .548, three point percentage of .330, and a free throw percentage of .857. Embiid is second among centers, only behind Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Projected Finish
The 76ers are definitely one of the top teams in the East, because of the power of Embiid. It will be interesting to follow the James Harden story going forward, because once again this controversial guard is disgruntled. He no longer wants to play for 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey–again. This is still a talented 76ers squad, and as long as Embiid is healthy, second place in the Atlantic Division is manageable, and realistic.
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