The Philadelphia 76ers have moved on from their “tanking” ways have formed their best team in seasons. Their frontcourt will be one the best in the NBA but the issues the 76ers will face will be with their PG situation.
I thought Ish Smith did a wonderful while with the team, but management thought otherwise as they let the free agent walk and decided that journeyman Jerryd Bayless was a better option. Smith averaged 15 points and seven assists per but the team figured that was too much production coming from the lead spot, so he had to go.
Enter Bayless and his career nine points and three assists per game. This is exactly what the team needs to climb themselves out the bottom of the Eastern Conference basement. This is the same with Allen Iverson and then Michael Carter-Williams, it’s as if they are terrified of having a strong player at the position. With that one mistake of letting Smith go the team just set themselves back at least another season or two.
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With a versatile frontcourt that will feature rookie, Ben Simmons and his slashing ability, Jahlil Okafor with his low post moves, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid controlling the paint, a good PG could easily squeeze 10 assists per night with this lineup. If Bayless is given the keys to run the offense he must find a shot, but most importantly he must learn to run an offense. Why would the 76ers let a player go that already had chemistry and bring in a new guy to help a team that he must learn?
Another route the team could go in would be to let Kendall Marshall start. He may not have the floor experience, but he knows the offense and the players. Marshall is a PG in every sense of the word, as he thinks to pass first and shoot second but does he have NBA talent? Either way, the 76ers play this will backfire. They had the right guard, let him go and now will suffer when Bayless shows them why he was always buried on another team’s bench.