What Sixers players need to work on this summer | Bob Cooney
This is a critical offseason in the Sixers development.
NEW YORK -
Thursday will be the final time 76ers coaches and general manager Bryan Colangelo will meet with most of the players for a while, as they'll have their exit meetings and players will be free to begin their long offseason.
They will do it with the knowledge that, as the team announced Wednesday before the season finale against the Knicks, Ben Simmons (fractured foot) and Jerryd Bayless (torn wrist ligaments) are close to full workouts and Robert Covington will have surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee. During the meetings, each player will be given an outline of what he can work on with the basketball in their hands, as well as conditioning directions and nutritional information.
Some will be prescribed rest - particularly Dario Saric, who should be encased in bubble wrap for at least a couple of months so he can recoup from a stretch that started on Oct. 16, 2015. Since then, he has played a complete season in the EuroLeague, then on to the Olympic qualifying tournament for Croatia and then to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 17, 2016. After about 10 days of inactivity, Saric boarded a plane for a new life in the NBA and as a reward was put on the floor for 81 of the team's 82 games; he was held out of the finale.
"You go back to who we are. We want to play fast, we want to embrace a three-point line, and the whole thing revolves (on) if you can guard somebody," coach Brett Brown said. "People don't talk in the summertime about defense. It's something you can partially do, whether it's hand activity, foot activity or basic slide stuff. When you get back to who are we, the development will be pointed toward that.
"We've had lots of practice on how to manage this volume of time where you're not in the playoffs, and walking that very fine line of reality where they need some time off versus this is the time of year that you make your money and can truly move ahead."
Others will be asked to begin working relatively soon on areas that need to be improved for this team moving forward. Here is a look at what the outline for players who might be back here next season could look like.
For Joel Embiid, the emphasis might be on compacting his game, making it easier on his body to take the grind of a full season. There were simply too many dives into the stands for anyone's liking, more than enough awkward dribble drives that left many holding their breath.
That is not to say Embiid can't flourish at what he does; it just means he needs to clean it up a bit. Posting up and using his power or finesse inside is great; outside shots once in a while, terrific. He just has stop trying to do it all on every trip down the floor. It will make for less movement and, hopefully for him, less chance for injury.
We've heard this so many times with so many players the past few years, but it also applies to Simmons and Saric when talking about shot improvement. Simmons' shot doesn't have to get to the point where it's a big part of his game, but it has to give at least a little bit of fear to opposing defenses; otherwise his passing lanes will be more clogged, his driving lanes congested. If he can come back with a semi-consistent 12-to-18-footer, it will benefit greatly. And if Saric can get his accuracy from beyond the arc to about the 35 percent mark, it will benefit all greatly.
While improving one's shot is always a good thing, I would bag the idea of having Richaun Holmes spotting up from three. I know that he is around the 36 percent mark for the season, and big men being able to spot up from outside is the new way. But if he's coming off the bench for Embiid, I'd like to see him punishing defenses down low with his energy and toughness and tenacity for the ball. A three once in a while? Sure. But don't make it a huge area of concern.
I don't know if there's much else you can ask of Robert Covington than what he's done to improve his game since arriving. Yes, his outside shot has fallen off a bit as he's just 33 percent from three. But he has become such a versatile player at both ends of the court, you can almost live with that shortcoming, as long as it doesn't get worse.
For guards Bayless and T.J. McConnell, it must be about getting better at just what they do - Bayless providing a combo-guard skill set that will pair nicely with Simmons, and McConnell offering gritty play on both ends that should supply terrific energy off the bench.
In Nik Stauskas, Justin Anderson and Gerald Henderson, you're looking at three guys who have to prove their versatility come September, as each has a characteristic that is beneficial for a role player. And when you throw in the improved play of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and how much how much athleticism and relentlessness he has shown at both ends of the court, this summer is crucial for the Frenchman.
Asked what the best outcome for Jahlil Okafor would be this summer, Brown said, "Getting him healthy. He wants to please. It's maybe, at times, his strength and his weakness. He wants to get back and remind people of who Jahlil Okafor is."
Getting him healthy would surely be beneficial if the team is looking to unload him, which seems to be in the best interest of all involved.
For the fourth consecutive campaign, the offseason is more important than the regular season. This, however, might be the most important one yet of the Brown era.
@BobCooney76
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