Brackins: What you need to know
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Brackins: What you need to know
When the 76ers traded Willie Green and Jason Smith to the New Orleans Hornets for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins, that deal was executed, in large part, because the Sixers thought they saw something in Brackins and wanted to evaluate him more closely.
In a way, that deal was similar to the one the Sixers pulled off before the 2010 trading deadline, when they acquired Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Royal Ivey and Primoz Brezec. That deal was centered around Meeks, while the Hornets' deal was built around Brackins.
All of this begs the question: can Brackins burst onto the scene next season like Meeks did this season? In the last few days, we've been talking about the Sixers needs on the interior and questions have come up, repeatedly, about where Brackins stands heading into the 2011-12 season. Instead of looking for the answers outside of the current roster, is it possible that at least one player on the current roster -- Brackins -- might possess the skills to contribute on the interior and fill that gap?
I think the honest answer to this question is no. Brackins might, if he improves dramatically this off-season, earn some playing time in a reserve role, but he does not possess the skill set -- physical presence, toughness, rebounding, shotblocking, post moves -- the Sixers must acquire before the start of next season.
Just so we all have the same info, here are Brackins stats during the regular NBA season (quite limited sample size) and during his stints in the NBDL (much larger sample). Brackins is a 6-foot-10 forward from Iowa State, 240 pounds. He'll be entering his second season in the NBA. During the 2010-11 season, he appeared in three games for the Sixers, playing a total of 33 minutes. During those minutes he was 4 for 16 from the floor, 0 for 5 from three, scoring a total of 8 points, and grabbing a total of 4 rebounds. All of that spreads out to averages of 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds a game. It's obviously a sample size so small that we can't draw any legitimate conclusions. During his 18 games in the NBDL, Brackins started 13 games and averaged 37.6 minutes a game. He averaged 20.1 points and 8.6 rebounds a game, shooting 44.4 percent form the floor, 24.7 percent from three, and 72.7 percent from the line. Listing these numbers gives you some idea of Brackins' game, but realistically we can't answer many questions looking at his NBA minutes. And we can't be too excited by his NBDL numbers because, quite simply, the competition isn't there.
The Sixers are committed to Brackins through next season, during which they will pay him $1.4 million. The following season, the 2012-13 season, the Sixers have a team option on him.
We'll try to explain the Brackins situation using gathered knowledge from during the season. And we quickly addressed this topic during last week's Live Chat (we'll be holding another this Friday at 1 p.m. after we get an idea of what's going down at the Chicago combine).
Here's what's good about Brackins: he has his head on straight. He mixed with the right crowd during his time up with the Sixers, hanging around Jrue Holiday, Meeks, Evan Turner, etc. He works hard and understood his role with the Sixers last season. He's not going to cause drama, but seemed to be a guy who would always be ready when a chance did come his way. In that regard, he reminds a lot of Meeks, who made the most of last season's early chances and parlayed that into a starting role. He easily picks up offenses and concepts, so, unlike a guy like Marreese Speights, you're not going to worry about him not knowing the play. He's a big guy who can really shoot from the outside and can get his outside shot off anytime he wants. He stretches the floor.
Here are the drawbacks with Brackins: He doesn't quite have a position as of right now. He can play both small and power forward, but he's got the same problem a lot of other guys on this roster have: he's probably too slow to guard an opposing small forward and might get out-bulked guarding an opposing power forward. He's getting stronger, but he's not strong enough and possesses no inside presence. While watching him play in 3-on-3 games toward the end of this past season, he always gets pushed off his spot. If he's trying to post on the block, he'd eventually be catching it at like the mid-post or the short corner, and then often the shot he's taking is a mid-range jumper. The Sixers already have a lot of guys (namely, Marreese Speights in a reserve role) that are playing the exact same way. He must improve on his defense because right now he's not especially good at any one thing: he can't guard the perimeter, he's still learning the pick-and-roll defense, and he's not an interior defender.
Those are the basics surrounding Brackins, which I think are important to understand as we move forward in the off season. Next season, he'll likely enter with an opportunity to pick up minutes in a reserve role. Realistically, earning reserve minutes is his ceiling. Because, unlike what Meeks did this year, the Sixers have no glaring need for a 6-10 big man with a sweet outside shot. Like we said earlier, that's pretty much what Speights brought to the table. Brackins brings better basketball IQ and, likely, a more disciplined attitude, which means he could pick up some of those minutes, but he's not the answer to the big man question.
In addition, Brackins and Speights seem to overlap far too much. There won't be minutes for both of them, which means as the trading season nears, either one would be an easy piece to include in a trade.
As this week's Chicago combine nears, we'll just be touching on some of these smaller Sixers' issues so we all know the lay of the land as the 2011 NBA Draft approaches (June 23) and the NBA's trading season nears. If anyone has a specific topic they want addressed, shoot me an email, kfagan@phillynews.com, or post it in the comments section below (yes, I read the comments, which is occasionally a painful thing to do).
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--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
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Really appreciate the analysis. Been wondering why Brackins couldn't crack the lineup this year. Please dump Speights for something and maybe hope Brackins can add some bulk and a mean streak for next season.— tripleplay83- "mixed in with the right crowd", ok, so whom on this team should he be avoiding?— BlackFeet01
- I feel completely up-to-date on Brackins. Thank you.— fritztastic
- I hate to be that guy but, Brackins? Really? Craig Brackins? Its clear most people have no clue how build a team. Brackins is a bench player at best. He has no defense which is a critical flaw for a post player. What I will give him is his heart and rebounding.
We need a star not a bench player. You build a bench after you get the stars. Nice try tho.— Casin055 - They should have Brackins slim down and lean out to 220-225, while building some strength and just make him a SF. He doesn't have the shoulders and width to ever be a post presence or a defender in the paint.
The Sixers have this bad habit of trying to make guys things they aren't. Brackins is a SF, let him be a SF. Thad Young is a PF, keep him at PF. Speights is not remotely a center, he's a PF. Evan Turner is not athletic enough to play either SF or SG, his game is that of a PG, make him a PG, then decide later whether he or Holiday is your PG of the future and trade the other.
Brackins has a nice handle, he's got a pretty jumper, he needs to play reserve minutes at the SF spot and then let his height for the SF position be an extra benefit, rather than having his lack of strength be a detriment at the PF spot.— PhilaPhans - i agree with you totally except young being a PF. Bosh is nothing to be scared of in the post but thad had problems with him because of his lengtgh. He can be a reserve PF but i doubt that's the role he wants and definately not what the sixers or any team willing to give him $11M will be paying him for.
- Brackins is learning the pro game, and has his head on straight. What's bad about that? Nobody can predict whether he will always be an end of the bench guy or will post NBDL type numbers in the NBA someday. He may be a matchup nightmare for other teams if he truly has 3 point shooting range and stands 6-10. I look forward to seeing what Collins can get out of him next season.— Paul SoTX
- Great post Kate. Let's hope the Sixers trade Speights and give all those minutes to someone who understands what's going on.— Boy Howdie
- Always was surprised that Doug gave up on Jason Smith.— JBP
- Brackins Schmakins. Barkley was right. It makes no difference as the Sixers will be no more competitive next year. They will get another weak pick resulting in another "nice little player" and will stay in NBA purgatory. This is the NBA. Unless you get the perfect top 3 pick in a year where there just happens to be a difference maker in the draft than you are just out of luck.— Sewellmatt
- The Sixers will be behind the Celtics and Knicks next year and the next and the next. — JonKap
- i can't stand the lakers or Kobe Bryant but he was taken at number #13 in "96" & is one of the greatest to ever play the game while A.I. is at home probably posting like us. Darko was taken #2 behind lebron & in fron of melo and wade in "03" and boy what a difference he has made. i just can't wait to purchase his jersey because i know they are selling like hot cakes in MN. my point, we can't predict zip from the draft. While durant is the future of thr NBA, hopefully oden can redeem himself from plagues of injury.
- Nah, he's in West Phil shopping on 52 street, eating at club mcdonalds on 40th and going to check out a flick at the bridge... get at him BigVil,lol
Comment removed.- Headline: "Is Brackins the Answer?"
The answer to what? The 76ers mediocrity? Yeah, right.
Who dreams-up these headlines?— wordsword 
Yes he is the answer, and the question is who gets less time than Speights- It maybe difficult to evaluate now but i think brackins maybe a steal that people don't have the vision to see yet. It's obvious we need a bruiser and he's not that. Fine, go after a C then. And we don't need a soft euro and i'm not talking currency! at 6"10 with an outside shot & long arms? are you kiddin me? I'm not saying he's a poor man's lamar odom just yet till we see more but we have him for cheap now. He can definately be a nice piece with lou and meeks coming off the bench
- He had a season to show us something Mack. If he can't get time ahead of Speights that tells me all I need to know. Collins must really not like the guy as a player. I can't remember him ever saying anything positive about him.
- oh .. now i smell what you're cookin. Maybe iggy put a bug in collins ear and said, don't give him no burn coach, he wears better blazers than me!...i see your point though vil, that was a position to battle for some minutess..maybe with speights gone he can put on some JZ ad show us what he's got.
- Meeks was a mid season trade. It's hard to evaluate a player mid season. Brackins was traded before the season.
- Comment removed.
- Hey quix, i need to know how you get to post things, basically chewing mgmt out and it actually appears?
Is there an online handbook with rules or something i need to skim over? Whenever i do it, my posts don't appear and i have some valid points(at least IMO). I'm not even using profanity. Hmm makes me wonder why i'm being screened like a toddler by TSA in an airport. maybe the agents of the evil empuire don't want the sheeple to read about the truth. Now Post that - I think you have to let the computer fully load the page after you hit "submit".
- If I had to pick between Brackins and Speights, I choose Speights. Speights isn't the tweener Brackins is. He has a back to the basket game and more weight on his frame. Honestly, I believe if the team gives him the freedom to shoot he could be the key to the Sixers becoming a much better offensive team. And draft Bismack Boyombo!— MrMiles1
- All of this is irrelevant. Unless something happens with Igoudala he will start at SF. Maybe they sign Thad, if so he is the back up. Brackins at the 4 doesn't impress me. So where does he fit? If they come out of this off season with a real center, Hawes should come off the bench playing either the 4 or 5. That would solidify our front court rotation. We could go with two bigs. Imagine that.
- I think the key to this offseason will be making incremental changes. Drastic change could have the team back in the lottery. Let's say the Sixers bring back basically the same team next season. I think they become a better team. Our young players (Holiday, Turner, Meeks, Hawes) will be better. I don't think Igoudala could get any worse than last season. That alone could translate into a 45-48 win season. So making a subtle addition like a shotblocking backup center could push the team over 50 wins.— MrMiles1
- i can concur with this as well. Except i don't think hawes has an upside. he's been in the league as long as thad and being in the west with the bigger centers like yao and duncan, you'd think he'd be more aggressive. i wouldn't even sign this guy back. See if the canadians would be willing to take him off our hands for Reggie evans or just use the MLE to sign steven hunter. at least we know at 7"0 he's not afraid to block a shot. worst case, bring battie back. he played better in the interior during the heat series than hawes did all season.
- Bismack Boyombo, Bismack Boyombo, Bismack Boyombo.... this guy could turn out to be a Ben Wallace type, which is cool with me. He needs a lot of coaching just for fundamentals though. I don't think this team can afford to draft a project in the first round.
- @Philaphans: Turner's not quick enough to guard the elite PG's, and he's not a shooter, so I believe that makes him a 3. And how can you say Young is a 4? That February game in Memphis should tell you all you need to know about keeping Young off the frontline.— BlackFeet01
- you're right.,thad cannot be a 4. maybe in college but not in the NBA, unless collins wants to throw him in agasint another 4 who is his size/weight but those games will be rare. We just have to take that chance with turner. He's better with the rock in his hands. i do not like him at the 3. Maybe though if collins continually uses that point forward method. Hopefully if that's the scenario jrue doesn't mope about not having the ball as much.
- Turner can guard the point guard spot, as well as, quicker guards. When Holiday got burned by Rondo, Ellis, Billups and Rose, Turner was the one guarding them and kept them in check. Even in the playoffs, when Wade was able to pass him in the lane, Turner was still able to force him into another defender. Defending in the NBA, speed is an asset, but it does not translate how to defend well. Deron Williams and Jason Kidd (in his younger years) aren't fast but they know how to defend. — Manok
- Comment removed.
- yeah, you don't go from developmental league to starting in nba. hope he can give us random 10-15 min. based on night and matchups. a good team needs stars, but also a solid bench.— fishtown charlie
- Trade Speights and expiring contracts Kapano and Songalia, and Noc, and the #1 and #2 in the 2011 draft pick for a higher draft pick this year? Let Brackins get Speights minutes next year?— Leegles
- Brackins? You must be crackin! He's not big enuff or athletic enuff to make a difference at the 4 or 5. Move on to the next candidate.
@Blackfeet, you are correct sir. Turner cannot be a pg in today's nba. Have you seen the speed at that position?
@BigVil, yes Kapono and Songaila are freee agents. They free up $11.5M in salary, they should be replaced with mid level exceptions & that money can be used to re-sign Thad & Hawes. Both Thad & Hawes require a qualifying offer of around $4M although Thad will probably want Lou-Will, Turner type money (Lou $6M, Turner $5M)
Also unless we trade up Boyombo will be gone. Can any of you armchair GMs come up with a trade that gets us in the top 6?— mtairy1 - Draft Bismark Dakota or some such entity.— pedge
- Draft Bismark Dakota or some such entity.— pedge
- @Manok: Deron is fast, that's probably the most underrated part of his game. he QUICK. You make a valid point with Kidd, but nowadays point guards are like Derrick Rose, whom even Rondo cannot defend. You gotta ask yourself, which player do you think has better upside offensively. Whoever u don't pick, should be the one being the defensive stopper.— BlackFeet01
- @Manok: lemme clarify, so I'm not contradicting myself. Once Turner gets his conditioning back, he wouldn't be half-bad @ guarding certain guards. But Holiday's better suited to guarding the Derrick Rose of pgs, and the Richard Hamilton (in his prime) of sgs, running rampant around screens all day. That's why Stephen Jackson likes playing the 3 better. Comparable speed to Turner, and a lockdown defender, he says it's easier guarding 3's, and he's better suited to doing that. He's capable, but putting a true guard next to Jackson will yield much better results.— BlackFeet01
- I understand what you are saying just wanted to point out that Turner can defend at the PG position. Holiday should be the primary person guarding that area. As the playoffs showed, Turner can defend bigger and/or faster 3's when he defended LeBron. He just needed a chance to prove himself unlike the regular season. When Turner regains his conditioning, he should be better on both ends next season. — Manok
- Manok & Blackfeet01, I think we can all agree that Turner is an NBA player and a good defender. He's a more solid addition to the team than Willie Green or Rodney Carney. Having said that I have to agree with Blackfeet01, Turner cannot and likely will not be able to guard the quicker pgs in the league. He would be an ideal sg if he could shoot & he's big enough to give you good minutes at sf. Right now he's a player w/out a true starting position. He's a jack of all trades but a master of none. Hopefully he'll work on his game and develop into a starter but he's not as quick and can't handle like Jrue, he can't shoot like Meeks or Lou, he's not as strong and can't finish like Iggy or Thad. To me that makes him a backup with no defined position, where you play him will depend on the matchup.— mtairy1
- Brackins is not any type of answer, he is strictly a perimeter shooter...if anything Speights should have garnered wasy more minutes last year— bearsfriend
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
