TBT: Philadelphia 76ers

Previous record: 45-37 (7^th seed in the Eastern Conference)

Previous season (in a paragraph):

It was the King�s team in Philadelphia, and when he played, they were good. A team that reflected how GM Ben sees the game; value placed on defensive ability, versatility and particular 2k badges. Despite their versatility and defensive prowess, the fit was never all that smooth and at times, there was too much of the same sound and not enough complementary instruments to play. Having said that, they finished the season strong and were a top-4 team masquerading as a 7^th seed. They dispatched Luka Doncic and the Hornets in the first round and almost toppled the Bulls in the semis to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Bowing out, heads held high, the 76ers players enjoyed the off-season and the front office got to work. In no time at all, LeBron James was moved in a deal, which is hard to fathom.

Highlight:

The playoff run, no doubt. King James went Royal Rumble mode, dispatching every oncoming opponent right back over the top rope from whence they came. Over the two series � against the Hornets and the Bulls � James averaged 46 points, 12.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2 blocks per game, shooting 58% from the field. I watched some of the games� it�s as dominant as I�ve ever seen a player be. He was amazing and he willed his team to their wins and through the playoffs.

I suppose this display is a microcosm of what was good and bad about the 76ers and their build; despite these heroic numbers and performances from LeBron, the best player in the game, they still couldn�t close out the series again the Chicago Bulls and Anthony Davis, with their funky lineups, better scoring and better depth. The 76ers, too, appeared to notice that something needed to change.

Lowlight:

Call it lazy writing if you want, you opinionated swine, but it would have to be the Chicago Bulls series. Oh, what could have been? The 76ers took a commanding 2-0 lead and home court from the Bulls. However, they failed to win another game and allowed the Bulls to take control of the line-up game and strategic superiority, storming home with four straight wins to eliminate LeBron and the 76ers from the playoffs. If the 76ers had overcome the Bulls, they would have booked themselves a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons � a team that had absolutely no match up for James. 

Best trade:

76ers trade Joe Harris (to the Lakers) for Danny Green and a 1^st

I think it speaks volumes that absolutely no one has asked about Joe Harris this off-season, despite his constant advertisement and availability being talked about on Discord. Be as PC as you want, Ben, but this was a nice ol� rookie pillaging. Lakers are the rawest roster in the league, so not only does the value not make sense for them, neither does the fit. Shockingly, Danny Green is better than the player he was traded for � which you can�t say very often. Easily the most winning trade for 76ers.

Worst trade:

76ers trade Terance Mann for a 2^nd
This has only aged poorly very recently, as it comes to light that this Mann can play.

Note � there were so many nice little subtle trades here, with lots of buying of 2^nd round picks and then re-positioning, condensing of the picks. He�s one of the best at this.

Draft:

According to Jasonpitts, via official NSL draft analysis piece:

13. Philadelphia 76ers /B

Picks - 30, 32, 43, 48, 54, 59

Players - 30. DayRon Sharpe, 32. BJ Boston, 43. Rokas Jokubaitis, 48. Juhann Begarin, 54. Aaron Henry, 59. Scottie Lewis 

This is a hard one. Sharpe and Boston look like great picks, and the 76ers will tell you that they nailed the rest of them too. As this is the first year of the new Utah GM, we will have to wait and see if all they say about the 76ers is true, and if the wizardry of the second round will take off. For the meantime, there seems to be a lot of potential here and the rumbles of some big trades coming too...

Lots of �Nenjabin� types in this lot. You can tell by their names and their draft positions. He unearths capable players each season from these spots. 


Key players:

Damian Lillard � The Omega

2021 Finals MVP. The poster-boy for the perfect storm of 2k settings/game for quick-trigger shooters. A star in this league, he is the guy Philadelphia believe will be their star for years to come. He is a home-brand Stephen Curry, which is actually a huge complement. Dame will do Dame things, and be one of the most brilliant and potent scorers.




Draymond Green � The Underachiever

No one loves 2k-Dray as much as Ben. I am a huge fan of him in real life, but does his intangible, defensive brilliance impact the 2k game? With no LeBron, there is more of a role here for Draymond to play his game and complement the shooters around him. Is this the year?

Aleksej Pokusevski � The Wildcard

Boy, has this guy been talked about. Some are well and truly on the hype train, others aren�t convinced. He has the unicorn perquisites, but is he good enough? If he can fulfill his potential, starting this season, the 76ers will have a weapon off the bench, and a building piece for the future. Neeiiiigggh. Unicorns neigh, right?

Free Agency recap:

+ LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA) [99 GMs]

+ Max Strus (RFA)

+ Omer Yurtseven (RFA)

+ signing their second round picks from 2021 draft


The future:

Nenjabin is one of the rare managers who maintains focus on winning while cycling through his team with younger players, keeping a positive impact on winning as well as building for the future and adding value to the 76er�s portfolio. He�s good at it. Ticking over the trades via buying 2^nd rounders, condensing them for better assets, finding steals in the second round. They are a consistent machine and won�t fluctuate too far from the mean, either way.

They underachieved last season in terms of standings position but showed what they can do in the playoffs. This upcoming season, I think they will be thereabouts again � I think they have improved as a roster and have a more balanced team, but I can�t ignore the fact that LeBron is gone. Does Damian Lillard have what he possessed last season and in the previous 2k? Ben won�t be rushed, or pushed, and will find success in one form or another. I think they will be a team winning a playoff series. How far? We will find out at season�s end.

On top of his role as the 76er�s top dog, Nenjabin is critical to the league not only moving forward, but functioning from day to day.