Getty Isaiah Joe #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies reach for a rebound.
Along with building a roster that can make a run at the NBA title, the Philadelphia 76ers have done a fine job of collecting promising young talent. Headlined by breakout star Tyrese Maxey, multiple prospects in the pipeline show potential of one day being contributing rotation players.
With the draft and free agency quickly approaching, it’s time for Daryl Morey to continue putting together a contender. After solidifying the Sixers’ star talent by acquiring James Harden last season, the focus now shifts to the supporting cast.
Among the vacancies the Sixers need to fill in the backup center position. While Morey could go and sign someone for the veteran’s minimum, the organization believes this is a spot they can fill with people already in-house. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice recently mentioned the Sixers have hopes for Charles Bassey and Paul Reed to step up and become Joel Embiid’s backup moving forward.
The Sixers do seem to feel good about their young bigs, the hope being that one (or ideally both) of Paul Reed and Charles Bassey will step forward to take a full-time role next season. In an ideal world, the Sixers use their resources this summer on upgrading the guard and wing depth while Reed and Bassey fight for minutes behind Embiid.
Paul Reed got a chance to fill in at backup center in the playoffs and managed to hold his own. Through 12 games, he averaged 3.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG. Charles Bassey spent most of his time this year in the G-League with the Delaware Blue Coats. The 21-year-old appeared in 17 games and averaged 18.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.4 BPG.
Jaden Springer Expected to Compete For Minutes
Another player who almost exclusively played in the G-League is 2021 first-round pick, Jaden Springer. Still only 19 years old, the Sixers are taking their time with his development.
Springer played 19 games for the Blue Coats this season and averaged 14.9 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG. After being pleased with his progress during his first year as a pro, the Sixers are also expecting the young guard to compete for a spot in Doc Rivers’ rotation during camp.
Elsewhere in young depth musings, the team was satisfied with progress shown by 2021 first-round pick Jaden Springer throughout his time in the G-League, and there is hope that the year of experience will have him ready to compete for a rotation job in training camp.
Isaiah joe is ‘Long Shot’ For Rotation Spot
The final member of the Sixers’ pool of young prospects is Isaiah Joe. During his two years with the team, he has gotten multiple opportunities to show what he can do at the NBA level.
The former second-round pick appeared in 55 games this season and averaged 3.6 PPG while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. Among all the young players on the team, Joe is seen as a long shot to secure a rotation spot in the future.
The team has not written off Isaiah Joe, but it’s probably fair to say at this point he is viewed as the longest shot to stick and produce, Joe having struggled to consistently make shots in limited opportunities for the Sixers.
For a team that desperately needs three-point shooting, Joe should not be counted out just yet. The young guys haven’t gotten much of a chance outside of garbage time the past two seasons, but that could begin to change next year.
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