When listening to Jahlil Okafor talk, it’s hard not to hear the confidence and cockiness in his voice. When asked if he was ready to be a team’s centerpieice, this is how he responded. “‘I am ready,’ Okafor said. ‘I was the No. 1 player out of high school, so I always had a lot of attention and then I went to Duke University, one of the bigger schools in the country, won a national championship. So I’m used to it. I think I’ll handle it pretty fine.’” Now when hearing that, don’t you just want to see how he’ll play. This type of attitude is something you want in a superstar, for this mindset can affect the players around him to. Dominating is nothing new for Okafor. In High School, he averaged 20 points per game with 10 rebounds per game. Okafor was a first team All- American, and was the 2013-2014 Chicago Athlete of the year. In College, Jahlil Okafor averaged 17 points per game with 8 rebounds per game. Okafor dominated in the post, and drew comparisons to a young Tim Duncan. At Duke, he lead the Blue Devils to a National Title over the Wisconsin Badgers. Okafor was awarded with Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the year, and was also apart of the first team All-ACC team. Finally, he finished his college career as one of the finalist to the John R. Wooden Award. Okafor has his mind set on bigger things in the NBA and looks to come home with even more hardware as he eyes of the 2015-2016 NBA Rookie of the Year. The Sixers got a good one in Okafor, hopefully he can be this team’s centerpiece in the coming years.

The 76ers look like they will be drafting pretty high in the draft next year as they continue their rebuild. With the injury of Joel Embiid, the 76ers don’t look to make that big of a jump in the standings during the 2015-2016 season. Jahilil Okafor will impact this teams wins, but it won’t be that much of a change. With no real impact player brought in during free agency, the Sixers look to stay toward the bottom of the standings. Which actyually wouldn’t be such a made thing, as they would have another opportunity to land a star. Here are several players the Sixers will be looking at in next years draft.

Ben Simmons

Simmons is a 6’10” explosive athlete from Montverde Academy who will be playing his college ball at LSU. Simmons was ranked as the number 1 power forward and number 1 player in the nation by ESPN. Ben Simmons plays like a point guard at his height and has been compared to a poor man’s LeBron James. As a senior, Simmons averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds per game. Adding him to a line up that will boast Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, hopefully Embiid, and Dario Saric gives the Sixers a nice core to build around.

Jaylen Brown

Brown is a 6’8″ physical freak from Joseph Wheeler High School who will be taking his talents to the University of California. He was ranked second overall on ESPN’s top 150 recruits, just behind Ben Simmons. Brown is a offensive talent, who helped lead his team to a class AAAAAA state title. With his offensive ability, he would give the 76ers a go to scorer, and someone they can rely on to get the ball in the basket on a consistent basis.

Now predicting the future is a hard task for anybody, but with the draft come and gone, free agency period over with, and only 2 months till the start of the season, I think it’s time to see what we have as a team. The 76ers go into the 2015 season with hopes of showing some real progress, but I don’t think they want to get out of the NBA’s cellar (Well at least for on more year). That being said, it’s time to see who might the Sixers throw out on the court come the first game of the season.

76ers projected Starting Line-up for the 2015-2016 Season:

Point Guard: Tony Wroten

After coming off a torn ACL last year, it’s hard to like Wroten running the point. But before the injury, he averaged nearly 17 ppg. If he can improve his three point shooting, and stay healthy, Wroten could be prized with a big year.

Shooting Guard: Nik Staukus

This is an interesting one. After coming off a sub par rookie season, Staukus looks to rebound with a new home. After the All-Star break last year, Staukus shot 42% from behind the arc however. Hopefully he can live up to his number 8 overall pick billing in Philly.

Small Forward: Robert Covington

It’s hard not to go Jerami Grant here, for he really did look good in the summer league. But to me, Covington deserves the start. From playing in the D-League, to averaging 13.5 ppg in the NBA, the Sixers struck gold with the 24 year old small forward.

Power Forward: Nerlens Noel

Noel had a magnificent Rookie Season and he looks to continue that next year with Jahlil Okafor by his side. With averaging 1.8 blocks per game and 1.9 steals per game, Noel should be a great complement to the offensive minded center in Okafor.

Center: Jahlil Okafor

Okafor showed finesse and domination in his lone year at Duke and the 6’11” rookie looks to continue that amongst the NBA ranks. With averaging 17 ppg and 8.5 rpg in college, Okafor looks like a franchisee center piece that a team could definitely build around.

According to TNT’s David Aldridge, “The Sixers were hoping to take D’Angelo Russell with the third overall pick in June when the Lakers snagged him at No. 2”. Now obviously, this can be viewed two different ways: The Sixers are worse without Russell or Better without him.

The first viewpoint is that the SIxers needed Russell. And it’s not wrong to think like this. D’Angelo Russell was the most dynamic ball handler in college. A description the Sixers would love to have out of a pint guard. He could score the rock by averaging 19.3 ppg at Ohio State. He shot the ball from 3 at a 41% clip, average 5 assists a game and nearly 2 steals a game, why wouldn’t the Sixers want him. Especially the Sixers, for a true scoring guard that could shoot and distribute is something they desperately needed. With already having two big men on the roster and Tony Wroten scheduled to start at point guard, the Sixers could have used Russell playmaking and star capability. Russell was a tantalizing pick at number 3, but with the Lakers selecting him the pick before, the Sixers went another direction and drafted Duke big man, Jahlil Okafor.

The second viewpoint is that the SIxers are better off without Russell. When you really dig deep into it, was the SIxers drafting Jahlil Okafor better for them? Some may think so, for his post game and offensive game is something that hasn’t been seen out of college since Tim Duncan. He has the basketball I.Q. to kick it out when double teamed or still manage to score down low, the man’s really gifted. Also, with the injury to Joel Embiid, the Sixers now have a spot for Okafor. This season will be interesting for we will be able to see how an offensive minded center in Okafor, and defensive presence power forward in Nerlens Noel can coexist. By the time Embiid comes back, we will have an answer to our “Too many big men problem” (Yet, I’d take a Embiid off the bench, and have three game changing big on my team over anything any day).

The 76ers were supposedly in on Russell from that start and really hoped they got him at 3. But with now having Jahlil Okafor as the franchise player, is that really a bad thing? Only time will tell, but hey, as Sixers fan’s, we’re use to waiting.

This summer, the NBA free agency came and went. We saw high profile players like LaMarcus Aldridge and Rajon Rondo find new homes. We also saw stars stay with there hometown with the likes of Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwyane Wade. Yes, free agency is a time where teams can improve their team and add the final piece to a championship run. It’s where teams don’t have to rely on a draft pick to add talent to their squad.

The 76ers however have used the free agency period the past several years to add expiring contracts and acquire drafts picks. That theme did not change this year either, as the Sixers brought in no players that can help their team win now. Instead, they focused on what they’ve been focusing on for 3 years now, the future.

The 76ers did not sign a single free agent this year. The only moves they made were  trades with the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. In the KIngs Trade, the 76ers acquired Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, a 2018 protected first-round pick and the option to swap 2016 and 2017 first-rounders, all in exchange for recent second-round acquisitions Arturas Gudaitis (47^th overall) and Luka Mitrovic (60^th).

This ultimately paid off for the Sixers, for they real won this trade. Not only do they get to swap future firsts, they get a protected one in 2018 which can help add to an already budding core by the time. The Kings were only salary dumping unwanted contracts on the team for a chance to get an impact player in free agency (Rajon Rondo).

The Warriors trade was  Jason Thompson for Gerald Wallace and a 2016 NBA draft consideration. The Sixers have to right to swap the lesser of the first-round picks from the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder with Golden State’s first-rounder. This trade was ultimately a trade for the future again. Just Sam Hinkie collecting assets.

The 76ers will make a big swing soon at big free agents in the coming years. They have the money, assets, and bright future all used to lure players in. It obviously won’t be until they start winning, but several years down the line, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Sixers land a big time star during free agency.

Ahh, the Summer League. A time where we finally get to see the top players of the next generation in action. The Summer League is consisted of first and second year players, most likely the team’s top draft picks. Recently, the 76ers just wrapped up their summer play with a combined record of 2-6 between the Utah and Las Vegas Leagues. Although their record doesn’t show, some real strides were made during those 8 games.

First, Jahlil Okafor did not disappoint. The big man averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds a game, while doing his best to keep the Sixers in the games. He showed off his impressive footwork and post game, which Philadelphia fans can’t wait to see in the winter. A player that also performed well in Utah was Jordan McRae. McRae was a second round pick of the Sixers last year, but he decided to play his first year over in Australia, to get some more seasoning. This year, he looks to play a prominent role for the 76ers as a scoring, facilitating guard. After all, the 6-5 Guard averaged over 20 ppg in Australia, while he dropped 15 ppg in the summer. Finally, one last player who made an impression on me was Furkan Aldemir. Who? Exactly. Furkan came over to the Sixers half way through the season from Turkey. If there is one thing Furkan showed he could do last year, it was rebound. And it carried over into the summer as the big man averaged 13 rebounds a game, leading the league. He also showed some offensive game which didn’t exist during the season last year. He also nailed a couple threes. If he can get that into his arsenal next season, he will play a bigger role than just a body to grab boards.

Final Thoughts, The strides several Sixers showed in the Summer League didn’t exactly result in wins. Never the less, these games don’t matter at all. It was a first taste to see our top pick in action. A chance for a player to make a statement on his game, and another who showed he may have more value than originally thought. That’s the greatness of the Summer League, we have the opportunity to have our questions and thoughts answered 4 months before the season starts. Now we must wait until November, but hey, at least we have a good idea of what to expect out the players for the upcoming season.

Last week, 76ers’ fans and NBA fans were shocked by the news of Joel Embiid and the fact that there is a real chance he misses the 2015-2016 season. Now this is a huge blow to a 76ers team that really did plan on Joel to start the year along side Nerlens Noel at center. The news was broken by 76ers beat reporter Keith Pompey via Twitter. “According to sources, #Sixers center Joel Embiid will have a second surgery and is likely to miss 2015-2016 season.” With Embiid likely out another year, the Sixers are faced with a difficult situation. Do they move on from Embiid and leave him out of their rebuilding plan or do they wait another year and hope he develops into the franchise center his potential has them to believe?

It truly is a tough decision to make, for each choice will now be center around Joel Embiid’s health and whether or not he is able to return to action. It certainly does look like the Sixers were prepared for such a scenario, as they drafted Duke Center Jahiil Okafor with the number 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. Now although the 76ers already have two centers on their roster (Noel and Embiid), Jahiil Okafor was the best pick they could of made. The Sixers draft picks in recent years have been made off the idea of “best player available” mentality. Okafor was obviously the best player available and after Okafor, the talent and potential of each player after dropped significantly. Plus, Okafor is an established center, and unlike Noel and Embiid, will be able to play his first season and make a serious impact.

If the 76ers do decide to stick with Embiid, will having two talented big men on the floor (Noel and Okafor) and one game changing center (Embiid) coming off the bench really be a bad thing. They can always experiment having all three on the team and see if it will work out. If not, they can trade one of them and receive another highly coveted draft pick to help the rebuild get back on course. With the Embiid injury, the Sixers aren’t necessarily back where they started. They still have tons of draft picks, a boat load of cap space, and a young developing roster with already two cornerstone players (Noel Embiid).

Obviously, the injury to Embiid is heart breaking and really hurts the Sixers development THIS year. But with another top 5 pick next year, along with 3 more first rounder’s, the ability to sign a marquee free agent, and the possible return of Embiid, the 76ers are still in good position for the 2016-2017. Add in the fact that Dario Saric will finally come from overseas that season, and the Sixers look to be poised for a playoff berth with or without Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers are an abomination.  Scratch that, they are an atrocity to the game of basketball and an embarrassment to the NBA. Their roster is a never ending carousel of low level NBA players and D-Leaguers who essentially have the opportunity to strut there stuff in hopes of earning another 10 day contract.

That’s something a Sixers hater or a fan of the other 29 NBA teams might say.

I know with me being a die hard Sixer fan, my stand point might sound a little bias, but I can guarantee the Sixer will win an NBA Championship in the next 5 years.

Hear me out.

Between now and 2021, the Sixers have 10 first round picks and 12 second round picks. In next years draft, they have the opportunity to have 4 first round picks if all goes according to plan. They will have their own pick along with the Lakers’ pick (top-3 protected), the Heat’s pick (Top-10 protected), and the Thunder’s pick (Lottery protected).  That’s four opportunities to strike gold in the first round.  Four chances to get a first round talent that can help contribute to an already young budding core.

So they are good on draft picks.

Now the team they have now is obviously not capable of winning a championship next year. I mean they were a combined 37-127 in the last two years. But they do have some intriguing pieces in place. First off, they have a defensive force in Nerlens Noel. If the rookie of the year was decided off second half stats, Nerlens Noel would have walked away with the hardware after averaging 13.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg, and 2.0 spg after the All- Star break. The only other rookie to average 2 blocks per game and 1.5 steals per game was David Robinson back in 1989. Then they have an offensive minded center in Jahlil Okafor, whose post game and footwork is something that hasn’t been seen out of a big man in college since Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest in 1997. With his 270 pound frame, he has the ability to abuse defenders in the paint, and has the basketball I.Q. to kick it out to shooters when he gets double teamed.

And have you seen his hands?

That’s a regular sized basketball… my goodness.

And let’s not forget about the crown jewel in Joel Embiid. Even though he has a history of injuries, the potential this kid has is through the roof. He has the ability to be both better than Noel on defense and Okafor on offense. He can block your shot, dribble down the floor as you try to steal the ball from him, and then throw it down on you leaving you wondering why you even tried to go for the block. Scouts compare his game to Hakeem Olajuwon and he even has the ability to stroke it from 3 when open.

Yeah

If you have three young, foundational players on your team that are being compared to hall of famers like Robinson, Duncan, and Olajuwon, then I think you’re in good hands.

And let’s not forget about Dario Saric. The 12th overall pick in last year’s draft is stashed overseas playing for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball League where he is averaging 10 ppg to go along with 6 rpg. The Croatian Sensation is expected to come over to the Sixers at the beginning of the 2016-2017 season.

So they are set on young talent.

What else do they need that could set them over the top?

Oh Yeah, Cap Space! The Sixers are among the top 10 teams when it comes to available money to spend. Being a part of these select group of teams allows them to be creative in free agency. Sam Hinkie, Sixers GM,  could of threw all the money in the world at Kawhi Leonard or offered Jimmy Butler a max contract, but that’s not part of the process. The plan is to stockpile draft picks in hopes one or two of those picks become superstars. Then, once the team starts becoming a playoff team, that’s when you bring in another big piece in free agency to compliment your already young core.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team on the rise. They have a plethora of draft picks, young developing talent, and the freedom to spend big in free agency. Add in the fact that they have one of the best coach’s in the league in Brett Brown (don’t judge him by their record, Greg Popovich could of coached this team those two years and they’d still be a top 5  lottery team), and you have the recipe for success.

The Philadelphia 76ers will win an NBA Championship in the next 5 years. So if I were you, I would jump on the bandwagon now before it is too late.