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Philadelphia 76ers: Give Bryan Colangelo Some Credit

By Kevin Schaeffer

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Bryan Colangelo has taken some flak from devout fans for the way he got the job from previous GM Sam Hinkie. But Colangelo has made some solid decisions since taking the job.

First, in the draft, Colangelo chose a potentially transcendent superstar in Ben Simmons. However, the next two picks he selected in the first round could be the ones he really hit on for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

The first pick Colangelo had after Simmons was the 6’6″ French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, or as fans call him “TLC.” When Luwawu was selected many people thought he could be a stash player who would develop for a couple more seasons overseas just like Dario Saric.

But TLC defied those thoughts and immediately joined the team. He joined Simmons in giving Sixer fans glimpses of hope and the future in the Las Vegas Summer League. Then Luwawu was added to the roster to begin the season, although he was often strapped to the bench.

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Luwawu even had some days where he would take I-95 down to Newark, Deleware to get extra work in on days where the Sixers had games and knew he would not receive playing time. In his time on the 87ers he played in 3 games and scored 10.3 points per game and added 4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

When an injury forced veteran shooting guard Gerald Henderson to miss a few games, Luwawu saw an increase in minutes. His minutes have gone up per month starting in November, where he played 5.9 minutes per game, to now in January where he plays 16.3 minutes.

With the increase in minutes, TLC has also increased his production. In 9 games in January, he is averaging about 2 more points, 1 more rebound, and .5 more assists than his season average. Luwawu adds a versatile defender, capable of guarding multiple positions. He is also an outstanding athlete that can run the floor with Ben Simmons when he returns from injury.

The only question mark with TLC is his shooting.  His form looks solid, with a repeatable stroke. But it has not translated into his game, as he is only shooting 33.3% from behind the arc. If Luwawu can develop his shot he has potential to be a key 3-and-D starter on a playoff team. Which is pretty good value for a player selected near the end of the first round. And why Colangelo admitted to having rated as the 12th player on the Sixers big board.

Furkan Korkmaz

With his last first round pick of the 2016 NBA Draft Colangelo selected Furkan Korkmaz. With the pick, the Sixers have had the rights to the only two players named Furkan in NBA history. Which is always fun for the puns that can be made with his name.

Korkmaz, unlike TLC, chose to stay overseas after being drafted despite having a clause where he could leave for the NBA. The choice to stay overseas may turn out to have been the correct one. After the signing of Henderson and the revival of Nik Stauskas, minutes would’ve been hard to come by.

Korkmaz started the European season on Saric’s old club, Anadolu Efes, but was traded to Banvit Basketbol Kulubu. Korkmaz is known as a sharpshooter, this season he is shooting 42.9% from three. The only deficiency in Korkmaz’s game is on the defensive end. He often loses his assignment, but he is athletic enough to make up for it.

Korkmaz would fit perfectly as a secondary ball handler, and spot up shooter next to Simmons. Korkmaz coming over in the 2017-18 would make fill the need of a lights-out shooter if it is not filled in the draft.

Next: Sixers’ Mindset Will Move Forward, But When?

For as much as fans get on Colangelo’s back, he has continued the process of building a team ready for a championship as good as anyone else could. First, he hit on at least one of late round draft picks, potentially both. And moved Jerami Grant for Ersan Ilyasova, whose game is a perfect compliment for Embiid.

The next step for Colangelo is moving fixing the big man situation. And then in the draft and free agency, we will see if Colangelo is the man who can take the Sixers back to the NBA Finals.