Sixers must find success in developing young wings
The Sixers may see some added depth at the wing position come draft night and free agency, but they still need improvement from current players.
When the Sixers fell behind the Los Angeles Lakers at third the night of the draft lottery, the instantaneous reaction was that Josh Jackson would be making his way to Philadelphia. The star-potential wing would add depth and defensive success to arguably the most important position in the modern NBA.
Successful teams have great production on both sides of the ball from the wing positions, and if the Sixers can add a promising player there it would seem the team’s foundation for success would start to become complete. Even with the addition of Jackson, the team will need growth from its current wings.
The rapid development of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has many thinking a bigger role will immediately mean better results. Luwawu-Cabarrot has turned into an excellent cutter from the perimeter, a huge question coming into the draft. Through summer league and the early stages of the season, cutting to the basket seemed to come naturally. To become more of an effective rotation player, he will have to develop more of an aggressive scoring attitude.
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Since the day of the draft, I’ve had Luwawu-Cabarrot pinned as a potential Trevor Ariza-type player. He still has ways to go on both sides of the ball to reach that comp, but especially when it comes to on-ball defense. Despite his quickness, he has massive trouble staying in front of both small forwards and guards. The more comfortable Luwawu-Cabarrot gets defending the wing position, the more effective he could perform in a versatile Sixers lineup.
Another wing that has been somewhat disappointing on the defensive end is Justin Anderson. Anderson has had shining moments in his half season with the Sixers, but his incredible length should allow him to be more of a consistent defender at the wing and front-court positions. Anderson’s shooting will never be consistent enough to make him a viable option, but like Luwawu-Cabarrot, his effectiveness on offense comes from a fluid knowledge of finding open space without the ball.
His energy and athleticism allow him to become a ferocious finisher around the rim, but there is a question of consistency throughout his overall game. Anderson was the center piece of an important trade, and can be a staple for this team’s bench if his defense elevates and he finds a way to score at a sufficient rate.
Robert Covington will also need to see some growth for this to become a formidable wing unit. The streaky shooting, high energy forward has turned into one of the most valued wings in the league. His ability to cut off passing lanes and to stop a player’s drive to the basket in transition from the most unlikely positions makes him the teams best wing player. His on-ball defense must improve, however.
Too many times Covington seems to be lost an island in one-on-one situations, which he usually makes up for by poking the ball from behind. But it does force his teammates to rotate earlier than necessary, resulting into a decent look for the offense.
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Adding Josh Jackson would solidify this team’s depth at the wing position. With all of these young players being versatile enough to play multiple positions, seeing improvement in various aspects on both sides of the ball would make allow for rapid team improvement for the Sixers.