Sixers: Health, money, and wins this season will have lasting impact

The Sixers are looking like they are on an upward trend, but this 2017-18 season hinges on the unknown.

When the Sixers started this galvanized rebuild, many wondered if putting all chips into good drafting would pan out. Now, Philadelphia sits with three glimmering prospects who all have the ability to be a focal point of the team. Around them, they have accumulated a roster of role players that can impact the game in a major way, on one end or the other.

All seems to be heading in the right direction. The Sixers nailed this offseason to where they are now favorites to be comfortably in the playoffs. Veteran depth mixed with star potential from a youthful, inexperienced core should make for an interesting season full of ups and downs. It’s not that this season is make or break for this team to succeed, solidifying this rebuild.

But Philadelphia will have much to analyze because of this year. Robert Covington is eligible for extension on November 15th, the three-year anniversary of his first contract signing. His play this year will determine whether an extension will help build this roster’s depth moving forward, or if it will ignite a trade. Covington has been inconsistent on offense, but his defensive energy and willingness to rebound from the wing make him almost irreplaceable.

Covington is far from lockdown along the perimeter, but his ability to disrupt passing lanes is what saves him from struggling on-ball. He also has an innate ability to poke the ball lose from behind on opponents driving to the rim.

Covington’s extension is important for the defensive stability of the Sixers moving forward, but it could also pile on as a worrisome contract as the team gears up to extend their core. This is the last season Joel Embiid will be playing under a rookie contract. It’s evident that Embiid has the potential to be atop the league’s best big men when he’s on the court. 20.2 points with a 58.4% true shooting percentage were accompanied by his 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

Embiid’s ability to run in transition, score in the post, and shooting from the outside make him one of the most versatile 7-foot scorers in the game. His instincts and length on defense only make him even more special. It would be obvious to give Embiid one of the team’s five-year rookie max contract extensions, if he were able stay on the court.

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31 games through three seasons is what should be halting the Sixers. Embiid’s talent is worth the max, but it would difficult for the team to justify max money if he fails to hit 50-60 games this year. The two sides could lock down a deal mid-season, but Philadelphia would be risking an unknown of whether Embiid is actually through his injury-plagued days. If the two parties wait until the end of the year, allowing Embiid to enter restricted free agency, Sixers may end up paying the max anyway, even if Embiid fails to stay on the court this season.

Joel Embiid’s main goal should be to hit that 50-game mark. His game is incredibly polished for someone who has had minimal basketball experience, so beyond the game played on the court is the process of actually staying on it.

It’s a peculiar situation, to say the least. Giving Embiid a five-year max, with the assumption that Ben Simmons would receive the next one, would keep this core three together for an extra year. Markelle Fultz would receive his four-year max a year after Simmons. It really does come down to Embiid’s health, as it has been for the past three years. It also will be important to how the Sixers approach Embiid, health or not.

Again, not like this is make or break of the rebuild. The Sixers would be sitting with room for a max contract in the offseason. While that has hardly been a viable outlet for Philadelphia in recent memory, their perception of a promising young team could change that. Even if that max player is not named LeBron James, the Sixers have at least a real chance make a run at some big names. This would of course alleviate the uncertainty of Joel Embiid to some degree.

What would also give them some more clout in free agency is a playoff run. As the rest of the Eastern Conference weakens, the Sixers bolstered a bench that’s strong enough to springboard them into the playoffs. The second-unit, most likely lead by scoring threats Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless, will be huge upgrades over the Philadelphia bench the last few seasons.

They are fortified at practically every position, or at least more stabilized than in prior years. Even more importantly, the Sixers are versatile on the bench. Excluding Jahlil Okafor, everyone of their bigs are guys that can switch between playing the forward/center positions. In the backcourt, they have shooters that can take the wing role, while also being primary ball-handlers. The roster is built almost exclusively around Simmons to beautiful degree, and it should make for immediate success.

The wins aren’t as important in this chainlink season, where health will impact the cap situation int he future. But with wins comes excitement, and with excitement often tends to come paydays for players around the core. If on-court success leads to playoffs, it will affect the next contract of J.J. Redick. Redick claims to want to retire in Philadelphia, and his big payday came on a one year contract.

But, with more good play, another big contract may be in line for the 33-year old shooter. Of course it would be short-term, and it seems like Redick is shooting for a long-term vision that goes beyond playing. The team success will bring Philadelphia more options, but could force their hand in bringing back important role players at a premium price.

Next: The Process of Robert Covington

This season won’t be one that could change the direction of this team, but it is one that could change the look of it. Philadelphia has a lot to assess, but with the cap space and future assets in place, they should feel comfortable about the progress of the team.