17 pressing questions for 17 Sixers players ahead of the NBA’s unofficial start

Monday will be about talking for the Sixers, who will hold their annual media day to unofficially lift the curtain on the 2022-23 season before heading to Charleston for training camp.

That marks one of the first opportunities to ask players, coach Doc Rivers, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey about the Sixers’ upcoming quest to contend for a championship in a competitive Eastern Conference. They used an active offseason to reshape their supporting cast around MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and perennial All-Star James Harden.

In that spirit, here is one pertinent question facing each Sixers player as the season begins:

Embiid has been quite deliberate in his development into one of the NBA’s dominant players. He has implemented off-the-dribble moves inspired by Kobe Bryant. He has been a defensive force in the middle. He has become more of a vocal leader.

Last season, it was clear Embiid wanted to prove his durability, which he believed was the primary outside knock against him. He played in a career-high 68 of 82 regular-season games (nine of those absences were for his being in COVID-19 health and safety protocols) and led the NBA in scoring with 30.6 points per game. That anchored the Sixers as they navigated the Ben Simmons saga and trade-deadline acquisition of Harden.

And yet, unlucky injuries plagued Embiid during the playoffs. He tore a ligament in his thumb in the Sixers’ first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. He continued to play with it stabilized with tape on his hand and wrist. But in the final minutes of Game 6 of that series, Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and concussion when he took a Pascal Siakam inadvertent elbow to the face. He missed Games 1 and 2 of the next round against the Miami Heat, and the Sixers lost the series in six games.

After finishing as the MVP runner-up to the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic for the second consecutive season, Embiid said he no longer cares about the league’s most prestigious individual award for which he previously campaigned. He will likely say winning a title, and being in top form for the playoffs, will be his sole focus this season.

But what does that look like day-to-day? Does he take more “load management” games during the regular season? Defer more in-game to preserve his energy long-term? Or does he go with another full-throttle approach?

Even with limited time to establish chemistry with new teammates post-trade, Harden ranked second in the NBA in assists last season (10.3 per game) and became an outstanding pick-and-roll partner with Embiid.

Missing, however, was the explosiveness that made Harden such a dynamic scorer for a decade. He struggled to get past defenders off the dribble and finish at the basket. His three-point percentage (33%) was the worst of his career, and his field-goal percentage (41%) was his lowest since his rookie season.

Harden acknowledged in a July interview with Yahoo! Sports that his hamstring was still not right last season. Now he is coming off his first full offseason since before the pandemic, allowing him to heal and build proper conditioning for the season’s grind.

The Sixers do not need Harden to carry the same offensive load that he did in Houston. But rekindling the threat Harden used to be with the ball in his hands would make the Sixers offense even more lethal.

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Maxey is one of Philly’s most popular current athletes, and expectations will remain high following a breakout 2021-22 season.

Maxey immediately made an impact with his speed and flair while stepping in as the starting point guard during Simmons’ holdout. He was an insane shooter during the second half of the season, finishing 42.7% from three-point distance. His ability to score in bunches and gregarious personality instantly endeared him to a passionate fan base.

Many believe Maxey has All-Star potential. Though the Sixers do not need him to be a prototypical point guard alongside Harden, Maxey said after last season that he wanted to work on his handle and decision-making to create shots for himself and others. Maxey also has work to do as a defender, where he is naturally at a disadvantage because of his 6-foot-2 frame.

After a rocky start to the 2021-22 season, Harris discovered his niche after the Harden trade and especially, during the playoffs.

He became a dangerous spot-up shooter. He was an impactful defender, the end of the floor where he once struggled. And he was the emotional center of the Sixers.

Will 2022-23 be more about continuing to settle into that role, rather than shifting it midstream? One difference: Harris will now be playing alongside P.J. Tucker, who is more of a bully-ball forward than the rangy wings (Matisse Thybulle and Danny Green) who were previously in the starting lineup.

When Embiid proclaimed the Sixers did not have a player like Tucker, the front office responded by signing Tucker in free agency.

On the court, Tucker brings defensive versatility and the ability to knock down corner three-pointers. But his toughness and earned respect as a self-made veteran are also why he instantly impacts locker rooms.

He was the missing player for the Milwaukee Bucks, who added Tucker at the 2021 trade deadline and then won the NBA championship. He played last season for the Miami Heat, who finished first in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings despite a bevy of injuries. And he has experience with Harden during their Rockets days, when he earned his reputation as a top-notch role player.

Even at age 37, it will be interesting to monitor Tucker’s tangible and more subtle influence on his teammates. We already know Embiid will be on board.

Melton was the first addition of the Sixers’ offseason, when they traded their 2022 first-round draft pick and the injured Green for the fifth-year combo guard.

Melton was a rotational player for the upstart Memphis Grizzlies, a tough-minded defender with long arms who can knock down open shots and rebound at a high level for his position. But he slipped out of the rotation during the playoffs, making him a candidate to be moved.

Melton’s aggressive style and versatility could provide the ideal jolt for a Sixers second unit that was oft-maligned last season.

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The athletic wing spent time in the starting lineup last season and was an NBA second-team All-Defense selection for the second consecutive year.

Yet Thybulle struggled during the postseason, acknowledging he lost some confidence and rhythm when he could not play in road games of the Sixers’ first-round series against Toronto because he chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Playoff defenses left him wide open, clearly regarding him as a non-threat on offense.

Has the offseason helped him improve on that end of the floor? Thybulle briefly showed glimpses of being effective while playing off Harden, using cuts and rolls to get free at the basket. But that approach never gained traction, and his shooting (31.3% from long range) remained unreliable.

Perhaps the more pertinent question — again — is if Thybulle remains on the roster for the entire season. His age and defensive prowess keep him as the Sixers’ most enticing trade asset. The Sixers tried to deal Thybulle to the Rockets on draft night for veteran Eric Gordon, who would bring more of an offensive punch.

Niang set career highs in scoring (9.2 points per game), rebounds (2.7 per game), assists (1.3 per game), and field-goal attempts (7.4 per game) in his first season as a Sixer, while shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc.

Yet a knee injury torpedoed Niang’s shooting during the playoffs, when he missed 21 of his 25 long-range attempts in six games against the Heat.

Upgrades across the Sixers’ second unit means there should not be as much on Niang’s shoulders this season. His job will be to bomb away, building off the way Harden consistently set Niang up following the trade.

Reed’s high-energy play and commitment to rebounding immediately made him a fan favorite. And he received a big opportunity during the playoffs, when he was a relatively effective backup center behind Embiid (and, briefly, DeAndre Jordan).

That could have signaled Reed had earned more trust to move into that role full-time. But the Sixers recently signed Montrezl Harrell, a veteran and former NBA sixth man of the year under Rivers with the Clippers, to presumably occupy that spot.

It makes sense why the Sixers would want more experience behind Embiid, an approach last season that worked well with Andre Drummond but not with Jordan. At some point, though, consistent game reps will be the best way for Reed to take the next step in his development and prove that he is (or is not) an NBA rotation player. It’s fair to wonder how much more prepared Reed would have been for last year’s playoffs if he had gotten more minutes during the regular season.

How the frontcourt pecking order shakes out will be one of the more intriguing training camp storylines.

Harrell was a late addition to the Sixers’ free-agent class, partially because he recently had a felony marijuana trafficking charge reduced to a misdemeanor possession charge, to which he pleaded guilty.

He was the NBA’s sixth man of the year in 2019-20, averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He boasts a fiery playing style and personality, though he is an undersize defender at 6-foot-7. He is also a former teammate of Harden’s, playing his first two seasons in Houston from 2015 to 2017.

Harrell’s numbers have dipped since that career season with the Clippers, including while splitting time between the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets last season. Perhaps some familiar faces can help Harrell reestablish himself as one of the league’s more productive reserves.

Korkmaz filled in admirably as an emergency point guard when injuries and COVID decimated that position. But his primary job is to shoot, and a career-worst percentage from three-point distance (28.9%) caused him to fall out of the rotation.

Korkmaz was adamant during exit interviews that he had identified the problem and would fix it during the offseason. That was perhaps backed up by a strong performance while playing for Turkey in EuroBasket, aside from a scary incident when he was allegedly attacked by members of the Georgian national team and state police.

How those offseason adjustments translate to the NBA level remain to be seen. With the Sixers’ bench additions, though, Korkmaz will need to be a dynamite shooter in order to carve out a spot in the rotation.

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Milton’s first dose of bad luck came around this time last year. After looking more comfortable running the point than Maxey during the preseason, Milton sprained his ankle during a practice just before the opener. Later, a back injury kept Milton out for weeks.

As a result, Milton never fully gained rhythm, averaging 8.2 points on 42.9% shooting in 55 games. Now, Milton is on an expiring contract and has likely slipped down — or out — of the rotation. The road map to contributing this season begins with staying healthy.

House had one of the NBA’s more circuitous journeys last season. He was waived by the Houston Rockets, spent 10 days with the New York Knicks, then parlayed three 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz during COVID’s omicron variant surge into a legitimate role as a rugged 3-and-D reserve wing over 25 games.

Naturally, House is also a former Rocket with a history with Harden, Tucker, and Morey. This feels like an appropriate environment to re-establish his career for a full season.

The Sixers enter camp with 17 players under full contracts, and will need to reduce that to 15 by opening night.

Joe is one player on the block, first because of logistics. His contract is nonguaranteed but becomes guaranteed if not waived by the opener, per HoopsHype.

Joe is coming off an excellent Summer League stint, when he shot a blistering 60% from three-point range in Las Vegas. But he also has not been able to consistently crack the rotation in his first two NBA seasons. Though his defensive effort is admirable despite being undersize, his 35.5% career field-goal shooting percentage (and lack of creation off the dribble) was not good enough at this level.

With the Sixers’ offseason additions, it appears Joe has an uphill climb to make this roster.

Harrell’s signing could also affect Bassey, the second-year big man who logged 168 total minutes over 23 regular-season games last season.

The athletic rim protector was an All-Defense performer in the G League, though his offensive game is less developed. Now, he will seemingly need to leapfrog two frontcourt players to get legitimate minutes in 2022-23.

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It has always been a long game with Springer, who was one of the youngest players on an NBA roster last season.

His natural physicality, quickness, and tenacity on defense are tantalizing. His offense — including his shot selection and confidence to read the game — is a work in progress. That was apparent in the last two Summer Leagues.

It’s tough to envision Springer getting much playing time on the Sixers. But after trading their 2022 first-round pick (and their 2023 first-round selection as part of the Simmons-Harden deal), Springer could be the longer-term prospect in which they invest.

The reigning G League Most Valuable Player was a bit of a surprise addition on the first night of free agency.

Queen’s shot an inconsistent 34.9% from the floor during Las Vegas Summer League. It will be interesting to see how he fits among the Sixers’ retooled bench unit.