Sixers Waive Phil Pressey In Anticipation Of Tony Wroten's Return

From the perspective of a league-wide NBA viewer, the excitement 76ers fans have over the impending returns of Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall is ridiculous (or so I've been told). Neither is an NBA-caliber starter, and each has severe flaws which hamstring their effectiveness.

Wroten will likely play tomorrow. Because of that, the Sixers have to release a player, as with the signing of Phil Pressey via the NBA's hardship waiver the team was over the 15-man roster limit. Once a player designated as injured which triggers the hardship recovers, the exception goes away. And with it went away that 16th man, as Pressey was waived.

The 76ers announced today the team has waived guard Phil Pressey and recalled guards Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall from the NBA D-League.

— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) December 4, 2015

Marshall and Wroten are not game-changers unless you've watched the Sixers try to create a shot for a teammate. It's less like pulling teeth than it is trying to pull off an elephant's tusk with a tether. The Sixers may have received less production out of their point guards than any team has received from any position in the NBA.

Pressey was, in short, not good and very bad. His numbers are propped up by a significant percentage of his minutes coming in garbage time or against backups, and he still shot 38% from the floor. He's a small guard who can kind of get in the lane, but he can't finish or hit an open jumper consistently. His career shooting percentage of 33% is woeful, and his court vision isn't special enough to overcome his physical limitations.

With Wroten's return, the only Sixers out long-term with injuries are Marshall (who should also return shortly), Carl Landry, and of course Joel Embiid assuming he doesn't have a bionic foot now.