FanPost

Why Jah May Be Critical to Sixers Playoff Hopes


I root for Jah. I don’t know why but I do. God knows he hasn’t earned my support. He’s been way better this preseason - giving effort on hedging screens, setting more physical screens himself, etc. But "way better"is still awful and he doesn’t play with the passion (or desperation in his case) that I’d like to see. Plus, he’s regressed offensively possibly due to an erosion of confidence. With Embiid, Amir, and Richaun along with Saric playing some center in a small ball lineup, Jah should never, ever get in a game.

So of course I think there’s a chance he could be crucial to our hopes of making the playoffs and possibly winning a round or two. Because Jah makes $5 million.

I’ve read all the conjecture about Jah being traded before the season begins and almost all scenarios have the Sixers giving him away. Addition by subtraction apparently. But I’d hold on to Jah. A contract that size could be valuable if Jerry’s Kid decides that he needs another piece to either make the playoffs, or, if the Sixers are exceeding expectations and are already playoff bound, a player who can help them make a deeper playoff run. Ideally, a veteran player on an expiring contract.

As an example, let’s use Detroit’s Fat Bastard Van Gundy simply because I’ve been pissed off at him since he humiliated Hinkie at a Sloan Geek Conference several years ago. (Basically, Van Gundy positioned himself as a tough guy, a "basketball guy" who would never tank and then ripped Hinkie and The Process in front of their peers. He’s a bully and a blowhard and fortunately for us, as a personnel guy, he makes Doug Collins seem like Jerry West). Since ripping Hinkie, Van Gundy has used his "basketball guy" instincts to create a dysfunctional roster of mediocre players while simultaneously locking them all into long term contracts that somehow have the Pistons over the cap, paying $116 million for 37 wins. Drummond sits at end of games because he can’t shoot FTs...$26 million through 2021. No one has ever liked playing with Reggie Jackson...$17 million through 2020 to be outplayed by Ish Smith. The list goes on.

In January, Van Gundy received the dreaded "vote of confidence" from owner Tom Gores. In the interim, the Clippers and Hawks have taken away personnel authority from their head coaches and the Pistons watched KCP walk away because they couldn’t afford him. They were busy paying Jon Leuer $10 million per year. It’s not hard to imagine reaching January of this year with the Pistons floundering on periphery of playoffs and Gore wanting to go in a different direction. It’s the final season of current lottery rules. Maybe that Hinkie guy was on to something. (It’d be delicious irony if Gores fired VanGundy in order to embrace Hinkie’s Process) Which brings us to Avery Bradley and Jah finally helping the Sixers win games.

Bradley makes $8 million per year on an expiring contract and if Detroit is changing direction, they have no compelling reason to pay him, especially since they’re already over the cap and will have tremendous trouble unloading their bad contracts. However, how many teams will want Bradley for only 25 games, AND possess young players on cheap contracts that the Pistons presumably would want in return, AND can make the salaries match, AND can even add an attractive draft pick without overpaying? 10, 9, 8, 76ers!

I really like and admire TJ and Richaun - hardworking, overachieving players who are popular for good reason. They’re built for our Philly fan base- Rocky on hardwood. But neither fits into the Sixers future beyond this season. Simmons, Fultz, and Bayless may lead to a lot of DNP CD for TJ this year. And while Holmes is exciting and admirable, I see the same for him this season and beyond. Amir Johnson is vastly better - he’s longer, an excellent PnR defender, good defensive rebounder, playoff tested. Do I really need to include one of Blind Loyalty’s love sonnets to Amir? https://www.libertyballers.com/2017/7/5/15921504/amir-johnson-is-a-top-10-power-forward-whether-you-like-it-or-notSo this season, we have Embiid, Amir, and small ball Saric in front of him. Next year we add Bolden and Pascenik. Plus draft picks.

I like TJ and Holmes but part of the allure is they make about $3 million combined and are signed through next season. This is where Jah comes into the equation. Add Jah to the trade and the salaries match. From the Pistons’ perspective it’s a 25 game tryout but they probably don’t keep him. If TJ and Holmes aren’t enough, if there’s competition for Bradley, well the Sixers own the rights to the Knicks 2nd round picks for the next four years. (Phil was the Stan Van Gundy of NYC) It should be an attractive pick and one we may not have room for anyway. Not sure how the Pistons absorb 3 players to roster but maybe it can be Stan’s final act for the $35 million Gores pays him to be arrogant and incompetent. The Pistons get three young, inexpensive assets- TJ, Holmes, and the pick. So what does Jah provide for the Sixers?

Avery Bradley. He’d be a perfect addition as a rental player, especially if it helps us get into the 8th spot where presumably we’d open against the greatest organization ever with the best GM ever and the best coach ever - the Boston Celtics. Bradley provides playoff experience, good on ball defense, competent 3 point shooting and he’d be in the playoffs showcasing himself for his next contract against a Celtics team that traded him away. No one can stop Kyrie. But Bradley can annoy and pester him as well as anyone in the Association and he has playoff experience doing just that. Fultz will be a bit disappointed but it’s only a rental and one of Brett Brown’s greatest strengths is his relationship with his players. It significantly upgrades the Sixers’s depth - Bradley joins the rotation vs TJ, Jah, and Holmes who I don’t think will get playoff minutes. It works for the teams and the players- Sixers load up for playoffs, Pistons begin rebuild, Bradley showcases himself, and TJ/ Holmes/ Jah move to where they may have a future.

Jah’s value is not on the court; it’s in his paycheck. I picked Detroit because I don’t like VanGundy but my guess is that there will a half a dozen players in the league who, much like Bradley, will be available and where Jah’s $5 million contract can help the Sixers prepare for a playoff push. See, the Prokafors were right all along. Jah will lead us to the playoffs.

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