Finally Arrived: A 76ers Dynasty

[Byrne]

Hi everyone, and welcome to my 76ers dynasty. I know this team is probably a common pick to do this for because they are so well set up for the next 5 years or so (as long as their key pieces stay healthy, that is), but since this is my first attempt at a dynasty I wanted to pick a team that would be enjoyable to play as and to build around. Additionally due to the randomness of sports games every dynasty turns out just a little bit different, so there's no harm in doing one that's been done before.

I wanted to begin this dynasty in the 2017-2018 season, so to begin I used the "start today" feature to ensure the 76ers get a draft pick similar to what they have in real life (the 3rd overall pick). If you start a brand new season and sim 2016-2017 this team generally does pretty well and often even makes the playoffs, so it's very far off from reality.

Some basics that everyone usually mentions: I'm not great at playing 2K itself so I'm usually on Pro, but if a game is feeling too easy I put it up to All-Star sometimes. I'm using an 82 game season with the traditional playoff format, and I'll be picking out games to play usually against key opponents. I plan on playing every playoff game (assuming I make it there). I'm using EmbracethePace's draft class because I find it to be by far the best available. My game summaries will be written like a news article to add immersion.

In the coming posts I will be talking about draft and offseason stuff. Since this is a different NBA universe the draft order has changed. Things are going to get pretty interesting pretty quickly, so stay tuned!

[Byrne]

NBA Draft Lottery Results Are In: 76ers Strike Gold!

The NBA Draft Lottery was held tonight, and there was drama abound as the pingpong balls blessed one franchise whilst cursing another.

The Philadelphia 76ers were clear cut winners of the night, as they scored both the #1 and #4 overall pick in what is universally considered to be a loaded draft. The #4 pick came as a result of the Lakers pick falling outside the top 3, which puts the franchise in a very difficult position with a roster that is far away from winning. Meanwhile Philadelphia has the chance to put together the kind of terrifying roster they have been building towards for nearly half a decade. With key pieces such as Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons already on the roster, adding future stars such as Markelle Fultz or Josh Jackson to the mix could make for a perennial title contender. Other winners of the night were the Phoenix Suns landing at #2, giving them the option to take whichever of the two star point guards that the 76ers leave open, being either the aforementioned Fultz or Lonzo Ball. The Celtics also sit pretty at #3 to add on to their team that has already made the Eastern Conference Finals.

The full lottery order:
#1 Philadelphia
#2 Phoenix
#3 Boston
#4 Philadelphia
#5 Orlando
#6 Minnesota
#7 New York
#8 Sacrameto
#9 Dallas
#10 Sacramento
#11 Charlotte
#12 Detroit
#13 Denver
#14 Miami

[Byrne]

NBA Draft 76ers Recap: Building the Backcourt of the Future

Tonight was an exciting time to be a Philadelphia 76ers fan, as they used the #1 and #4 overall selections in the draft to complete what looks to be one of the most complete rosters in the NBA. The first selection went to Markelle Fultz, who was viewed as the top prospect by many coming into tonight. His ability to score and create for himself and his teammates will fit excellently into the 76ers roster alongside Simmons and Embiid. The 4th selection then went towards giving Fultz a high scoring option in the backcourt with Malik Monk, who's 3 point shooting ability was very much needed for the otherwise mediocre shooting 76ers. The team looks to be fielding a starting five of all 23 or younger players, giving this franchise the brightest future in the entire sport. There may be some growing pains this coming season as the stars figure out how to make everything work, but if everyone stays healthy this team could see the playoffs consistently for years to come.

Other key picks in the draft include Lonzo Ball landing in Phoenix and some surprising selections such as Boston snagging Lauri Markkanen with the third pick. They must see something special in him to leave prospects like Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum on the board. The Sacramento Kings were very happy to see De'aaron Fox fall to #8, giving them a quality point guard to pair with Buddy Hield as they begin their post-Demarcus Cousins era.

[Byrne]

Free Agency Recap: Durant Shocks the NBA Universe

In one of the most bizarrely unanticipated movies in NBA history, Kevin Durant has signed with the Denver Nuggets. Coming on the heels of winning his first championship with the Golden State Warriors, Durant must have felt the need to prove himself with a lesser franchise. He joins a squad that currently features one of the top up-and-coming big men in the league with Nikola Jokic. This team should instantly skyrocket into one of the top western conference teams, its main competition being the Warriors, Rockets, and Spurs for the top spots. In other signings, Deandre Jordan decided to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, perhaps trying to make up for his behavior when he let on the franchise two offseasons ago. This leaves the Clippers in a dangerous position, having already disappointed in multiple straight playoffs. Paul Millsap signed with the Sacramento Kings, creating a roster that now looks fairly respectable and could fight for a low playoff seed. The Hornets very questionably packaged Kemba Walker in a trade to the Timberwolves to acquire Jayson Tatum. This must be the start of a Hornets rebuild as they tank for high draft picks.

[Byrne]

76ers Season Prediction

Roster:
PG: Markelle Fultz
SG: Malik Monk
SF: Ben Simmons
PF: Dario Saric
C: Joel Embiid

Bench:
6: Robert Covington, SF
7: Richaun Holmes, PF
8: Jahlil Okafor, C
9: T.J. McConnell, PG
10: Justin Anderson, SF
11: Jerryd Bayless, PG
12: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, SG
13: Nik Stauskas, SG

This appears to be the season that the Philadelphia 76ers finally put it all together. The starting five is healthy and is talented enough to get this team a middle of the road playoff spot in the relatively weak eastern conference. While the favorites for the top two spots, Cleveland and Boston, are still a fair amount better than this team, it is definitely reasonable to predict this roster fits in around the 4 or 5 seed in the eastern conference playoffs this year. Most power rankings are even slotting Philadelphia in the top 10 teams in the NBA. This may be a little hasty, as all of these young players will likely need time to adjust to the NBA. While Simmons was technically drafted a year ago, he has never seen the court in an NBA game, making three out of five starters rookies on this team. However, if Embiid can continue to show the starpower he demonstrated last season, this team can still win many games early on, and the strong bench unit will help if some of the young players struggle.

Eastern conference prediction:
1. Cavaliers
2. Celtics
3. Bucks
4. Wizards
5. 76ers
6. Raptors
7. Bulls
8. Pacers
9. Heat
10. Hawks
11. Pistons
12. Knicks
13. Magic
14. Nets
15. Hornets

[Byrne]

Embiid's huge night propels 76ers to first win of the season

The Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (1-1) Wednesday night on the back of Joel Embiid's huge night. He racked up 35 points on 10-17 shooting in only 33 minutes of play. For good measure he added 13 rebounds and only one turnover. The most impressive statistics was his 50% line from beyond the arc on 8 attempts. With Embiid shooting like that he is going to be very difficult to stop. Ben Simmons posted a double-double in his first ever NBA game, and was even two assists away from a triple double. Markelle Fultz had a solid night in his first time running the offense, putting up a clean 15 points on a strong 6-10 from the floor. Dario Saric and Malik Monk struggled comparatively. Jahlil Okafor was highly effective off the bench, posting 16 on 8-9 shooting. It will be very difficult for teams this year to handle the stacked front court that the 76ers are fielding. Philadelphia will look to improve to 2-0 on their home floor this Friday in a highly anticipated matchup against the Cavaliers.

[Byrne]

Sixers hold on to edge Cavs 104-99

In a matchup that proved to be as exciting as advertised, the Philadelphia 76ers (2-0) pulled off a statement win Friday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2). Markelle Fultz showed everyone exactly why he was such a highly touted prospect coming in, dumping in 32 efficient points on 10-15 shooting. Co-star Joel Embiid was also excellent with a 28 and 15 stat line. The two were unstoppable together in the pick and roll, as Embiid demonstrated what will make him a matchup nightmare for years to come with a flurry of buckets up close and from midrange. Fultz was ruthless on cuts and drives, putting up a Kyrie Irving-esque performance in a game Irving was forced to miss (bruised left shoulder, out 2-4 weeks). Offseason pickup Patty Mills was respectable as a replacement with 19 points, but on a mediocre 6-17 shooting. LeBron James had a cold night from the floor as well, but was hot in the 4th and had a chance to tie it with 20 seconds left. However Ben Simmons' defense was excellent the entire night and LeBron's attempt clanked off the rim.

Looking at the rest of the Sixers roster, Malik Monk was again ice cold with just 7 points on 3-14 shooting. Philly head coach Brett Brown said after the game, "he's fearless out there. He's going to keep shooting and we know his shot will start falling. We are not concerned at all". Meanwhile Dario Saric was quiet offensively, only posting 2 points in 27 minutes but with 10 rebounds. It will be interesting to see how Philly includes him going forward, but for now the offense clearly runs through Fultz and Embiid.

[Byrne]

Monk sparks rally as the Sixers beat the Pacers

Any concerns about Malik Monk's cold start to the season were quelled Saturday night, as he poured in 28 points to lead the Sixers (3-0) over the Pacers. On the 2nd night of a back-to-back, the stars of the previous two games were relatively quiet, as Markelle Fultz and Joel Embiid each scored just 8 points. Monk was ready to pick up the slack though, as he dueled Paul George who also had 28 points in an exciting game in Indianapolis. Philly's bench showed up as well, with Robert Covington, Richaun Holmes, and Jahlil Okafor all scoring in double digits. Philadelphia heads back home for another exciting matchup against a top eastern conference team as they play Milwaukee on Monday night.