Since it’s the holiday season, here’s a look at some things that the Sixers hope to find under their tree this year.

  1. Some depth: The Sixers have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, but when Brett Brown looks to his bench, issues arise. I wrote an entire article about it here. The Sixers would benefit immensely from the addition of a couple of reliable reserves – preferably a backup [mobile] big, and a perimeter defender.
  1. A return for Markelle Fultz: The Sixers drafted Fultz to be a major contributor, and he hasn’t been that, yet. But the holidays are a time for optimism, and if a healthy Fultz is able to return to the rotation at some point this season, he could provide a big boost to the team.
  1. Health for Zhaire Smith: Smith hasn’t been talked about too much this season as he has been sidelined due to injury, and allergy, issues. However, if he is able to return to Philadelphia’s rotation this season, he could provide the team with some solid defensive depth. Brett Brown compared Smith to Kawhi Leonard on draft day.
  1. A jump shot for Ben Simmons: Ben Simmons is an excellent NBA player without a reliable jump shot. If he is ultimately able to add one, his ceiling increases immensely.
  1. An MVP award for Joel Embiid: Embiid has been playing the best basketball of his career this season, and for large chunks of the year he has been downright dominant. The Sixers haven’t had an NBA MVP since A.I. back in 2001, but if Embiid continues to play and produce at as high of a level as he has so far this season – and the Sixers are able to continue to win at a decent clip – he will certainly find himself in the conversation at the end of the year.

 

Follow Michael Kaskey-Blomain on Twitter @therealmikekb.

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