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In the NBA young teams have always had a veteran presence, but for this current Philadelphia 76ers team, that should not be the case.
In the midst of a highly talked about rebuilding phase, the 76ers have decided to strictly build their roster around young talent. Over the course of the past two seasons, over 40 players — mostly first and second year players — have worn a 76ers uniform. As the franchise enters offseason number three under general manager Sam Hinkie, they will have some decisions to make in regards to some veterans who have expressed interest in remaining with the team.
Despite the 76ers still being two or three years away from even being in the conversation for an Eastern Conference playoff berth, veterans Luc Mbah a Moute and Jason Richardson — both of whom have contracts expiring later this summer — have expressed interest in remaining with the team. They told the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“When you have been through a season like this, when you see ups and downs, you see glimpses of what could be” said Mbah a Moute. “You want to be a part of it. You want to be there when things turn around. So yeah, that’s what I’m thinking now.” Jason Richardson added “I don’t have a problem coming back here. I like every guy in this locker room, believe it or not. . . . and I love coach Brett [Brown]. He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time. So, yeah, I’m really open to coming back.”
If history is any indicator of the future, then a young team such as the 76ers would be wise to have a few veterans on their roster. However, as has been proven by the rest of their rebuilding plan, this is a unique case.
Over the course of the next few years, the 76ers possess a slew of draft picks — including a minimum of six in the 2015 NBA Draft. During the brief tenure of Hinkie as general manager and Brown as head coach, the franchise has a solid history of developing the players they select with their draft picks. Since this is the case, the 15 open spots on their roster should be strictly allocated for younger talent.
When the 76ers are eventually good enough to compete with the top teams in the NBA, veterans such as Mbah a Moute and Richardson will either no longer be around or if they are will not be able to contribute much. If the 76ers are concerned that their young talent needs veterans to help them get acclimated to the NBA game and lifestyle, then they should look into hiring them in some kind of advisory or coaching role. With the 76ers needing as much help as they can get, the limited spots on their roster should be given to younger players who have their whole career ahead of them, not players whose careers are coming to a close.
Greg Sacidor is a Feature Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.
