The 76ers may be built to pile up wins next season, but that kind of team success doesn’t always translate neatly into individual hardware. With so much star power spread across the roster, voters could have a hard time separating one Philadelphia standout from another.
That’s where Anfernee Simons comes in.
Signed this offseason to a heavily discounted two-year deal, Simons is projected to be the centerpiece of the 76ers’ bench unit. And if he handles that role the way he has in the past, he could put himself in position to win Sixth Man of the Year.
Philadelphia’s front line of established All-NBA talent gives the team a lot of possible award candidates, but it also makes it harder to identify one clear face of the season. The second unit is a different story. Simons stands out as the best player the 76ers are expected to bring off the bench, and Nick Nurse and his staff are likely to lean on him as the main offensive spark outside the starting five.
That role should fit neatly with Nurse’s preference to start his best players. It also sets up Simons to be the first guard off the bench whenever one of the team’s main guards can’t play.
Last season with the Celtics, Simons showed exactly why this path makes sense. Coming off the bench, he averaged 14.2 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range in fewer than 25 minutes per game. If he gets a similar workload in Philadelphia, those numbers should be well within reach again - and enough to keep him in the 6MOY conversation.
What separates this 76ers team from others, beyond the star names at the top, is the quality of its bench. Simons is a major part of that equation. If Philadelphia wins as much as expected and he stays healthy, he could wind up as the team’s lone award winner.
In Other News...
Sixers May Be Losing Another Young Piece To The Knicks
The Knicks have added forward Igor Milicic on an Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp, giving them another low-cost developmental flier to sort through before the season gets underway. For Sixers fans, the name is a familiar one: Milicic spent time with the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphias G League affiliate, and has spent the past few years bouncing through a college career that stretched across three universities.
Exhibit 10 contracts often function as a bridge into a teams developmental pipeline, and that is the lane New York is opening for Milicic now. It also fits the broader reality for Philadelphia, where the Blue Coats have repeatedly served as a staging ground for young talent that other organizations are willing to take a look at when camp season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Rookie Labaron Philon Already Faces One Tough Rotation Hurdle
Labaron Philon Jr. gave the 76ers enough to like in Summer League, especially on the scoring end, but the early read on the rookie guard is hardly a simple one. Philadelphia has reason to be intrigued by his offensive feel, yet his thin frame stands out in a way that matters for a team trying to compete now, where every rotation spot has to carry weight on both ends.
The cautious part of the evaluation comes from defense, where the coaching staff reportedly wants more proof that Philon can handle the physical demands of the regular season. In a setup like this, upside alone is not usually enough, and a young guard has to show he can stay on the floor without becoming a target. For Philon, the path is clear enough: add strength, tighten the defensive end, and make it harder for the staff to leave him out of the nightly mix. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Final Roster Spot Could Fuel LeBrons Title Push
The 76ers have already reshaped their offseason in a major way, adding Jaylen Brown and bringing in LeBron James on a two-year deal, then further strengthening the rotation with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after his buyout from Memphis. It is the kind of aggressive roster building that signals a clear push to contend right away, with the front office still showing a willingness to keep tinkering even after the headline moves are done.
Maxi Kleber has emerged as a possible candidate for Philadelphias final roster spot, and the fit is easy to see for a team trying to balance star power with usable depth. The decision on that last opening could matter more than it usually does, since the Sixers are not merely filling out the back end of the roster but shaping the supporting cast around a group built to chase a championship run. [Read more 🡒]