The Ringer ranks Philly’s future 3rd best in the NBA:
WAR: 117.7
Best under-25 players: Ben Simmons (41.3), Matisse Thybulle (20.1), Furkan Korkmaz (16.5)
Last year’s rank: 7th
If the 76ers don’t want to trade Simmons for James Harden, this ranking is why:
Already in good position to win now, they’re also set up for the future, with a youth contingent consisting of one star and a bunch of role players.
Simmons is the most important member of that cohort, of course; even if he never learns to shoot, he should still be a perennial All-NBA player because of his size, passing, and defense.
But because the 76ers are contenders in 2020-21, their other young players don’t have the luxury of developing slowly; Thybulle—whose lofty projection stems from nearly off-the-charts defensive figures—and the rest need to step up this season.
Philly has very little proven depth outside its starting five, so it’s counting on youth at all positions, from guards Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey to wings Thybulle and Korkmaz to big man Tony Bradley.
