76ers are starting to move beyond The Process

The thing with building through the draft is it’s hard to win that way unless one of those draft picks turns out to be a franchise-changing superstar like Kevin Durant. What made the Oklahoma City model so effective, and appealing, is the Thunder also hit on Russell Westbrook and James Harden in successive drafts with Serge Ibaka thrown on the top.

That kind of draft success is easier said than done. Ask the 76ers, who have spent the last four years loaded with lottery picks and winning just 75 games combined during that span.

The Sixers are an extreme case and so are their picks. Nerlens Noel didn’t play for a full season. Joel Embiid didn’t play for two, and Dario Saric took that long to come over. Last year’s top pick, Ben Simmons, didn’t see the court after suffering a preseason injury. Embiid lasted all of 31 games before being shut down again. Noel, of course, is gone, having been traded for a reclamation wing and second-round picks.

Everything looks promising on paper, but that assumes that Simmons can regain his form after his year away, Embiid stays healthy for the first time in his career, and Saric builds on a solid rookie season.

Markelle Fultz is a tremendous prospect, but he is also 19 years old. Even the best rookie point guards struggle to learn the game, the pace, and the defensive responsibilities of playing one of the league’s most demanding positions.

The Sixers may be the stuff of League Pass fever dreams, but until this past weekend they still didn’t look like a fully functioning basketball team.

Redick and Johnson alone don’t make the Sixers a playoff team. To get there, Philly will need healthy, productive seasons from its young core. The Sixers will also need to see continued progress from many of their ancillary projects, and there’s a lot to like behind the lottery sheen.

Richaun Holmes is a stretch big with enormous offensive potential and Robert Covington is already one of the best wing defenders in the league. Nik Stauskas and T.J. McConnell look like solid rotation players, and Timothe Luwawu now has a season under his belt.

Perhaps Justin Anderson can get his career back on track, and hope springs eternal for Jahlil Okafor, who is still young, tall, and skilled. Even before Redick and Johnson signed, the Sixers could go 11-deep with young talent.

What they didn’t have was dependable shooting and veteran ballast.

Redick provides both for the tidy sum of $23 million. Signing with the Sixers was a canny move for Redick, who cashes in a one-time super bonus for an NBA life well-lived. Every team could use Redick, so his skill set figures to be in demand for the next several years. He can continue journeying from team to team or settle down with one of the league’s most promising young cores. Those are not bad options to have at this stage of his career.

With the Sixers, Redick can slide right into a starting role and provide the kind of floor spacing that has eluded them the last few years. Every team says their free agent signing was exactly what they needed, but in this case it might actually be true.

Redick is key for this team’s development because Simmons is a suspect shooter and Fultz will need room to operate. Both figure to have the ball in their hands a lot (Saric, as well) and a high-usage wing would just get in the way. Redick is far more than a stationary shooter. He’s excellent coming off screens, and his off-ball movement is the oil that keeps the halfcourt gunk from congealing in the paint.

Johnson figures to have less of an on-court role, but he’s a nice fit for their young frontcourt. One of the league’s great vets, Johnson has struggled with ankle injuries throughout his career. But he’s a gamer. He’ll give you what he has without complaint, even if he doesn’t have as much to give as he once did.

When he’s feeling good, Johnson can still protect the rim better than most and provide a defensive presence. He’s a low-usage, high-efficiency big man with a bit of range. Watching him shoot threes with his elongated windup is one of the great pleasures of the game. Johnson is also a delight to have in the locker room.

The tangible effects of veteran leadership and mentorship are nebulous concerns. When things click, their contributions are heralded and praised. When things go south on young teams, their lack of presence is duly noted. Having old guys for the sake of veteran leadership isn’t a panacea for a young team finding its way. But there is something to be said for professionalism and old-man moxie.

We still don’t know what the Sixers will be, but we finally have a decent idea of what can they be on the court. Their development figures to be one of the key plot points this season, and with Redick and Johnson on board, there’s finally a chance at substantive success to go along with all the good times their young core should provide.