Philadelphia 76ers
2016-17What were the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-17, and what needed front-office attention?
PHI 2016-17: the clearest roster problems were Interior finishing, Shooting and spacing, Creation. No supported strength was identified. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas, Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.No supported team strengths for this season — team picture available; recent availability and function-level salary mapping incomplete.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
PHI 2016-17 Interior finishing: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 3.8 league percentile. Dario Saric supplied 23.7% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
PHI 2016-17 Shooting and spacing: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 19.2 league percentile. Nik Stauskas supplied 39.0% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
PHI 2016-17 Creation: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 3.8 league percentile. T.J. McConnell supplied 29.8% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedStructural team problem | 4th percentile | T.J. McConnell · 29.8% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 46th percentile | Robert Covington · 38.0% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedCritical team problem | 4th percentile | Dario Saric · 23.7% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedStructural team problem | 4th percentile | T.J. McConnell · 32.0% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Jahlil Okafor | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedStructural team problem | 4th percentile | Dario Saric · 27.8% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedMiddle of the league | 50th percentile | Dario Saric · 27.7% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedMiddle of the league | 31st percentile | Dario Saric · 19.0% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Jahlil Okafor | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedCritical team problem | 19th percentile | Nik Stauskas · 39.0% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Jahlil Okafor | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
PHI was highly dependent on Robert Covington. Removing him cost about 38.0% of event creation production, and lineups with him performed 7.9 points per 100 possessions better than lineups without him. The best supported replacement group was [Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell, Justin Anderson, Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot] over 186 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Dario Saric · T.J. McConnell · Justin Anderson · Richaun Holmes · Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
shrunk net -6.06 over 186 possessions — small sample
on floor 3,885 possessions · off floor 3,261 possessions
PHI did not have strong functional backup for Nik Stauskas in shooting; removing him cost about 39.0% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Sergio Rodriguez.
Replacement evidence
Sergio Rodriguez · Gerald Henderson · Robert Covington · Joel Embiid · Dario Saric
shrunk net 3.585 over 154 possessions — small sample
on floor 3,868 possessions · off floor 3,278 possessions
PHI did not have strong functional backup for Dario Saric in rebounding; removing him cost about 27.8% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Robert Covington.
Replacement evidence
Ersan Ilyasova · Robert Covington · Nik Stauskas · Joel Embiid · T.J. McConnell
shrunk net 5.293 over 214 possessions — small sample
on floor 3,856 possessions · off floor 3,290 possessions
PHI did not have strong functional backup for T.J. McConnell in passing; removing him cost about 32.0% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Sergio Rodriguez.
Replacement evidence
Sergio Rodriguez · Gerald Henderson · Robert Covington · Joel Embiid · Dario Saric
shrunk net 3.585 over 154 possessions — small sample
on floor 3,942 possessions · off floor 3,204 possessions
PHI lineups performed 4.7 points per 100 possessions better with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot than without him. The best supported alternative was [Ersan Ilyasova, Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas, Joel Embiid, T.J. McConnell] over 214 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Ersan Ilyasova · Robert Covington · Nik Stauskas · Joel Embiid · T.J. McConnell
shrunk net 5.293 over 214 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,159 possessions · off floor 4,987 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season.
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to creation; the highest-need area is shooting and spacing. Salary-to-function mapping covers 62% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.