Why trade players that will help the Sixers bring a title to Philadelphia?

By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly editor 

Over the course of the last couple weeks, really since the NBA Draft concluded with the Sixers taking home Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick, there have been a lot of sites that have been coming up with these "hypothetical trade scenarios." 

I'm not naming any names or anything, but it got me thinking what perception people have of this Sixers team in the present moment.

Look at where the Sixers have come from in the last five seasons. They went from having five no-name bums in the starting lineup, to having a team in 2017 that the media actually talks highly of.

Listen, I know that the track record for injuries on the Sixers hasn't been good in the slightest, and it doesn't do a lot of good for hoping for a more healthy future, but considering where the Sixers have been recently, and how good they looked in January when Joel Embiid was even a little bit healthy, that has to do leaps and bounds for a person who has been studying the team for years.

What Joel Embiid did in the month of January is unprecedented, in fact, the only NBA player in history that bested his production is the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, and even he played in Philadelphia in front of a crazy, rabid fanbase.

The Sixers are in the best position to succeed right now, better than they have been in a lifetime. Honestly, when can you remember the Sixers having this much hype around them? Probably the Allen Iverson days. I know it doesn't seem like it, but the last time the Sixers were in the NBA Finals was 16 years ago.

That's a really long time for a sports team in Philadelphia to be left out of it's league championship.

The point is, is that the Sixers are in an even better position now, than they were back in January.

They added shooting in the offseason, which was the number one priority, in veteran guard J.J. Redick. Markelle Fultz has been talked highly about for a while, and has already given notice that he's going to be a pretty nice addition to this squad.

And for me, the biggest X-Factor for the Sixers this season isn't whether or not Joel Embiid stays healthy.

It's the emergence of Ben Simmons as the point guard.

Say what you want about Simmons playing the point, but imagine a matchup where the Sixers play the Celtics at the TD Garden, and a nearly seven foot Ben is one-on-one with 5'8" Isaiah Thomas.

Deadly. No doubt about it. It's hard to imagine something like that, because that situation barely ever happens.

A core of just Embiid on the floor gave the Sixers a 10-5 record in the month of January last season, one of the best monthly records in the NBA.

Add in Fultz, Simmons, Redick, and Robert Covington's defense that earned him third place for Defensive Player of the Year, and you have a team that can compete for ages.

So why make these "hypothetical trades?"

Are we really desperate bad enough to trade Markelle Fultz and a future draft pick for Kyrie Irving?

I understand Kyrie is an already proven player, but what happened to the fanbase that went wild when the Sixers traded with the Celtics to get the number one pick to draft Markelle Fultz.

Enough with these foolish trade scenarios, it's time to take what the Sixers already have and build a dynasty.

Fultz, Simmons, and Embiid are ready to win, you all should get ready too.

 

 

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