Hollis Thompson

Hollis Thompson - Thompson played 1,742 minutes as a Sixer last year, getting 41 starts. He showed some signs of being a three-and-D role player, hitting 40.1% of his threes on the season. It was a very low number of shots, though, making one three pointer every 26 minutes, and was somehow still the majority of his offensive game. Thompson barely troubled the glass, did not create for himself or others, and really was quite limited in his role - he shot the ball if he was open, either moved it on or never caught it in the first place if he didn't. On the defensive end, he was athletic and keen, much keener than the rest of the backcourt he was playing with, and certainly an improvement upon them. He was heady and disciplined, contesting without fouling or overplaying, moving his feet and rarely quitting on any plays. But he wasn't exactly locking anyone down either. And so while his presence last year was refreshing in light of the deliberately poor situation he was put in, Thompson is one of the very players the deliberate losing seeks to seriously upgrade. He could stick as a role player, but he's going to have to shoot more, because this is not Bruce Bowen.

Philadelphia - Hollis Thompson, Brandon Davies, Elliot Williams, Daniel Orton and Lorenzo Brown: Given extended run-outs at the backup guard spots. both Brown and Williams have underwhelmed, shooting 33% and 32% from the field respectively. Davies also has struggled, and Orton has fouled far too much to be reliable, yet both they and Hollis Thompson (who has started for half of the season as a three-and-D specialist) have featured regularly in the rotation. At least two of these players will likely be waived, but certainly no more than three - of the four, only Thompson is the guaranteed survivor.

Those two are the foundation of the team. Alongside them are some useful role players. Jason Clark is a pesky combo guard defender with a good jumpshot, an undersized two without point guard abilities, but with the speed and smarts to contribute on both ends. If he can greatly improve his handle and make fewer turnovers, even better. Julian Vaughn has a strong rebounder and shotblocker, who plays exclusively in the paint on either end and who has developed an offensive game, mainly righty hooks over the left shoulder and a spin move. Alongside him, freshman Nate Lubick is a high-IQ, low mistake big man, with some strength, toughness, passing vision, good hands, hustle, acceptable defense, and an inside/outside offensive game that will be much more evident next season. Hollis Thompson has been stuck with playing the power forward position for stretches when he is unquestionably a natural three, but he has also prospered into an excellent shooter, hitting 44% from downtown and giving forth valiant effort on the glass and interior defense, despite the matchup disadvantages. Henry Sims can rebound, pass, run the court and block shots, or he can throw the ball away, commit silly fouls, drop passes and constantly get caught out of position on defense, depending on what day it is. And Jerelle Benimon, while rather unreliable at this point, contributes some athleticism and defensive depth.