NBA: 30 Storylines Driving The 2015-16 Season

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jahlil Okafor (Duke) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers – What Now?

Much to the dismay of the fans in the City of Brotherly Love, the Sixers haven’t seen much improvement in terms of their record for several seasons now. Their big storyline is simple: What Now? As in what do we do now, and where do we go from here. Get used to those two words, they’ll be appearing quite a bit in this piece especially when talking about the Atlantic Division.

The 76ers seemed to get their man, a big man to be specific, with the 3rd overall selection in the NBA Draft. Sound familiar? In 2014 they picked Joel Embiid at the same spot, and in 2013 they brought in Nerlens Noel with the New Orleans Pelicans’ 6th overall selection. This certainly begs fans to question whether or not they finally got their man in Jahlil Okafor.

That perceived deadlock for crucial minutes in the paint is eased (at least for Okafor and Noel) by the absence of Embiid for a second consecutive season. The big man out of Kansas suffered a major setback in his recovery from foot surgery a season ago, and now will spend his first two seasons as a professional sidelined.

The 76ers moved another former first rounder, Michael Carter-Williams, to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline last season. This leaves Tony Wroten as their premier backcourt player going forward. Wroten, a gifted scorer when attacking the basket, has had trouble in recent seasons with turnovers and his ability to score from beyond the arc.

Next: Bucks: So Far So Good