Help for Holiday

-- the 76ers may be in the market for a backup point guard

With highly hyped big man Andrew Bynum relegated to the bench, one of the Sixers main concerns should be finding some additional front court help.  The team, as it is currently constructed, was built around a big in order to space the floor and allow him to operate on the block.  The team is full of shooters and slashers, who all seem like they would fit well in an offense with Andrew Bynum as the focal point.  Unfortunately, the season hasn’t worked out quite as expected thus far and Bynum remains unavailable. 

While the Sixers may be searching for a serviceable big man (there were rumors about Kenyon Martin a couple weeks back), it seems as though they are also focused in finding some back court help.  Jrue Holiday has elevated his play in almost every area this season, and is making a strong case for his first all-star berth.  Jrue has stepped up his scoring, becoming a go-to-guy for the team, and maybe more importantly, he has elevated his assists as well, and is now fourth in the NBA.

Jrue can’t play the whole game however, and the Sixers have struggled so far this season finding a consistent second option.  Evan Turner has been inconsistent when he takes over the point guard duties; sometimes he looks like a multi-tooled combo guard, and at other times he looks lost and not in control of the offense. 

The point guard position is of course crucial in setting up an offense and helping a team to take high-efficency shots, and the Sixers can’t afford a drastic drop in production in this area when Jrue hits the pine.  Local guard Maalik Wayns obviously hasn’t been the answer, as the team dropped him and then resigned him to a 10-day contract last week.  It seems he hasn’t provided the consistent spark the Sixers were hoping for when they signed him out of training camp.

Royal Ivey has seen a slight elevation in minutes, and while he hasn’t been playing poorly, he doesn’t possess the offensive explosion the Sixers need to supercharge the offense.  Coach Collins likes the energy Ivey brings to the court, and has cited this as the reason for his increased exposure (not lack of other options).  Ivey is an effective on-ball defender, and can play a hard-nosed brand of basketball, but with the Sixers constantly unsure of where their next basket is going to come from, they need more than a game manager in the back up point spot.

While it seems unlikely that the team would trade for a backup point guard with so many issues plaguing them  and Andrew Bynum’s future with the team extremely uncertain , there are some free agent options.  Mike Bibby and Delonte West are available, as is one-time Syracuse stud Johnny Flynn, along with some other viable options.   The Sixers certainly don’t want to commit to anyone long term, especially in a backup role, as there will be much roster uncertainty again this off season, but a move should be made in that area to sure up the team for the current season, as they still have an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot.