Who’s going to play power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers?
It was the main concern for the team entering the 2024-25 season, as the departure of Nico Batum left a gaping hole in what otherwise appeared to be a star-studded starting lineup. Paul George prefers to slide toward smaller positions like shooting guard rather than to try his hand at power forward, double big lineups with Joel Embiid have rarely worked, and though Caleb Martin had experience playing the 4 in Miami, asking the 6-foot-5 forward to do it for a whole season quickly proved to be asking for too much. The ‘25 Sixers had many issues, to be clear. But in terms of roster construction, it was the most glaring problem.
The ideal 4 in modern basketball is the de facto problem solver to any lineup issue. Guards aren’t the greatest playmakers in the world? The 4 steps in to handle the ball and get sets going when needed. Have a center who struggles in the short roll? Move him to the dunker spot and have the 4 set the majority of the ball screens. Need size to defend the other team’s star scorer? Sounds like a job for a 4.
The Sixers ended up having more gaps than they originally imagined last season, and thus, the lack of a gap-filling power forward grew more painful as the year wore on.
Though the Sixers did not spend their third overall pick on a player who projects to ever play the 4, nor did they make a huge trade acquisition, they do seem to have reached an arguably palatable solution — power forward by committee.
Just over a week into July, the Sixers signed Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow, who are all power forward-sized individuals. Additionally, with the 35th overall pick the team got back after dealing Martin at the deadline, Daryl Morey and Co. drafted Johni Broome, who floats somewhere in between the power forward and center spot on the positional spectrum.
None of these four players were acquired with priority assets. Watford received just a two-year, $5.3 million deal, while Walker and Barlow are on two-way contracts, and Broome obviously wasn’t selected until day two of the NBA Draft. A team as capped-out as the Sixers has limited resources, and those were spent throwing low-stakes darts at the board, hoping one hits as the Sixers’ ideal power forward for the 2026 season.
Watford should be the de facto leader for the starting spot given he’s being paid the most of the quartet, and additionally has the most experience of the bunch, having played 217 combined games for the Trail Blazers and the Nets over the past four seasons. He’s not an athlete who jumps out of the gym — and in general, through his young career, his defense has been regarded as a weakness — but his offensive skill is quite good for a 6-foot-9 player being paid less than the majority of the league. He has a knack for hitting floaters with a high degree of difficulty, either beating his own man off the bounce or pouncing on advantageous short roll. He provides a lot more self-creation than one would expect from a nominal power forward.
Additionally, he’s a capable passer from a live dribble, meaning that running actions through him (like a ball screen in the middle of the court) is not off the table. He has a particular fondness for overhead whip passes with his dominant right hand, and his ambitious playmaking could pair quite well with someone like Adem Bona in reserve minutes.
Walker, on the other hand, doesn’t bring the same level of offensive skill and refinement, but brings a touch of energy and power. Taking a swing on him with a two-way contract is much more a bet on his defensive versatility and activity, while hoping that he can improve enough on offense to contribute positively to a good NBA team’s rotation.
We See Joel Embiid Now, Too He shot an impressive 38.9% from three last season on 72 total attempts, which could make him an attractive floor spacing option next to Embiid. However, in his three-year career, he’s shot just 31.8% in total from behind the arc, and it’s yet to be seen if his shooting in 2024-25 was a real improvement, or just a spike for what otherwise has been an inconsistent shooter.
He does have some interesting driving skill, due to his power and determination once he puts his head down and attacks, though no one would ever mistake him as one of the more graceful slashers in the association.
Barlow is more similar to Walker than to Watford in play style (which makes sense given those are the two with identical contract situations). He had an impressive showing in his two Summer League games, something that should be expected of a player with real NBA experience over the past three seasons. Of the entire quartet, he probably has the smallest upside as a long-distance shooter, having connected on just 10 of 40 total three-point attempts in his career (25%). Barlow’s appeal will rest more in his defensive acumen, playmaking flashes, and the potential he showed as an offensive rebounder in Vegas.
Broome has already been written about here as one of the players it made sense for the Sixers to draft in the second round. He’s somewhat struggled in Summer League action, and though that’s far from unusual for any rookie, it’s slightly more concerning for a player in Broome who is already older than both Walker and Barlow (given, he’s just 11 days older than Walker).
Then again, he did wrap up his time in Vegas with a 22-point, 14-rebound outing, so things could be on the up-and-up for his trajectory as well.
None of these four players on the surface stand out as a clear answer when asking who can fill the Sixers’ most pressing need. Watford definitely has the edge and would make sense as the Day One starter come October. Watch the right three minutes of his highlights, and he looks like one of the most skilled bigs in the league. However, if he was an easy and obvious solution to the starting 4 spot, it’s likely another NBA team would have offered him more than $2.65 million per year.
Overall, it’s not rocket science to piece together what the Sixers are doing — they’ve signed four players that come at a low cost and therefore are low-risk roster options. Sure, one is more likely to stick as a full-time option in the rotation than the others, but none is an overwhelmingly certain bet. The team knew this was a legit problem. Maybe they would have preferred to trade for a more established veteran that’s already proven to be a quality starting 4 in the NBA, but perhaps the asking price proved too high for a team that’s already spent a lot of money and draft capital.
It’s not the most glamorous way to solve the power forward issue, but it is a work-around, and more of a plan than what the Sixers had going into last season.
Daniel Olinger is a writer for the Rights To Ricky Sanchez, and author of “The Danny” column, even though he refuses to be called that in person. He can be followed on X @dan_olinger.
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