The team’s most recent free agency acquisition, Yabusele has a wide range of outcomes in terms of playing time this season in Philadelphia.
The Sixers’ roster is filled with guarantees. We know Joel Embiid is a MVP-caliber player year in and year out. We know that Tyrese Maxey can not only run an offense, but thrive within it. We know Paul George will slot in as a perfectly complimentary player. The list goes on and on, until you get to Guerschon Yabusele.
Making his return to the NBA after a several-year stint with Real Madrid overseas, Yabusele will look to break into the Sixers’ rotation that desperately needs a player of his archetype. Yabusele has found success overseas, reviving his perimeter shot and slimming down quite a bit. But how much of his overseas success, if any at all, will translate to the NBA?
Coming into the year, it’s possible that Yabusele will be on the outside looking in on the regular rotation. The Sixers have bolstered their need of athletic wings, bringing back Kelly Oubre, along with new additions in Paul George and Cody Martin. While where exactly each of those players will slot in position-wise is murky, it’s safe to assume that Yabusele will be underneath all of them on the depth chart.
Beyond said group, Yabusele should have a chance to not only compete for minutes but have a fighting chance in doing so. He does bring several attributes that should earn him playing time at some point this season. First and foremost, he’s the only “true” power forward on the roster regarding physical frame. KJ Martin is the only other player that could be in said discussion, but even he lacks the size Yabusele has. He’s listed at 6-foot-9 and is over 250 lbs, which means he’ll be able to body up bigger forwards in the league and even some centers.
Offensively, hitting perimeter shots will likely make or break his case as a Sixer. Recent history suggests that shouldn’t be a problem, as he shot 46.1 percent from three last year and above 40 percent in the two years prior (granted, the international line is slightly shorter than the NBA line). Yabusele is also capable of putting the ball on the floor a bit if defenses chase him off. He also has a chance to fill in as a ‘connector’, something that the Sixers will surely miss with Nic Batum’s departure. I wouldn’t label Yabusele as the same caliber connector Batum was/is, but he has shown an ability to make the right read or open pass.
President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, has been vocal that rebounding will likely be the primary issue with this Sixers team assembled as is. This is another area where Yabusele should stand out, as he’s always had a knack for contesting boards and fighting down low for rebounds.
Out of the entire roster, there is no bigger question mark than Guerschon Yabusele. We’ve seen him have great success overseas professionally and with Team France in the Olympics. If most of that success translates to the NBA, there’s a good chance Yabusele will go from an end-of-the-roster hopeful to being in the conversation for the fifth starting spot.
There aren’t many late August signings with X-Factor potential, but Yabusele will eventually be called upon to prove that he belongs in the NBA. Much like Kelly Oubre last year, he brings a skillset that this roster will need at one point or another. Time will tell if Yabusele flames out, or if he becomes a key player on a deep, contending team.