
Amid adversity, Elton Brand booty called the Golden State Warriors and helped the 76ers acquire two very low-maintenance role players for a harmless cost.

76ers have fortified their bench with two veteran scorers and shooters — Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. Three second-rounders (Dallas 2020, Denver 2021, Toronto 2022) sent to Warriors.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2020
Even sweeter, Brand defeated their division rival Celtics in the sweepstakes for Burks and Robinson.
Told Boston was in on Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III, but Golden State would not take take any salary back. Boston wasn't willing to waive players who have guaranteed money extending into next season. Lack of roster spots is working against the Celtics a little right now.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 6, 2020
While the two are not monumental additions, they can greatly benefit Philadelphia’s often stagnant offense.
Alec Burks
Burks is a nine-year veteran who has appeared in the playoffs twice in his career. The 6-foot-6 wing has a wide array of skills that will help to diversify the 76ers’ half-court offense.
Burks’ quick and high release allows him to create windows of opportunity against opposing guards, helping him shot over 37.0% from long range in five different seasons. Burks is crafty within the perimeter, moving off-ball, handling, and exploiting mismatches.
Alec Burks has 28 Points Posting-Up this season. There are only 10 Guards that have more points via Post-Up. Frequently exploits mismatches and uses a lethal turnaround.
— Brock Landes (@LandesBrock) February 6, 2020
Via @nbastats @76ersTPL pic.twitter.com/3FLUp8TD3U
Burks’ blend of length and shooting capabilities allows him to hunt and attack size disparities in opponents, break defenders down, and shoot in space. He is one of the leaders among guards in post-up point scoring with 28 points there this season.
The 28-year-old Burks can be used in a multitude of ways for Philadelphia, both on and off-ball. Burks is posting 1.21 Points Per Possession on handoff opportunities (2nd-most/NBA) while turning the ball over a minimal amount.
He amassed 53 points coming off of screens in 2019-20, which is more than the totals of Josh Richardson, Luka Doncic, and Damian Lillard. Burks’ 37 points by way of cut is a few points shy of DeMar DeRozan‘s total, despite cutting less often than him.
Major Bench Help
This type of production will be useful in Philadelphia’s second unit. That unit is currently scoring the third-least points/game league-wide. However, Burks will likely not be hunting mismatches when sharing the floor with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, because this will further contribute to the 76ers’ logjam in the paint.
Burks’ offensive game will be very useful for Philadelphia and not difficult to integrate. Burks does not move off-ball as frequently as Robinson, but nonetheless, delivers at all three levels on the floor and can handle the rock.
Ben Simmons has played well alongside a ball-handler in the half-court, and Burks is equally as cable of fulfilling this role as Josh Richardson. He should be an offensive focal point off of Philadelphia’s bench, but when playing with their crown jewel(s), he will help space the floor.
Alec Burks ('19-20):
— Brock Landes (@LandesBrock) February 6, 2020
‣ 20+ Point Games over 12 times
‣ 1.21 Points Per Possession on Handoffs (2nd/NBA)*
‣ 37 PTS via Cut (3 Less than Horford)
‣ 53 PTS Off Screens ( > Richardson, Doncic, Dinwiddie)
—
Exploits mismatches & moves off-ball.
Via @nbastats @76ersTPL pic.twitter.com/iho2kkfT7C
He is even well-equipped as a shooter, nailing 41.4% of his corner three-point attempts this season. Additionally, Burks is sinking over 50.0% of his pull-up jump shot attempts and hitting catch-and-shoot three-point attempts with precision.
In correlation to Philadelphia’s offensive scheme, Burks is shooting 38.3% on catch-and-shoot three-point attempts this year. This is his sixth season meeting or exceeded that mark.
Glenn Robinson III
A former friend of the “Process-Era,” Robinson has come full circle and returns to the 76ers a different player. Although circumstance propelled Robinson to relevance this season, he logged a career-high 31.6 minutes per game with Golden State, 11.6 more minutes than his previous high.
Robinson impressed in his tenure with the Warriors. He scored a career-high 12.9 points/game on a career-high 48.1% shooting from the field.
This is Robinson’s third season shooting 39.0% or higher from beyond the arc. He’s also set new career-highs in total assists, steals, and three-pointers made this season. His catch-and-shoot three-point percentage has climbed to 40.1% in 2019-20, which marks his fourth season shooting that successful there.
Glenn Robinson III:
— Brock Landes (@LandesBrock) February 6, 2020
‣ Shot over 40.0% on Catch and Shoot 3P in 4 of 6 seasons
—
’19-20:
‣ 57.1.% 3P in 4Q (1st/NBA – Min. 30 Attempts)
‣ 109.3 OffRTG in 4Q ( > L. James, T. Young, R. Westbrook)
‣ 68.1% True-Shooting in 4Q (5th/NBA)*
—
Via @nbastats @76ersTPL pic.twitter.com/ujQXkbh2Xn
Surprisingly, Robinson has been wildly efficient in the fourth quarter for the Warriors this season. He’s logged 326 minutes in the final quarter, posting a 57.1% three-point percentage. That is tops in the NBA of players to attempt a minimum of 30 three-point shots.
His offensive rating of 109.3 in the fourth quarter ranks higher than the ones posted by LeBron James, Trae Young, and even Russell Westbrook.
Robinson is athletic enough to play the two or three positions at 6-foot-6. On top of that, he should complement Philadelphia nicely in transition. He dribbles under control and does a lot of the little things on the basketball court right.
He too can shoot from the corners but has an impressive 46.0% mid-range field-goal percentage over the previous two seasons (in which over 75.0% of those shots are unassisted this year). Robinson figures to contribute to the Sixers’ bench depth and provide a spark in the second unit.
Goodbye, James Ennis III
The Sixers stockpiled too many wings that contribute in similar ways. This is likely why the team parted ways with James Ennis as opposed to others. Zhaire Smith could benefit from Ennis’ departure, but the 76ers’ bench has a relatively new identity. Philadelphia could be an intriguing destination for players that are bought out. That remains to be seen, however.