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Sixers Trade Johni Broome and a Draft Pick to the Clippers
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The tweet from Shams:
And just like that, the Johni Broome era in Philadelphia comes to a close. When the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope deal was announced, many expected a move like this was coming to make space and balance out the books.
Broome was drafted 35th overall in last year’s draft as a very old rookie (he came into the league at 22 years old; he turned 23 in July, less than a month later) after playing five seasons at Moorehead State and then Auburn. His senior year as a Tiger, he was a consensus first-team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game.
Broome doesn’t have much in the way of vertical athleticism, and his outdated skill set at center – he’s a gritty, back-to-the-basket kind of guy. He’s also not particularly switchy on defense or quick on closeouts, a rough combination that leads to foul trouble.
Not to say he’s got zero upside; he does. I thought Broome showed some flashes of it during this past Summer League. He’s got a knack for rebounding, he can punish smaller defenders, and he’s got a high basketball IQ – especially when playing with a talented ball handler like Labaron Philon Jr. They had a nice two-man game going every now and then. The reason I’d be watching the games in the first place was Philon, of course, but a few times I found myself thinking, “Damn, nice read” when Broome had the ball in his hands, or “Good finish” after rolling hard to the basket on a pick and roll:
Not that it matters for Sixers fans now. Broome is gone. Good luck in Los Angeles, Johni. They should be bad, so hopefully you’ll get more run out there than you were getting here.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com