Plagued by a team that looked old and slow in a disastrous start, Sixers trainer Nick Nurse has begun experimenting with younger options, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. KJ Martin And Ricky Councilwho are both 23, have seen increased playing time in the last two games and Pompey believe they deserve bigger roles.
Martin scored a season-high 19 points along with six rebounds and three 3-pointers in Saturday's win at Detroit. He played more than 27 minutes and shot 7 of 8 from the field.
“He obviously brought athleticism with him.” said the nurse. “He’s able to switch to pretty much anyone on the perimeter and keep them on top with some physicality. He made some timely cuts at the rim, made a few threes and just stayed on the glass. He did a good job on everything.”
Council posted similar numbers with 17 points on 5 of 7 shooting in nearly 27 minutes. That followed a 12-point, 10-rebound performance Wednesday against Houston.
“You've seen Ricky Council for the second time in a row now when he came into the game… he knew, 'I'm supposed to play hard'” Tyrese Maxey said. “‘I should crash. I'm supposed to guard and defend the best offensive player out there. And I do what I do in transition: shoot the ball.' Now you have a free seat.”
There's more about the Sixers:
- Paul George said he felt well upon his return on Saturday after missing three games because of a bone bruise on his left knee, Pompey said in comments separate story. George focused on being a playmaker and setting up open shots for his teammates against a collapsing Detroit defense. “That’s just the mindset I’m changing to just be a playmaker.” he said. “There will be points. Shots will be fired. I just want to make winning plays. And I think the way we want to do it is attack, create, open up the field and everyone plays for each other.”
- The Sixers were relieved after an injury scare Andrew Drummondadds Pompey. The veteran center was unable to put any weight on his right ankle after collapsing on the court following a dropped basket early in the game, but he escaped serious injury. “They did all the x-rays and stuff and it’s just a sprain.” said the nurse. “There is nothing else. He'll be in a boot, yeah, I'll say a minute. I think I heard it Simon [Rice, the Sixers’ vice president of athlete care] Say something like: It might not be as bad as it seemed. But this is also a screen. He’s a big guy and all that.” According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Drummond will miss three games before being re-evaluated this weekend (Twitter link).
- Martin's contract, which includes a non-guaranteed salary of $8 million next season, makes him the team's top trade candidate, Scotto added whole story. Caleb Martin And Kelly Oubre are in the same salary range, but sources tell Scotto they are still viewed as valuable pieces of the Sixers rotation. Scotto suggests that KJ Martin could be equipped with a future first-round pick or two in exchange for an immediate upgrade.
