Labaron Philon, the Sixers’ first-round pick, had himself quite the Summer League debut with 18 points and seven assists.
Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.
***
Labaron Philon is entering a rookie season that could be intimidating for some in the same situation.
By the time he began his summer-league stint in Las Vegas, his Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown. After a few games, the LeBron James-to-Philly rumors were running rampant. Once July wound down, he was teammates with James. And as September enters the chat, Philon is teammates with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
To say the first-year point guard from Alabama is entering a stacked backcourt might be an understatement when December rolls around. Shooting. Ballhandling. Bucket-getting. Playmaking. Firepower off the bench. In almost every offensive situation, the 76ers can cover it with their backcourt.
But Philon, one of college basketball’s best players last season, will have every chance to contribute to the collective. As Philadelphia’s first-round pick this June, he begins his career on a team with great expectations. And there is a good chance he gets rotation minutes.
“I’m lucky and fortunate that I’m coming to a team that’s a contender,” Philon told The Athletic. “I’m grateful for that. I feel like I’m going to have a chance to compete on a team full of veterans. That doesn’t happen to everyone, so I feel lucky with that. My mindset is to continue to work and continue to get better. I want to embrace this, and coming into the league, I want to embrace what’s in front of me.”
Philon joins a roster with a chance to compete for the ultimate prize: an NBA championship. How can he add to that? How will he handle it physically and mentally? He will have opportunities with the second unit to positively impact one of the league’s most talented teams. When you watch the swag and confidence Philon plays with, it’s evident he’s ready for the opportunity. He plays fearlessly and believes he belongs.
This is someone who spent the better part of two seasons generating offense almost at will against SEC athletes. And in his sophomore season, he became one of the best scorers in the conference and in the country. His ability to handle the basketball and reach spots on the floor made him a projected first-round pick. In a class full of dynamic point guards, the Sixers went into draft night thinking one would fall to them at No. 22. That one happened to be Philon.
“He’s talented, and, in my mind, he’s going to begin camp in the rotation,” coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s dynamic with the basketball, and he plays with a short memory. Those are things that you can’t teach.”
Philon’s summer-league run opened eyes. He had inefficient moments and bouts of turnovers, specifically as teams began to key on him. But he left no doubt about his ability to score and create offense for himself and others. He was Philadelphia’s best player. And yet, because he was the Sixers’ only player guaranteed a multiple-year career in the league, he was the subject of more defensive attention than other rookies with NBA-level players around them.
This was good, though.
Philon saw ample double-teams. His pick-and-rolls were blitzed, and, as summer league progressed, he had to adjust. Philon’s flashy ability to handle the ball made for highlights, but the Sixers’ coaching staff implored him to beat his man off the bounce and get inside the paint, instead of using too many dribbles. Once he got inside the lane, he was able to finish plays at all three levels, traits that should get him on the court as a rookie.
“I think I’m learning on and off the court,” Philon said. “I think being able to play on and off the ball has been valuable for me. Being able to defend at a high level has been valuable for me. That’s one of the reasons I went back to Alabama for my sophomore season. I wanted to learn how to space, and I wanted to continue to figure out ways to affect the game at a high level. That’s always been my mindset. I want to continue to get better. I want to continue to evolve as a person and as a basketball player.”
So, where does Philon fit in Nurse’s rotation?
The easy answer is at backup point guard, filling in for Maxey. But it’s probably more complicated than that, since the Sixers now have James on the roster. James likely has to take a step back on his usage in a star-studded starting lineup. One of the ways to get the ball in Philon’s hands is to play him at point guard with the second unit in the non-Maxey minutes. That being said, Philon has always been effective without the basketball. In his freshman season at Alabama, he played with Mark Sears, who was perhaps the best collegiate point guard in the country, leaving Philon to play a lot on the wings.
He can do that in a lineup with James, and particularly in Nurse’s system, which has a lot of interchangeable movement. The most important thing Philon may do for the Sixers this season — and this may also apply to two-way guard Caleb Love — is give Philadelphia real regular-season insurance. For much of last season, the Sixers were so short on bodies in the backcourt that Maxey and Edgecombe were their only two real ballhandlers. Even if Philon isn’t in the rotation, he ensures Philadelphia won’t suffer from a dearth of talented guys off the bench.
And, in a larger sense, that is what will make this Philadelphia team rare. It will be a star-studded squad with impressive depth. And for a team that limped through 82 games last season, that could be a significant development.
***
Leave a Reply