I'm back from work! I'm tired and falling asleep at the keyboard! BUT FIRST LEMME POST MORE SIXERS NEWS;
Opportunistic rookies piquing interest
76ers forward Richaun Holmes. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
BEFORE TRAINING camp, Brett Brown spoke of how the biggest question mark on his team was the point guard position, where two of his more proven players (Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall) were recovering from torn ACLs and three (T.J. McConnell, Pierre Jackson and Scottie Wilbekin) were unknowns. Veteran Isaiah Canaan, more of a scoring guard than a point guard, was really the only known commodity.
The post area was thought to be a bit more secured with rookie Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel expected to compose a 1-2 punch the likes the organization has never seen.
But Noel clanged knees and took a nasty spill on his back against the Cavaliers last Thursday and has been out since, while Okafor was on a minute watch before being shut down this week with soreness in his right knee. The two have barely played together since training camp opened as the coaching and training camps exercise extreme caution in caring for the aches and pains.
So while the big stories heading into the preseason were the point guard position and the two big men, it has now turned elsewhere.
Sixers fans, meet Richaun Holmes and Christian Wood. Afterthoughts when training began, they have now become key figures this preseason.
Holmes, selected in the second round by the Sixers out of Bowling Green, is a rugged 6-10, 245-pounder who possesses the ability to bang, jump over and even take outside shots on defenders. The undrafted Wood, 6-11, 220 out of UNLV, isn't the physical presence of Holmes but has jaw-dropping leaping ability and a nose for the ball that can't be taught. They both opened eyes in Monday's loss against the Knicks as Wood posted 13 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes and Holmes six points and seven boards in 20 minutes.
"You look and those two young men are interesting in all sorts of ways and they're different," said Brown. "In New York, you could see those two kids playing. I think that anybody who saw the game would think that those two have a lot to offer. A lot of positives came out of both of their performances."
Holmes showed flashes in the Utah Summer League that piqued interest before he shattered his elbow in a scary fall. Wood is still sort of an unknown but is garnering more and more interest with his play.
"When you see somebody with his height trailing (on a fast break) and kind of effortlessly shoot a three-point shot and then he does it a period later and they close in and he has a one-dribble, incredibly athletic dunk at the rim . . . " said Brown of Wood. "Those two clips alone, let alone all the other stuff, make you step back and take notice. Those two plays are high-level NBA plays. He did surprise me with a bunch of things, but those two plays stood out the most."
"I think that I've been getting more comfortable every game, the more I've been playing," said Wood, who averaged 15.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.7 blocks his second and final year at UNLV. "I'm getting a feel for the game, just going out there and getting a good feel for other players and teammates. We can't wait to have (Okafor and Noel) back, they are both great players, but it's next guy up all the time. You have to show up and do what you can."
Injury update
Nerlens Noel got in some good work during the team's short gathering yesterday at PCOM, practicing his dribble-drive moves with assistant coach Billy Lange. He appeared to be moving quite well as he recovers from contusions to his back and knee.
Jahlil Okafor, resting a sore knee, did some work on the stationary bike and was scheduled to do some work in the pool yesterday. Brown wouldn't commit to when Okafor may be ready to go but hinted that Noel and point guard Pierre Jackson (groin) probably would play against Washington on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center.
"Injuries with anybody, especially with our program, concerns me," said Brown. "Even though you're able to have 20 on a roster, the fact is that we have a large number that are injured and can't practice or play. Some of that is bad luck, some of that is just timing of the year. I feel like the more I do this, when you look at what draft picks have to go through with drafts, all the workouts then summer league and then coming in, there's a lot going on the last half year for any draft pick, let alone a 19-year-old 7-footer. We just have to be on top of it."
Okafor said the knee issue wasn't an injury, that the coaching and medical staffs were just being overly cautious.
On Twitter: @BobCooney76
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