Tony Wroten Flourishing With Sixers

Nov 13, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten (8) during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Rockets 123-117. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Well, if this wasn’t something we all couldn’t tell already!

Wroten came to Philadelphia from Memphis in the off season for basically nothing. The Sixers took a player off of the Grizzlies hands that they considered trash. The Sixers were busy collecting a bunch of “NBA” players that probably would barely make a D-League roster. That’s a bit harsh, but you get the point.

Wroten was apart of that bunch. The Sixers decided to throw Wroten minutes and see what happened. This was a lost season anyway, did it really matter? Not realistically. Wroten was a former first-round pick and he had to have some sort of talent.

In his rookie season in Memphis, Wroten only played 7.8 minutes per game and produced 2.6 points per game during that short amount of time (per basketball-reference.com). It’s hard for any player to be productive in those minutes, but Memphis decided he was trash. So, Hinkie picked him up and turned him into gold.

Wroten has been killer for the Sixers this season, on top of being just a ball of fun to watch. The guy can make one lay up and feel like he can make any shot. Nothing like seeing a Tony Wroten heat check three from a guy who shoots 25 percent from deep. Wroten is averaging 13.8 points, 3.7 assists and 3.7 boards in 26.5 minutes per game. Turns out the kid isn’t half bad when he actually gets a chance to play.

It’s almost like Miles Plumlee, who is flourishing in Phoenix this season. He was a first round pick by the Pacers a couple years back and didn’t even play 100 minutes in his rookie season. The Pacers shipped him (and Gerald Green) for Luis Scola. Well, Plumlee is averaging close to a double-double this season, because he’s actually GETTING MINUTES!

Hey, NBA Front Offices, here’s a tip. If you’re going to draft a player in the first-round, you obviously believe he has some sort of talent. Why don’t you keep the player instead of trading them away for nothing? Man, I don’t get it. Regardless, Tony Wroten is taking advantage of every opportunity he’s been given this season.

He made NBA history this season, recording his first triple-double in his first career start, something that had never been done before in NBA. Even in his return to the bench tonight, after filling in for Michael Carter-Williams at the point guard position during his injury, Wroten still put up 19 points.

Is Wroten a starting player in the NBA?

I’m not sure. It’s too small of a sample to make any determinations off of. Wroten is a bag of energy every night. He will split double teams, he will split hard hedge’s and take the ball right to the rack and find a way to score. He will take shots that make you scream, but once you see that he took the shot, you can’t help but love it. I know for a fact that Tony Wroten believes he is a starting NBA guard, but we all knew he thinks that. He’s a gunner in every sense of the word. We’ve had Lou Williams, Swaggy P and now we have Tony Wroten. No one will ever replace LouWill, but Tony Wroten will be loved by the city when it’s all said and done.

Right now, Wroten will continue to be the sixth man as long as MCW is healthy. I’m sure he wants to start, but he can’t complain after barely playing three minutes a game in Memphis last season. He’s a spark plug off the bench and I look at him as a Nate Robinson type player. He can score and if he somehow creates a decent, half-reliable jumper, he will be good. It’s possible for a player to develop a jumper over their career and Wroten will need to do this to ensure himself a long NBA career. I’m glad he gets his first chance in Philadelphia, aren’t you?

In a season where losing is embraced and winning is frowned upon, the joyful play of Tony Wroten should also be embraced by a city that needs some happiness in these dark times in the sports world.

Is Tony Wroten A Starting NBA Guard?

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