Feb 27, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Isaiah Canaan (0) drives past Washington Wizards forward Nene Hilario (42) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Isaiah Canaan, or “Canaan with a cannon,” as I like to call him, is one of my favorite younger guards in the NBA. Although he doesn’t have all the athleticism of some players like John Wall, he does offer a lot that a guard should offer. And hey, who couldn’t love a guy who hit one of the nuttiest shots of the year?
He’s great at getting hot and staying hot, and there are plenty of times where he was hitting threes like crazy. He went through a transition getting traded from the Houston Rockets to the Sixers last season, and improved in several categories, but unfortunately his three point accuracy dwindled down just a bit. This was to be expected though, since he attempted four more per game as a Sixer.
One thing I love about Canaan is he’s a master of handles, often dribbling people right out of their shoes, or making them look silly.
Watching highlight videos of Canaan makes it clear to see that he’s a shoot first type of guy, (which George Kondoleon confirmed in his starting lineup projection) which hopefully can change and he will be able to see some of his teammates more. Handles are good and all, but does it go to Canaan’s head? He only assisted 1.2 times per game in Houston, and only bumped that up to three times per game in Philly. Quite low for a point guard.
He’s going to have to really impress with his shooting if he wants to keep his assists that low. He’s got to keep his head up for teammates.
Canaan really did hit his groove coming to the Sixers, and doubled his points per game. He quickly became a role player on the team, and yet again is more proof of how the team is working with younger players and developing them. I believe he’ll continue to be impactful next season, and will even start for the team.
Canaan will grow as a Sixer along with a lot of the other young guys and continue to improve.
What players do you think will be making the most impact next year towards wins? Tweet us @SixerSense and let us know!
Next: Jahlil Okafor Needs To Set A Strong Foundation This Year
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