Carl Landry The Forgotten Big Philadelphia 76er

When Carl Landry joined the Philadelphia 76ers, it was hailed by many as a salary dump. But Carl Landry gives Philadelphia 76ers quality minutes and more.

Fact is stranger than fiction sometimes. In the case of Carl Landry playing on the Philadelphia 76ers this season, it enters the realm of irony.

The Sacramento Kings wanted to off-load some expensive contracts to avoid punitive measures in the NBA . So they contacted the Philadelphia 76ers about a trade, which was negotiated into a very one-sided event.  The Sixers traded rights to two international players for Jason Thompson, Carl Landry, Nik Stauskas, and the right to swap first round draft picks from the Sacramento Kings.     Considered to be a salary dump initially, the trade was more than that. Analyzing the trade focussed on the move of Nik Stauskas, a long range shooter, to the Sixers who were in dire need of perimeter action.

But the trade included Jason Thompson, who was subsequently moved to the Golden State Warriors for Gerald Wallace and the right to swap draft picks with Golden State from either Miami or Oklahoma City.  So two trades led to the right to swap two drafts.  But the trade series did land the Sixers two players – often discussed Nik Stauskas and seldom discussed Carl Landry.

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It was easy to speculate that the arrival of Carl Landry was simply a trade away of moving on to another team. He is still productive, and Sam Hinkie is notorious for converting productive players into future draft assets. But perhaps it was the lack of veterans on the team, or the fact that Landry needed surgery and would not be ready to play at the beginning of the NBA season.

Next: Landry Arrives

Landry Arrives

In any case, Landry remained on the Sixer roster through the cuts.  It is fortunate that events played out that way. The Sixers Jahlil Okafor ran aground off-court with some rowdy Boston fans, and that led to a series of revelations about the young man’s initial experiences and decision making since arriving in the NBA. Both areas are all too familiar to Carl Landry. We looked at his anticipated return as a calming factor to the young men on the team.

He returned to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup on December 23, 2015.  Despite averaging 11.7 minutes per game, he has been a very constant player.  He’s averaged 7.6 points per game to go with 3.0 rebounds per game.   His return has coincided with the Sixer mini-winning streak, however.  Since returning to the court, the Philadelphia 76ers’ record has been three wins and four losses.   If the game stats are analyzed further, a curious statistical anomaly appears:

Could Carl be the reason? Perhaps not, but he is a contributor.  The team is fragile right now: both in chemistry and trust, but in resolve.  Landry’s consistency is leading this team into trusting one another, and head coach Brett Brown’s game plan.  Players need not come off the bench expecting to score 20 straight points to win the game at the buzzer.   Each player on the team needs to play within themselves, take what the opposition is giving them.  Landry is a good teacher for that.

Next: Landry's Treasure

Landry’s Treasure Trove

So what does Carl Landry do for this team? Plenty. His is the cue for the rest of the players on the court. How often did the Sixers have a lead late in a game only to watch it vanish in the final minutes. Landry has been in the NBA for awhile, and does not wilt during the heat of the final minutes of the game. In fact, if the opposing team takes away his post game, he’s content to score from mid range. He’s deadly accurate. While he doesn’t lob shots at a frequency to rival a ball machine at a batting cage, his current shooting is at 56.8% accuracy. This is from a veteran who just came back from injury. His role is that of mentor, but he’s been called to court since healthy, and he’s consistent.

Much like the Sixer’s latest addition Elton Brand, Landry has the opportunity to share his wisdom and NBA experiences with the team’s young roster.   Whether a great or little direct impact, there is no denying that the team appears to be far more polished since he’s returned from injury.  His willingness to play whatever role is required of him is a strong statement about the quality of the player, and the man behind the player.

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Carl Landry may not win championships with his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he may not even win over the hearts of a majority of the fans.  He’s not flamboyant or outspoken enough to get front page headlines nor television coverage.  His statistics are solid, but not flashy.  His minutes per game are inconsistent.

But Carl Landry has earned respect.  Joining a team at the point of rebuilding is never an easy place for an NBA veteran.  Rather than resist the move, he asked how he could help.  He’s been helping this team all season.