Philadelphia 76ers Can Cruise With Consistent Carl Landry

Acquired as part of a salary dump from the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76er power forward Carl Landry shows consistency in performance. Surprisingly, that comes without consistent minutes on the court

Power forward Carl Landry came with no fan expectations. In fact, the anticipation of what the trade which brought him to the team could be summarized in a short statement: salary dump and draft picks. In fact, after his arrival, the smart money wagered that he would not make the team: either he would be traded to another team for additional draft picks or he would be cut outright. There were numerous stories that hinted that Carl Landry would be dealt elsewhere, but when we investigate their validity, nothing seemed to make sense under research.

And so, Carl Landry arrived to the Philadelphia 76ers as a veteran on a nearly entirely rookie team. To make matters worse, Carl was on of the players who had off-season surgery to correct soreness in his right wrist. He underwent successful surgery on the morning of June 2, 2015, to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist. The procedure was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Landry experienced wrist soreness during the 2014-15 season, missing five games as a result (Jan. 16 – Jan. 23). An initial evaluation at that time by Dr. Carlson indicated surgery was not necessary. When pain in the wrist persisted during the offseason, Landry underwent an MRI early this week which revealed that a procedure was required to repair the injury. Landry went straight to rehabilitation immediately following that surgery, and was out until seeing his first action in a Phildelphia 76ers jersey on December 23, 2015, where he played 13 minutes and scored ten points against the Milwaukee Bucks. He followed up that debut with a 26 minute 16 point effort against the Phoenix Suns.

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Landry has seen more than 20 minutes just three times this season: 23 minutes in the victory on Dec 26th against the Phoenix Suns, 22 minutes in a victory on January 4th against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and 26 minutes in a losing effort Sunday against the Miami Heat. In those games, Landry scored 16, 16 and 18 points respectively. The Miami loss was the particularly disappointing, as the Heat had to rally from a 79-73 deficit.

"““Good teams, they close out quarters,” said Landry on Sunday. “I’ve played on some good teams, and the only difference is closing out quarters. That’s where teams win. It is closing out quarters.”"

Consistancy. That’s what the Sixers lack, but not due to the efforts of seldom seen Landry. In fact, veteran Landry has been as consistent as his playing minutes have been erratic. He averages 54.0% shooting from the floor, and from his average of 12.1 minutes per game, he generates 7.2 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, and .3 blocks and .3 steals per game. On Sunday, he had over double the amount of time on the court, and his scoring and rebounds went up proportionately. 18 points and seven rebounds for the night.

"“Just got the minutes,” Landry said afterwards. He collected a season-best 18 points behind a solid eight for 16 shooting display. “I don’t think I’ve done anything much different than I’ve done all season. Just got a little bit more playing time, and the numbers look different. That’s all.” – Carl Landry as interviewed by Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com"

Statistics back this up. While he did have a poor showing in the first Miami game on Friday, March 4, where he shot 0-4 from the floor and scored just three points, his season has been slightly better than his career on shooting accuracy. The only element missing from the equation is time. On Sunday night, he got some. And his mantra, his style, is such that he remains prepared, remains ready. Despite waiting as many as six games before returning to the court, he remains ready. He shared the secret in December 2011.

The quality of your preparation determines the quality of your performance.
— Carl Landry (@CarlLandry) December 20, 2011

And with that, it makes sense. Carl Landry continues to remain in command of himself, constantly remaining in a state of readiness for that rare moment when the Philadlephia 76ers will look his way. Head coach Brett Brown commented on the performance of one of his few veterans:

"“First, he (Landry) was physical. There’s (always) a physical side of his play that’s so different than anybody, with the exception of Elton [Brand] on the team. He has a low center of gravity. He’s been able to finish plays at the rim. You can see why he’s been in the league for as long as he has been. I think physical play stands out most to me when I see him play. He was very good.” – Brett Brown discussed Carl Landry’s efforts in Sixers loss to Miami"

Next: Philadelphia 76ers Small Ball Worked On Sunday

Landry plays hard, having been on the roster of four different playoff teams in his career. He saw what those team do, and didn’t do, on their runs to make the playoffs. It’s that knowledge and wisdom that makes Carl Landry a curious name for next year’s roster. Will the team see value in keeping him on board to work with the young big men going forward? Before now, I had concerns that Landry might not make next years roster. But after the Miami showing, I’m seeing value to retaining him.