Richaun Holmes Is the Winner of the Christian Wood Departure

In lieu of Christian Wood signing with the Charlotte Hornets on a two-year deal, it’s time for Richaun Holmes to prove his worth as a potential long term option in reserve.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ frontcourt remains crowded, as it has been for the past couple of years, but the team’s recent decision to move on from Christian Wood doesn’t lack meaning. As someone who was once considered a first round talent, Wood has all the tools capable of carving out a niche at the NBA level, and has some solid stretch four attributes that fit well with what the Sixers are attempting to build. But all of that upside was for naught from Philadelphia’s perspective, as they chose to stick with somebody else as a tertiary power forward– Richaun Holmes.

After being selected in the second round during the 2015 NBA Draft, it wasn’t all that surprising when Richaun Holmes was given a legitimate shot to carve out a serviceable role on a dismal 76ers roster. While he was able to get his fair share of minutes at times, injuries and a lack of consistency ended up characterizing his campaign, and his standing with the team from a long term viewpoint was in great question coming into the summer.

Not only was Dario Saric expected to make his way over to the States, which he has, but Christian Wood was given a chance to showcase his talents alongside him on the Sixers’ Summer League squad.

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If Philly had signed Wood, they would’ve likely been capping Holmes’ upside with the team moving forward. A lengthy stretch four who does more with the basketball on the offensive end would likely facilitate the end of Holmes’ tenure with a team that has been consistently looking for upgrades and manners in which to improve.

Now establishing his spot behind Saric, Ben Simmons, and to an extent Joel Embiid at the power forward spot, Holmes could be in a position to set himself apart as somebody the Sixers can rely on in the reserve unit as their rebuild progresses. He isn’t the type of talent who will produce at a high clip on any roster in the league, but is a bouncy athlete underneath the basket who shows more than desirable willpower on both sides of the ball.

Holmes’ role won’t increase, but it could become much more concrete this season. Their ability to go up-tempo could lead to Holmes getting a few shots to get on the court and run with court with Simmons and company from time to time, while the two have already shown a solid rapport on the court thus far in Las Vegas that could go a long ways in reassuring his role with team.

In addition to his offensive role, Holmes is the type of gritty defensive force who could force his way into minutes under Brett Brown. He doesn’t have great size for the four, standing at 6-8, but is well built and highly aggressive underneath the rim. He’ll grab rebounds at a higher clip than some of their core pieces have been able to up to this point, and gives Brown somebody he can plug in for important defensive possessions when he sees fit.

Next: Christian Wood Has Sam Hinkie to Thank for His NBA Job

As we witness Richaun Holmes fight for a spot on the team beyond this season, the Sixers not guaranteeing a deal for Christian Wood was a massive victory for the young forward out of Bowling Green. He has worked notably hard with the team during his first season, and has managed to overcome some of his skill deficiencies with effort and a level of intangibles that seem to have been recognized by the front office and coaching staff alike.