Philadelphia 76ers Player Rankings: Rookies stepping up
9. T.J. McConnell
December Stats: GP 15| MINS 23.7| FG% 51.6| 3P% 25.0| FT% 64.3| TRB 2.5| AST 5.0| BKL 0.4| STL 1.5| PF 1.7| TOV 1.3| PTS 7.3
Previous ranking: 8th
The decrease in McConnell’s ranking on this list has more to do what others did than his performance. He performed well as the backup point guard in January and had four games in which he scored double-digits. McConnell’s not going to be the flashiest backup or a high volume scorer, but he’s a player that head coach Brett Brown can rely upon to run the second unit.
8. Jonah Bolden
January Stats: GP 14| MINS 15.1| FG% 56.9| 3P% 46.2| FT% 40.0| TRB 4.66| AST 0.9| BKL 1.1| STL 0.4| PF 2.5| TOV 1.1| PTS 5.3
Previous ranking: 12th
After ending the month of December strong, Bolden’s success carried into January. He became a part of Brown’s rotation for the month and served as the primary backup center for the club. His 46.2 percent 3-point shooting on 1.9 attempts per game in January was especially impressive. Bolden’s ability to protect the rim was a positive as well. His shot blocking ability can best be illustrated in this highlight where Bolden makes LaMarcus Aldridge look bad.
Trending. Sixers trade for power forward Harris. light
7. Mike Muscala
January Stats: GP 15| MINS 19.9| FG% 45.6| 3P% 38.0| FT% 81.8| TRB 3.8| AST 1.2| BKL 0.6| STL 0.5| PF 2.3| TOV 1.0| PTS 6.7
Previous ranking: 6th
With the emergence of Bolden, Muscala slid back to the power forward spot, his more natural position. As a result of that move, Muscala saw an increase in his shooting percentages. He had five games in which he scored in double-digits. He and Bolden made a nice combo coming off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers at the four and five spots. He was the offensive to Bolden’s defense in January, but both bigs stretched the floor well.