When the Philadelphia 76ers signed Trendon Watford in free agency, they expected to get an emergency backup forward who can flourish in some niche areas. After all, they only got him for cheap, and he was not particularly a widely desired commodity, either. Put simply, the team envisioned him taking on a minor role this season.
In all honesty, that remains to be the case. Watford started off the season injured, then returned with a pretty major role as their go-to power forward. Unfortunately, he was sidelined for more than a month with another injury which led to a drastic dip in minutes, but the team might have just unlocked a new way to unleash him during their latest outing.
Nick Nurse made the decision to trot Watford out as their nominal backup point guard during their game against the Suns, which ended up in a huge win on the road. His numbers were far from eye-popping, but he did manage to organize the 76ers in the halfcourt, handling the rock and playing the role of initiator which they badly needed, especially after trading Jared McCain.
The 76ers have unleashed Trendon Watford in a new way
Playmaking has always been one of the biggest strengths of Watford, and it is definitely intuitive to put him in a position where he can showcase his skills fully. and with the frontcourt rotation currently being a tad too loaded for him to crack, deploying him as a de facto guard is a wise way to provide him minutes and give the team in a lift in a lacking department.
In just 16 minutes per game, Watford is tallying 2.6 assists. It is clear that he can pass the rock and make timely reads with the ball in his hands. Heck, he is averaging the second-most dimes on the team per 36 minutes, narrowly trailing Tyrese Maxey.
With Paul George still out, the 76ers have one less source of playmaking. And after getting rid of McCain, that is another player whose secondary creation leaves a void therein. That makes it all the more important for the coaching staff to resort to Watford, and he is currently delivering the goods enough to stay in that role.
Hopefully, Watford can remain serviceable at the very least as a playmaking option off the bench. After all, he already gives the team solid and varied contributions on the floor. As such, him making an impact in an area of non-strength will make a world of difference as the 76ers vie for better positioning in the playoffs.