With a 3-1 win-loss card through their first four games, the 76ers have come out strong out of the gates. Team chemistry remains in its brewing phase, but thanks to their boatload of star power and raw talent, Philly has already managed to turn heads with their stretches of dominant play. One interesting tidbit, however, is the fact that Labaron Philon Jr. has not been a part of the usual rotation, which signifies that the team probably does not view him to be ready for a firm role just yet.
During Philadelphia's first three outings where the group was fully healthy, Philon totaled just under four minutes of gameplay, racking up a couple of DNPs in the process. He got a chance when Nick Nurse deployed him for 13 minutes against Detroit –– which ended up in their first loss –– but that came because starting shooting guard VJ Edgecombe was a late scratch due to injury.
Labaron Philon has a lot of work to do to get playing time from the 76ers
Heading into the regular season, fans and pundits expected Philon to be a part of the regular rotation for the 76ers even when fully healthy. After all, bench scoring was an issue for the team over the last few years, and the rookie guard brings with him a much-needed edge on the scoring end to warrant some minutes right from the get-go.
Well, that has not been the case so far. Nick Nurse has gone with a firm nine-man rotation for the most part with Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope soaking in all the available minutes in the backcourt off the bench.
The 76ers are in dire need of a strong start, which is probably why the team has not dployed Philon as much as expected. After all, despite his well-rounded scoring profile, there remain questions about his efficiency, playmaking, and defensive acuity –– traits that the team values more than raw scoring given how they are constructed.
Of course, things can and most definitely will still change over the course of an 82-game season, so the window for Philon to get a consistent role is in now way foreclosed. That being said, it will take a lot of work for him to get more playing time even when the team has a clean bill of health.
By caring and excelling in the more menial things, the path will be wide open for Philon to be a regular contributor. Hopefully, the process does not make him any less enthused about proving himself, as the 76ers will surely need him at some point this season.
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