After losing three of their last five outings, the Philadelphia 76ers got back to the winning column on Saturday after besting the Toronto Raptors at home, 130-120. They now improve their win-loss card to 6-3, and really, they have Trendon Watford to thank for in this particular outing.
Getting slotted into the starting lineup next to Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Kelly Oubre Jr., Watford came out and did not disappoint, racking up 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists to finish the night with his first triple-double ever. The newcomer, in just his fifth game back from injury, basically did everything on the floor, spearheading the team’s winning rally.
Of course, one cannot reasonably expect Watford to turn into Nikola Jokic and log triple-doubles on a nightly basis, but if he keeps this all-around production up, the 76ers forward might just become the actual frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award.
Trendon Watford dazzles with a triple-double as 76ers best Raptors
Signed to a modest deal in the aftermath of the Guerschon Yabusele free agency fallout, Watford was penciled in to assume the role the Frenchman filled last season. However, he has been even better than his predecessor, and the counting stats reflect exactly that.
Watford has always had good court vision even when he was playing for the directionless Nets. He had an uncanny knack for finding open cutters and making the most out of emerging passing angles to oil up the scoring attack. Now, he is feasting on the litany of scorers the 76ers have.
The 76ers have never had someone like Watford since maybe Dario Saric. With Philly having a myriad of talented scorers, a connective passer like him will do wonders for the team — and he has already done that.
But to make the deal sweeter, Watford is no passing dummy. He is a good finisher around the rim who also has some presence beyond the three-point line. He is a willing defender who can take on multiple players in a single possession.
Moreover, as can be gleaned from his boxscore entries, his rebounding has been superb. That was a huge weakness of this group last season, and with Joel Embiid not able to fight for the boards with such intensity as before, Watford helping out on that end would be huge.
The 76ers found an absolute gem in Trendon Watford, and as long as he remains healthy, there is nothing preventing him from being a featured part of this team. Pencil him in on the Most Improved Player discourse.