The Guerschon Yabusele experience was a blast for Sixers fans last year, especially in a season with few other positive storylines to follow. So when the front office let him depart Philly and sign a 2-year, $12 million deal with the hated New York Knicks, fans weren't thrilled. They wished Yabu the best, were grateful for his contributions, but would have loved to bring his energy and 3-point shooting back.
However, a few weeks into Yabu's stint with the Knicks — and Trendon Watford's stint as his replacement in Philly — the decision to part ways with him may have been the right call for Daryl Morey and Co.
Yabusele has struggled to even see the floor for the Knicks (he's averaging under 10 minutes per game) and hasn't done much with the opportunities he has gotten. He's averaging 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 23.5% from 3-point range. All of the energy and excitement he brought to Philly is nowhere to be found.
This isn't happening in a Tom Thibodeau system that workhorses its starters every game, either. New Knicks coach Mike Brown has prioritized depth, and Yabusele still can't crack the floor regularly. That's not a great sign.
Meanwhile, Trendon Watford, who is essentially acting as Yabusele's replacement as a versatile power forward, has been a revelation for the Sixers. He posted his first career triple-double on Saturday, with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. I don't want to be a downer, but fans shouldn't expect triple-doubles to be a regular occurrence for Trendon Watford.
But of course, a player on a two-year, $5.2 million contract isn't expected to produce triple-doubles regularly... Or ever, really. The Sixers getting any consistent production out of Watford would be a big win, and he's making an early case to be a big part of Nick Nurse's rotation.
Trendon Watford has been an early surprise for the Sixers
I was surprised that Watford didn't get a bigger deal than what he received with the Sixers. The 2024-25 Brooklyn Nets were very bad, of course, but I thought Watford still impressed enough last season to earn a bigger deal on the open market.
Sixers fans aren't complaining right now, though, as Watford looks prepared to blow past the typical production for a near-minimum contract guy. With Joel Embiid and Paul George's status both questionable on a night-to-night basis, Watford was always going to have a chance to earn his keep with this team, and he's doing it early.
Dom Barlow was the first Sixers' free agent front court addition to impress when he had a great season debut, but then he got hurt, too, and it opened the door even wider for Watford. He's walking through that door right now, and his early play has Sixers fans forgetting all about Yabusele. Just kidding, Sixers fans will never forget about Yabu — and I'm sure most of them would be happy (but not overly vocal) to see him succeed in New York.