Philadelphia 76ers rookie Labaron Philon will be competing for consistent minutes and a spot in the regular rotation even as a first-year player. The team has room for him in their usual loop, and the young guard has shown glimpses of being a potentially solid contributor right from the get-go. However, Mike Gansey's recent statement about the point guard position entailing a steep learning curve for him is an undeniable admission about the obstacle he could face early on.
True enough, the 76ers team president is correct when he, after the team's public scrimmage, said that being a point guard is the hardest position for a rookie like Philon to come into, and that it is going to take some time before he eases into the role. While he admitted that the rookie is a worker, this is the reality that could hit the Alabama product sooner than later as he auditions for a major role.
Labaron Philon faces undeniable reality in his quest for a stable 76ers role
Right now, most depth charts have Philon penciled in as the nominal backup point guard behind Tyrese Maxey, with Anfernee Simons as the designated shooting guard. That is a likely configuration for the 76ers, but the inverse of that can also be true, especially if the rookie proves to be too raw to get meaningful minutes early in the season.
Point guards have to make the biggest adjustments given the difference in pace from college to the NBA, and that is even more so the case for Philon, who is not really a traditional PG. He is a score-first guard, but to have a clearer path to playing time, he has to commit himself to being a viable table-setter for this squad. Obviously, scoring is not an issue for this team.
Clearly, Philon will have a lot of adjusting to do to solidify his grasp on a perceived spot in the rotation. The team will want him to be a capable point guard off the bench, but as mentioned, that is a steep challenge for any rookie, especially for someone like him whose natural predilection lies in scoring the basketball.
Be that as it may, as Gansey said, Philon seems to be up for the challenge. Fortunately for him, he should have ample opportunity to showcase his game and bolster his case for playing time this preseason. Hopefully, he can strike the iron while it's still hot despite being subject to the proverbial obstacles of a rookie point guard.
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