Silver linings have obviously been elusive for the Philadelphia 76ers, losers of six straight outings and nine of their last 11. Touting a record of 11 games below .500, there really is not a lot to unpack for this team anymore given its current state. While there is certainly still a lot of basketball to be played, it would be highly disingenuous to still give them the benefit of doubt.
Injuries and general poor play have coagulated to give 76ers fans a vastly forgettable season. The franchise has been pretty bold in its win-now stance, but things are clearly going wayward from what it envisioned when the front office out this team together. As a result, the team could soon find itsself in a state of flux.
One troubling pattern for the team this season has been the rounds of counterproductive things engulfing them. As fans would know, the coaching staff continues to forsake investing in its youth, opting to resort to declining veterans even with the team struggling the way it is in the present.
The 76ers need Ricky Council IV to keep up his three-point shooting improvement
To prove the abovementioned, Nick Nurse and the coaching staff have given Ricky Council IV a pretty short leash this season in favor of Eric Gordon, who has been unplayable for the most part. However, they cannot be fully blamed for that decision given that the sophomore has not shown much to convince them to rethink their stance.
But over the last couple of games, Council has been given a lot of run, averaging approximately 33 minutes per outing with the 76ers missing a lot of healthy bodies. Kudos to him as he has delivered the goods for Philly, flashing his promise as a two-way role player who can get to his spots at will and capably defend multiple positions.
Most importantly, though, Council has adopted a no-holds-barred attitude offensively, hoisting up a lot of three-point shots to try and leave a bigger imprint on the game. He has hit six of his last 14 attempts — a surprisingly pleasant development for the sophomore.
Council has a skill set the 76ers badly need, but he can only secure more minutes for himself if he continuously improves his three-point stroke. Philadelphia is in dire need of ancillary players who can punish defenses, and he cannot do that by merely operating as a rim runner.
The Philadelphia 76ers can perhaps afford to look forward to the upcoming seasons given their current record, and they could only hope that Ricky Council IV can live up to his billing as a key player for years to come.