October 31, 2016
Maybe it has to do with where he was picked in the NBA Draft (toward the middle of the second round), or possibly that he played college ball in relative obscurity at Bowling Green, or even perhaps his quiet demeanor off the court, but Richaun Holmes always seems to fly under the radar.
This is a little bit surprising in a league that embraces and thrives on viral video, because despite all of those things, Holmes has proven in NBA games that he can flat-out fly:
“He jumps as quick as anybody I’ve coached, like he gets off the floor quick,” Brown said. “And he can finish in traffic with ferocity and dunking on people. He’s an elite roller, you can throw balls in the air and he can go get them.”
Robert Covington has rightfully been viewed as the best “gem” (unheralded player that became a steal) during the Process era of Sixers basketball, but Holmes is certainly making his case by standing out from the many second-round picks that former general manager Sam Hinkie collected.
The idea was that if the Sixers kept taking swings later in the draft, they were eventually going to hit on a few. Maybe Holmes isn’t a home run on the Draymond Green level, but he already appears to be a find at the 37th pick.
Holmes was very quietly one of the most productive rookies in the 2015-16 class on a per-minute basis despite playing on a 10-win team, not an easy task. And now, with highly-drafted teammates Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid all out of the lineup or limited by minute restrictions, Holmes is likely going to be the team’s most featured center the next few weeks.
Back in training camp, this was not the scenario that the 23-year-old imagined he would find himself in less than a week into the season.
“I was just expected to be ready when my name was called,” Holmes said. “Now the team needs me to step up, and so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try to go out there and show what I can do and help the team win.”
Holmes’ individual numbers, specifically a field goal percentage of 70, look better than his actual impact on the team thus far. The Sixers have been a disaster in the 31 minutes Holmes has been on the floor, but that of course is an extremely small sample.
“It’s just about wanting the ball. I’ve got to want the ball more and I’ve got to go get it. That’s pretty much all it is and that’s something I plan on doing.”
Holmes does need to make some improvements. Already an elite finisher in the pick-and-roll, he has the ability to shoot better than 18 percent from the NBA three-point line (last year’s mark), funky release and all. That is one area he can work on, but offensively, Holmes is already trying to go from good to great.
The other and more important area that Brown mentioned is Holmes’ rebounding. With an 11 percent defensive rebounding rate a season ago, he hit the glass more like a guard than hybrid 4/5 man.
“I feel like that’s the single thing we want to zoom in on,” Brown said. “I think he’s positionally aware of where he should be. I think he’s got a toughness, you can see it in his face, a tenacity.”
Holmes is off a to a better start on the defensive glass this season, and if he can keep it up, should have a long NBA career ahead of him.
“It’s just about wanting the ball,” Holmes said. “I’ve got to want the ball more and I’ve got to go get it. That’s pretty much all it is and that’s something I plan on doing.”
With the Sixers facing their first back-to-back of the season over the next two days, at home against Orlando on Tuesday followed by a Wednesday road trip to Charlotte, the training staff faces their first real decision concerning the team’s two big men on minute restrictions.
As expected, the Sixers are going to proceed with caution. The verdict is that Joel Embiid will play tomorrow night against Orlando, while Jahlil Okafor will suit up but not play unless there is an emergency. Okafor will be in the lineup on Wednesday against the Hornets, but the plan is for Embiid to not even travel to Charlotte.
“In regards to back-to-backs, we’ve always felt that was going to be a challenge,” Brown said. “This particular one, given Jahlil’s sort of infant stages into becoming healthier, we’re going to not use up his minutes tomorrow night and then spend our money more in Charlotte.”
“Spending money” is Brown’s pet term for handling the minute restrictions, and with the Sixers’ cautious approach, it has to feel like shopping on a major budget.
Okafor, who played 15 minutes on Saturday against the Hawks, said there have been discussions that his minute limit could be possibly upped (along with Embiid’s). With Embiid out of the lineup, you would hope that the No. 3 overall pick would be able to handle a bigger burden.
“I’m feeling better and better every day, so I understand [the decision] and just am going to trust [the medical staff] with everything,” Okafor said after Tuesday’s practice.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
