76ers Film Room: How 3 youngsters were X-factors vs. Pistons

12/01/2024 10:06 AM

The Philadelphia 76ers collected their first wire-to-wire victory of the season over the Detroit Pistons. They won it on the backs of their young players, a firm statement of the direction the team needs to head with its supporting cast if it wants to make more progress in the standings.

Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting and six assists. Paul George shot the ball poorly (4-of-12 from the field) but notched eight assists and five rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored an efficient 14 points, while Guerschon Yabusele chipped in eight boards and seven points. But the real highlights of the night were a trio of youngsters who made the most of their chances to play: Ricky Council IV, KJ Martin and Adem Bona.

With several veterans out and another getting injured in the opening minutes, Philly needed them to step up. Each of them did. The common theme between all of them was hustle and energy, but they all each left their own imprint on the victory.

Ricky Council IV: The human cannonball 

For the second straight game, Council made a substantial impact. He’s capable of making great things happen when he gets extended minutes.

In just under 27 minutes in Detroit, Council scored 17 points on 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-7 free-throw shooting. He was just three away from a new career high, charging up the court like a race car time after time and finishing a nice lob from Maxey.

Even when Council isn't impersonating a cannonball when he brings the ball up — though he often does simply dash up the court and dare someone to stop him — he’s explosive and shifty. He can slow down for a second and make the defense drop its guard and then dart right ahead as if he didn't even slow down.

Impressively, one of Council’s best plays of the night came when he hardly left his feet. Every missed shot is a chance for RC4 to do some damage. Near the end of the first quarter, he got himself in a perfect position to secure a missed free throw from Bona and threw enough shot fakes up before he earned his own trip to the foul line to go along with his two points.

Defensively, Council had some solid moments, recording a block and steal while emphatically securing some defensive rebounds. He showed the ability to flip between responsibilities in the fourth quarter when he dug at the nail against Marcus Sasser to force a pass back out to the perimeter and then stayed in front of Ron Holland II.

It’s tough to say how much the rookie wing opting for a long jumper had to do with Council being right there. The dwindling shot clock certainly helped, but even if Holland had tried him, he was ready to dance.

Prior to this game, Council notched a double-double in 27 minutes against the Houston Rockets. He was one of the 76ers’ most important players against one of the best teams in the Western Conference. There isn't much of a reason not to give him minutes and see how his non-stop motor impacts the game.

KJ Martin: A versatile presence down low

While Martin’s contract makes him a likely trade candidate, the Sixers should not treat him as just salary filler. He’s a very sound and young player, and therefore a legitimate asset not only in potential deals but to the team right now.

Martin stuffed the stat sheet against the Pistons: 19 points (the most he has had as a Sixer), six rebounds, three assists and three blocks on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. The 76ers moved the ball well in this game and Martin tended to be the open guy. He took care of business and made some slick passes of his own.

It doesn't require much time on the ball for Martin to dish a handful of assists. He took one of his three offensive rebounds and instantly swung it to an open Maxey for three. Not only does he swoop the ball over instantly but he clears out the wing, decluttering the look the 76ers star gets. Tobias Harris being slow to close out invites the triple, but Maxey also had a lot of open space in front of him to attack.

Martin’s dunk out of the pick-and-roll with Maxey was fairly rudimentary, but he made it super tough for the Pistons to stop because of how far he jumped to dunk it home. Jalen Duren wasn't in a great spot, but he could have stopped a lot of players from shooting because he’s pretty mobile and therefore has a chance to recover from behind. The help defense was also slow to diagnose the play but might have had a shot at stopping it if not for Martin’s incredible hops. By leaping perfectly in stride well before getting to the restricted arc, no one had a shot to get to the ball.

While Martin may not have as much juice with the ball in his hands as Council does, he can get to the foul line at a pretty decent rate. He shot five free throws against the Pistons, making four of them.

Defensively, Martin is very good and versatile. He earned himself a transition opportunity by helping down low, blocking a layup, taking the rebound up the court and charging into the paint. It was the most complete sequence of a stellar performance.

Martin’s ability to read plays and athletic gifts go together like peanut butter and jelly when it comes to off-ball defense. In the third quarter, the Pistons ran a blind pig action to get the high-flying Jaden Ivey going downhill, creating a wide-open lane. Even though he was shading over to the corner, Martin paid attention and swooped in to save the day.

The 76ers have experimented with starting Martin before, and it might be wise to consider it again. When he has the chance to attack open space around Joel Embiid and can fly around on defense with the big man helping as his safety blanket — and perhaps so Martin can act as that on the back side, too — he could be a very good fit in the starting group.

Adem Bona: A promising work in progress 

Bona was thrust into action after Andre Drummond sprained his ankle early in the first quarter. Many rookie big men might have found themselves overwhelmed against such a big, athletic Pistons team. The 76ers’ second-round rookie, however, was mostly up to the task.

The most notable stat from Bona’s final line was his three blocks, which is a lot for someone who played fewer than 20 minutes. His best block of the evening was one he skied for just in time to avoid a potential goaltending violation. Put aside whether this should or should not have been called and just marvel at the leap he makes.

Bona is a strong rebounder in large part because of how athletic he is. But the 76ers rookie also makes sure to get his body on someone all the time. Here, he seals Isaiah Stewart off from the rebound. It’s a missed shot he helped create by recognizing the Chicago action and hedging the dribble handoff. This allows Jared McCain to recover to the ball handler and Kelly Oubre Jr. to stay in front of his man. Simone Fontecchio still has some space to launch a triple, but Oubre is close enough to challenge it.

Bona’s ability to recognize where he needed to provide help killed Pistons plays before they could even start. In this play early in his first shift, he sees Yabusele get held up on a screen and calls for a switch. Stewart’s cartoonish screening stance surely tipped him off, but he nonetheless switches assignments seamlessly, puts the kibosh on the drive from Harris and even slides to help another busted coverage, forcing a bad miss.

Although Bona committed four fouls and a goaltend, he gave the Sixers some great minutes and let the game come to him for the most part. He only had four points of his own, but the 76ers won't be looking for him to score a lot anyway. He’ll be asked to provide just what he did Saturday: defense, rebounds and intensity.

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