Tatum’s gone from 13.9 to 18.4 points a game in the postseason and has been averaging 20.5 since Game 6 in Milwaukee. Pierce averaged 16.5 points as a rookie, but he didn’t get to participate in the playoffs until his fourth season. “He’s already off to such a great start,” said Pierce. “He’s mature beyond his years. He doesn’t look rattled by the moment. Sometimes you see rookies have problems when they get to this point. I saw Ben Simmons against the Celtics, and it looked like moment was too big for him. He was wide-eyed out there. He looked confused. I don’t see that in Jayson Tatum. And if he didn’t have a team full of guys who are really good players and with two All-Stars, he could easily have won Rookie of the Year. I think he’s just starting to see his potential. He’s just 20 years old and he has a long way to go, but he’s just scratching the surface of how great he can really be.”
Philadelphia 76ers Rumors
Brian Seltzer: #NBA announces Joel Embiid All-NBA 2nd-Team. First Sixer named All-NBA since Allen Iverson (’06, 3rd-Team), and team’s first 2nd-Team selection since Iverson (’03). Ben Simmons received 4th-most votes among players who didn’t make 1st, 2nd, 3rd Team cuts. 📷 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/NHauzgacy2
The 76ers center made just the All-NBA second team, landing behind the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. Davis surged after Cousins went down, earning overall credit from All-NBA voters, who were also increasingly likely to view him as a center rather than just a forward. As a result, Davis made the All-NBA first team at center – costing Embiid about $29 million over the next five years.
Ben Rohrbach: JJ Redick said on the @Bill Simmons podcast that Jaylen Brown called him “a bitch” during the London game. When JJ told him, “I don’t play that,” Jaylen said, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
The product of those years of decision-making brought a bunch of players to the city who have built a special connection with the fanbase, even if they don’t have the same star-level talent as Embiid. Hinkie discussed a bunch of his former players who he remains a big fan of — he raved about former Rockets guard Kyle Lowry — and did a decent enough job of summing up why the fans love a scrapper like McConnell. Hinkie: “I have a special place in my heart for a lot of the players we had in Philly, some of which are still there. Joel Embiid and I are still close, I love him and watch on pins and needles when he plays without his mask or something silly happens. T.J. McConnell I love and sort of what he stands for, Robert Covington I love, everywhere he’s been … I like people who have big dreams for themselves in whatever package they’re in, and trying to outkick their coverage and overachieve.”
