Sixers reserve forward Danuel House Jr. has stepped up in the absence of injured wings Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nicolas Batum, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. House had been behind starter Oubre and his primary backup, Batum, on the depth chart prior to their absences.
In just 18:22 of action Friday, House scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor against the Hawks. Philadelphia is hoping he can maintain that offensive momentum with Oubre and Batum still sidelined.
House is on the second season of a two-year, $8.4MM deal he signed with the Sixers in 2022. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:
- With James Harden now in Los Angeles, the Sixers’ team chemistry is suddenly off the charts, writes Pompey in a separate piece. Philadelphia is 9-3 on the year, and looking to improve to 10-3 this afternoon in Brooklyn. Pompey notes that the selfishness of several prior rosters built around reigning MVP Joel Embiid seems to have dissipated with the club’s current personnel.
- Embiid, meanwhile, looks to be making good on a preseason pledge to improve his passing this year, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s averaging a career-most 6.0 assists per game through his first 12 contests. “He’s been willing to pass, but this year, he’s really buying in,” House said. “He’s not worried about scoring 50 every night, you know what I’m saying? He wants to win.” Mizell notes that Embiid spent the Sixers’ preseason deciphering the best passing angles to use for connecting with his teammates on the court. “I never liked just being an [isolation] player,” Embiid said. “I don’t think that’s the right way to play, and I don’t feel that’s the right way to win.”
- In case you missed it, the Sixers are said to be among the three potential trade destinations most preferred by two-time All-Star Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine.