Philon the Blank
76ers' first round pick Labaron Philon should have a substantial role off the bench behind the Sixers star-studded backcourt....
I’ll be honest… I wasn’t particularly thrilled that my hometown Sixers had drafted yet another guard with the 22nd pick in this year’s NBA draft. I had a friendly wager with my dad that he would give me $50 if I was able to correctly guess who the Sixers would take at 22. Both of the names I placed in my envelope a week prior to draft night were forwards (Chris Cenac and Koa Peat). The money wasn’t my issue seeing as how guessing the pick correctly wasn’t likely at 22 anyway, but I was confused as to why the Sixers needed yet another guard alongside their young VJMAX backcourt. Rebounding was a huge issue this past season, especially given that Joel Embiid isn’t quite the dominant paint force he used to be defensively and is often injured, as many Sixers fans know. Dom Barlow is great on the glass, but with Andre Drummond hitting free agency, and slim pickings on the waiver wire, I was certainly concerned when Labaron Philon was drafted. I’m going to talk about how the current iteration of the Sixers roster could provide a great situation for him to thrive in the rotation.
Now, about Philon himself, I actually had him #7 on my board pre-draft. He’s an elite on-ball playmaker, with great speed and agility, who can torch opposing defenses in a variety of ways. I felt that, in spite of what many would consider to be a strong sophomore season, he had fallen a bit under the radar in draft talks, partially due to the rise of standout freshmen guards, such as Brayden Burries, Keaton Wagler, and Kingston Flemings. When it came to looking at some of the lead guards in this class, I thought Philon was the third-best option behind Flemings and, obviously, Darryn Peterson. Sure, he was turning the ball over more, but that was to be expected, given his drastic increase in usage from year 1 to year 2, along with the absence of Mark Sears. Outside of the turnovers, however, his efficiency skyrocketed alongside his increase in usage. He was mere 10ths of a percentage away from having a 50/40/80 season, while doubling his attempts from beyond the arc, and nearly tripling them from the foul line. His handle is unbelievably crafty, and he’s got the “head on a swivel, eyes in the back of his head” features of a true lead guard. Sure, he’s skinny as hell, but he’s got access to an NBA training staff and weight room AND possesses defensive acumen.
Once free agency started, the fit started to make more sense. Dean Wade and Jaylen Brown provide the Sixers with more size and versatility at the 3 and 4 spots (yes, Brown is listed as a 2, but he could play the 3 if asked). Johni Broome is still on the roster alongside Dom Barlow, and all of a sudden, it seems there might actually be a way for Philon to come in on day 1 in a manner that makes logistical sense.
Another big issue the Sixers had last year involved the way they had to stagger VJMAX in order to keep ballhandling on the floor. Paul George was occasionally forced into PG (no pun intended) duties, as VJ is still developing as a primary ballhandler. This is where Philon fits. With the frontcourt more shored up, along with the signing of Anfernee Simons, the Sixers now possess a variety of both on and off-ball guards off the bench. The great thing about Philon is that he’s been in this role before. His freshman year generally consisted of being a spell for Mark Sears off the bench and taking over secondary playmaking duties. He was essentially an Energizer Bunny for the Tide, coming in and creating defensive chaos, while becoming a heat ray in spells. In the Sixers rotation, he can come in and be a run-starter and momentum-shifter. With all of the on-ball shot creation that Philly currently possesses, he can ease his way in as a playmaker without having to be thrown in the fire too often. Not only that, but the Sixers really struggled to generate offense when they turned to the bench last season, and it was very evident in their second-round series against the Knicks. Philon (and Simons) can keep the bench above water when VJ and Maxey rest, making him a crucial part of the Sixers’ rotation.
There’s a variety of expectations as to how good this Philadelphia 76ers team will be in 2026. Rumors still circulate about the potential addition of Lebron James, everyone wonders how Jaylen Brown will adapt, and there’s the chronic “Is Embiid healthy enough?” Within all of that, one thing’s for sure. We will see plenty of Labaron Philon this season, and I believe he’s going to throw himself into conversations for All-Rookie teams by the time it’s all said and done.