Nick Nurse sees rotation opportunities for KJ Martin, Ricky Council IV
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with numerous injuries that have opened the door for other players to earn minutes for coach Nick Nurse.
An example of that has been KJ Martin. With Tobias Harris missing two games in a row, the Sixers have turned to Martin and he has stepped up with two solid games showing off his defensive versatility as well as his basketball IQ on the offensive end.
Over the course of the final two games before the All-Star break, Martin has defended the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as examples which is something Nurse likes.
“He’s obviously got a unique skill set,” Nurse said of Martin. “Underneath the basket cutting, he’s obviously a guy we can throw a lob to, we can play some screen-and-roll with him as well as a roller just because of his athleticism. He can offensive rebound a bit. Very versatile on defense, too. He can guard a lot of different positions. He’s got great strength and athleticism and he’s kind of a utility guy on offense depending on who else is out there, but defensively, he’s pretty versatile.”
Martin, along with rookie Ricky Council IV, has taken advantage of the opportunities presented. Both forwards have a lot of size, athleticism, physicality, and a confidence within themselves that will eventually force Nurse to give them a look in the rotation.
“I think that just looking at the roster, there is some opportunity there for both him (Council) and KJ,” Nurse said. “Just now things have kinda shifted in the other direction. We’ve got lots of 1s and 2s, right? Maybe not as many 4-type guys. Obviously, we’ve got Tobias there, but who’s gonna be the backup 4? I think there’s a legitimate case for either one of those guys.”
Nurse is right. When Harris comes back from his left hip impingement, he will obviously get the bulk of the power forward minutes. However, Martin and Council will get the backup minutes coming off the bench.
“I think they both played very hard and certainly played like they weren’t afraid and they competed and made some plays,” Nurse added after Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat. “They’re on the glass. They’re finishing. They’re taking rhythm shots when they come to them so I think they both athletically showed they can hang. Compete level, showed they can hang, so we’ll see how it all plays out.”
