Getty Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers.
With the Philadelphia Sixers holding a series lead heading into a game four showdown at home in the Wells Fargo Center, spirits were relatively light leading up to the big game four matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Head coach Brett Brown even went as far as to poke a little fun at one of his veteran contributors.
Sixers Coach Brett Brown Says James Ennis Has ‘An Old Man’s YMCA Game’
To Brown’s credit, he isn’t entirely wrong. Everyone knows that one old guy who plays pickup down at the YMCA who can barely get off the ground, yet has a dizzying array of crafty post moves and can knock down wide open shots all over the court. More often than not, those crafty old guys who never leave the ground are some of the most valuable players on the court.
More importantly than his ability to put the ball in the basket, Ennis is able to contribute with hard-nosed defense and doing some solid work on the boards. While the Sixers are loaded with plus rebounders in Embiid, Simmons, and Harris, Ennis is able to do some very solid work during his typical 15 minutes per game allotment.
Philadelphia 76ers James Ennis Stats
Despite only playing in roughly 15 minutes per game during the regular season, Ennis has seen his number called much more frequently in the playoffs. Averaging over 20 minutes per game over the course of the playoffs, Ennis has evolved into a much more useful weapon for the 76ers moving forward.
In the playoffs, Ennis has averaged 8.9 points per game on a blistering 57% shooting from the field. These averages are a steep tick up from Ennis’ regular-season marks of 5.7 points per game and 47% shooting from the field.