The Philadelphia 76ers are clearly a team in win-now mode. When you bring aboard LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the offseason, that’s the only way it can possibly work.
Sometimes, though, that can come at the expense of the development of young players.
It’s too early to say that’s happening in Philadelphia, but there’s one youngster who has yet to get off the bench through two games who has the potential to be quite intriguing eventually.
Labaron Philon was the 76ers’ first-round pick. Through two games, he doesn’t have a minute.
It’s been all about LeBron and not at all about Labaron, which at least makes for a useful name connection if nothing else.
Why Labaron Philon Hasn’t Played
It’s actually relatively straightforward to see why Philon hasn’t played yet, and it’s also fair to expect him to see some court time soon.
The 76ers have staged comebacks against both the Knicks and the Cavs in their first two games. They didn’t have minutes to spare as they tried to work their way back into those games.
The comebacks were successful, but both ended up as single-digit wins, so neither presented an opportunity either early or late in the game to get Philon in.
The other truth is that it’s early in the year, so the 76ers are healthy and their veterans are getting their full allotment of playing time.
As the season goes along, you’d expect some days off for players as the 76ers try to preserve their roster for the long haul. That would also help Philon get into more games.
Labaron Philon Career
The 76ers took Philon with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
He’s a 6-foot-4 point guard originally from Mobile, Alabama who played his college ball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Philon played in two seasons at Alabama and took a huge jump in year two, averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39.9% from 3-point range.
He definitely has an NBA-level skillset, and the 76ers will likely give him a chance at some point.
76ers’ Labaron Philon Plan Unclear After 1st-Round Pick