WILMINGTON, Del. — The Philadelphia 76ers are in the process of looking to contend for a championship. The hope is that Joel Embiid will step in and produce to give this team the boost it needs to take that next step.
Due to the team having title hopes, it means there isn’t much time for the Sixers to develop young players such as rookie big man Johni Broome. The No. 35 pick in the draft has a game of NBA experience under his belt, but the Sixers want him to get the necessary court time to develop so he has spent some time in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats in an effort to do that.
Broome had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks as he shot 9-for-20 from the floor and 2-for-5 from deep in Saturday’s loss to the Greensboro Swarm. In two games with the Blue Coats, he’s averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. He had to leave his first game early due to an ankle injury, but the G League has been helpful for him.
“It’s been good,” Broome said. “Just being able to be on the court, get some minutes, knock some rust off. Just getting my game back. I feel like I’ve been getting better from being in the game and I feel like it’s been helping my confidence, so when I go back up with the Sixers, it won’t be my first time on the court. I played in a game this week already. I did pretty well, so I think it’s been good for me.”
The G League is meant for development. It’s meant for players to head down there and get some work in, so it’s good for somebody like Broome to focus on areas of development and take steps forward as a player. He isn’t going to get that chance with the Sixers at the moment, so he is using the Blue Coats as his opportunity.
“Just keep getting better,” Broome finished. “Work on my wind. Like, kind of sprinting a little bit more. Just keep rebounding, keep doing things that are going to translate up there. I think I can block shots a little bit more. I think tonight I had four. I probably could’ve had seven or eight today, so I think more of that stuff.”
The Sixers will look for Broome to take those next steps as he continues to develop as a young rookie.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers rookie Johni Broome opens up on his time in the G League
