G-League Stint Helped Sixers Forward Shine vs LA Lakers

Sixers forward praised for maximizing brief stint in the G-League.
Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV (14) reacts after his dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV (14) reacts after his dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Down two of their stars against the LA Lakers Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers had to rely heavily on their supporting cast. While Tyrese Maxey led the charge with 43 points, it was the strong play of a couple role players that helped propel them to victory against LeBron James and company.

Aside from Maxey, one of the other standouts for the Sixers was Ricky Council. He put in some added work ahead of this matchup, going down to the G-League for one game over the weekend. The extra reps seem to have paid off, as he shined against the Lakers. In 19 minutes off the bench, Council finished with 16 points and connected on three shots from beyond the arc.

During his postgame press conference, Sixers coach Nick Nurse touched on Council's performance against LA. He also cited the trip to the G-League, applauding the second-year forward for playing the right way while with the Delaware Blue Coats.

"I think it might have helped him a little bit to go down there," Nurse said. "I thought he went down there and he played right. Didn't go down there and try to score all the time. He really passed the ball, made the right play. I think that's just gonna help him."

Council's outing against the Lakers was one of his best showings of the year thus far. He fell just short of matching his season-high (18), a mark he hit earlier this month against the Indiana Pacers. In the 37 appearances he's made this season leading up to Wednesday's action, Council averaged 6.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.0 APG.

Getting a good outing like this under his belt is good for Council in both the short and long term. With the injuries woes they've gone through, Nurse has had to go deep into his bench almost on a nightly basis. In regards to the bigger picture, the Sixers need to continue developing the young talent at the end of the bench. With so much money tied up in their stars, they need guys like Council to continue proving they can grow their game and become a rotation player down the line.


Published
Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers FanNation's All76ers. Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda.