James Ennis Is Developing Into a 'Hot Guy' off the Bench

Sixers' small forward James Ennis has developed tons of confidence recently, which created a 'hot guy' mentality.

CAMDEN, NJ -- When the Sixers traded with the Houston Rockets to obtain James Ennis last season, they didn't believe they were getting somebody who was going to come on the team and shake-up the starting lineup.  By no means was the acquisition of James Ennis viewed as a blockbuster around the NBA.

It was more about the Sixers needing a reliable veteran presence for their playoff run, to come off the bench and offer quality minutes. Ennis appeared in 18 regular-season games for the Sixers in 2018-2019, averaging roughly 15 minutes-per-game. He shot 41-percent from the field and averaged five points-per-game.

At the end of the year, Ennis' contract was up, so it was possible that his tenure in Philadelphia could very well be short-lived. As it turned out, though, the Sixers' front office and coaching staff were intrigued by the 29-year-old veteran, who has played on a handful of teams already throughout his five-year career in the NBA.

This season, Ennis hasn't picked up much more of a significant role, but the improvements he has made in his game definitely reflect on the stat sheets. As Ennis has been playing around 17 minutes-per-game, the veteran reserve now averages seven points-per-game, shooting a career-high of 50.5-percent from the field so far.

His performance at this point in the season could be worthy of a promotion in the lineup. And many questioned as to why Furkan Korkmaz typically gets the start over Ennis with Josh Richardson out with an injury.

"I said this before and I'll say it again -- he's having a hell of a year," Brett Brown stated in regards to James Ennis on Monday. So if Ennis is doing so well, why isn't he getting the same opportunity as Korkmaz, who Brown claims Ennis "has the edge" over?

Simply because the Sixers need a reliable veteran to trust off the bench. Coach Brown mentions that Ennis offers the Sixers' bench some stability throughout their matchups. The coach wants to be able to judge the game, and look to Ennis when need be, rather than depend on the small forward to clock in for over 30 minutes a night right at the tip-off.

While being in the starting lineup is somewhat of an honor, Ennis is hardly worried about garnering the starter's badge on the Sixers. How Ennis sees it -- he's already a "hot guy" to his opponents. So to have that respect from his coaches, teammates, and the opposition, regardless of whether he's starting or not, is all Ennis personally cares about right now.

"I want to be a hot guy," Ennis said on Tuesday following practice. "I'm in rhythm. Coaches believe in me more, my teammates believe in me more -- it feels good."

Ennis' confidence boost was evident on Tuesday. As he's picked up nearly 30 minutes in each of the last two matchups, despite being a reserve, the veteran forward has developed some healthy swagger as the Sixers look to continue their win streak with a matchup against the Wizards on Thursday. He's got the reputation he wanted. Now, it's time to see if he can keep it for the long-haul or not.