Was James Ennis' Showboating a One Time Thing?

Sixers veteran reserve James Ennis has gained major confidence as of late. Will he continue to showboat because of it?
Was James Ennis' Showboating a One Time Thing?
Was James Ennis' Showboating a One Time Thing? /

CAMDEN, NJ -- This past Tuesday, Philadelphia 76ers veteran reserve, James Ennis was all smiles. Lately, the 29-year-old small forward has come in clutch for his team while coming off of the bench. Some even say his play has been consistently good enough for Ennis to earn a spot in the starting rotation with Josh Richardson out with an injury.

While Sixers' head coach Brett Brown won't start Ennis for logical reasons, which he explained recently -- Ennis isn't pouting about it. As a matter of fact, the former second-round pick seems especially happy with how things are going this year.

In 2019, Ennis was offered another chance to make a name for himself in Philly. As he managed to play in only 18 games for the Sixers last season, Philly hasn't gotten the full taste of what Ennis truly has to offer.

So the front office gave him another chance to prove his worth by offering a short-term contract. So far, Ennis has brought enough production as of late. Now, he's developing a desirable energy when he's out on the court.

During Monday night's game against the Utah Jazz, Ennis was fouled while chucking up a three-point shot. Fortunately, he drained his attempt and came away from the play uninjured as he took a hard fall to the ground.

Ennis got up fairly quickly, but he wouldn't do it without a little showboating first. So before standing, Ennis decided to fire off some push-ups, marking the first time he has done that in a game. Well, at least that's what he thinks.

"Actually, I probably did push-ups in like Australia," Ennis said on Tuesday when trying to recall if he ever did something like that in a game before or not. While Ennis had his first cocky moment of the season on Monday, he doesn't view it as a big deal.

"I just did it because it was an and-one, and I wanted to show off my strength a little bit [laughs]." Showing off is a part of the game, but sometimes showboating like that can leave a head coach frustrated as it can come off as unsportsmanlike.

Fortunately for Ennis, Brett Brown wasn't all that upset about his 'moment.' While the head coach did say he will "think about" offering discipline for the push-ups, Brown still made sure to show his appreciation for Ennis, as he's glad the veteran has adopted a swagger.

"I guess there is [a swagger] -- good for him!" Brett Brown said on Tuesday after finding out that Ennis referred to himself as a 'hot guy.' "He's having a hell of a year." As he averages 42-percent from lang range and 50-percent from the field, Ennis is currently exceeding his career-averages by a significant margin.

Therefore, it doesn't come as much of a surprise the veteran reserve is feeling himself a bit. Ennis has earned his right to be confident over the last few weeks, but the cocky antics, such as doing push-ups, most likely won't be a regular thing. "I did miss, so I think it did affect me a little bit," Ennis said in regards to his foul shot following the push-ups. "I probably won't be doing any push-ups before my free throws next time."


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA