Ersan Ilyasova's Energy, Steady Hand Have Stabilized the Starting Unit
Ersan Ilyasova‘s energy in the starting unit has played a much larger role than many expected upon his arrival in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform.
When the Philadelphia 76ers dealt Jerami Grant to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova, not much was thought of the deal. Grant’s future in Philly was becoming increasingly cloudy, and Ilyasova was thought of as more of a glorified financial move more so than a piece that would actually impact the trajectory of the team.
That belief was greatly misguided.
While the likelihood of the veteran holding a long term role in the Sixers’ future seems slim, Ilyasova has been an incredibly important piece this season. He has given the team much-needed veteran stability in the frontcourt, and has given them perhaps their most consistent perimeter shooter outside of Nik Stauskas thus far.
In 13 games with the team, Ilyasova has averaged 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest, all while providing surprising versatility in the starting rotation.
He has been an excellent floor spacer alongside Joel Embiid, and brings the type of pick-and-pop production alongside the likes of Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless that has transformed into a major part of the Philadelphia offense. He’s as steady of a hand in the starting rotation as they come on such a youthful roster, and he has found ways to consistently emerge as one of their more reliable producers on that side of the ball.
Defensively, Ilyasova’s impact has been somewhat unexpected. His awkward movement at times hasn’t kept him to sticking with his matchups and utilizing his aggressiveness to his utmost advantage. He fights extremely hard around the basket, and has been able to fight his way into passing lanes and cough up highly-beneficial turnovers for the Sixers.
We’ve even seen Ilyasova slide to the five spot when depth was running thin — and still prove productive on that side of the ball. He may not be averaging much in terms of steals per game, but he has put the opposition in a tough spot on more than one occasion, and has emerged as far more than the defensive liability some may have expected early on.
For a team that thrives so greatly on high-energy play, Ilyasova’s presence has fit into the rotation in all the right ways. He’s the type of consistent shooter that Dario Saric hasn’t quite become, and gives the starting rotation a massive boost as a result. He’s shooting a tad under 41 percent from beyond the arc in a Sixers uniform, and that’s all while giving unabridged energy on both sides of the basketball.
His willingness to go to the floor for loose balls and get into the teeth of some much stronger opposition has been a moral boost just as much as it has been a productivity boost for a scrappy Philadelphia rotation.
With a Sixers team that is still trying to cultivate their younger talents, it’s imperative that we don’t understate the importance of Ilyasova’s role thus far. For all the praise Joel Embiid has received thus far, there are still weaknesses in his game. He’s prone to doing a bit too much with the ball in his hands, and having that steadfast presence alongside him in the frontcourt is an incredible bonus that wasn’t there with Saric.
Ilyasova has been a bailout option at times on the perimeter, and somebody capable of making the smart plays when others haven’t. For a Sixers team that has been so deeply entrenched in a rebuild that featured countless young pieces, having that type of veteran know-how has been much-appreciated addition this year — and Ilyasova has helped embody that notion.
Philadelphia is only 4-12 on the season, but the strides they have made are without question — and a lot of that credit has to go to veterans like Ersan. While Embiid has most certainly left a huge footprint in the win column, having guys like Ilyasova — among the other vets added — has been key in controlling the pace of games and finding avenues to compete down the stretch.
In what was a largely overlooked addition, Ersan Ilyasova has proven himself to be one of the Sixers’ best players. That’s legitimate praise for a legitimate contributor, and something that was must keep recognizing as the team continues forward on it’s path towards relevancy once more.
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