Trendon Watford Shines In 76ers Starting Debut

Watford has received high praise throughout his NBA career, but he has yet to receive the opportunity to utilize his rare skill set. Finding a power forward with his size, ball-handling capabilities, and court vision is rare. He put all of those traits to use against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Watford posted an absurd stat line of 20-17-10. It was his first career triple-double and a career high in both rebounds and assists. On a night where Philadelphia brought back the vintage 2001 black uniforms in honor of the 25th anniversary of their title run, an unexpected hero stole the show.

Teammates Take Notice

This Watford performance may seem like it came out of nowhere, but he has seen high praise ever since signing with the 76ers. “Reminded me of Ben Simmons tonight,” said former NBA MVP Joel Embiid after the team’s victory.

Tyrese Maxey is also a longtime friend of Watford, as their relationship dates back to a high school basketball camp when the two were in ninth grade. Maxey was the one who gave him the call during free agency, and he may have gifted his friend the greatest opportunity of his career.

76ers Starting Lineup

Watford was always going to have a chance to start, but it was an unknown whether he would perform enough to maintain it. As Paul George nears his return, if he keeps up these performances, he certainly will remain in the top unit. It was unexpected that Philadelphia would be in this situation with perhaps too much talent and power forward, but that’s a fantastic problem to have.

Maxey, Embiid, and rookie VJ Edgecombe are locks to be starters, with Watford, George, and Kelly Oubre Jr as the remaining candidates to fill the last two spots. Watford and George, as the forwards, would complement the others with a great combination of shooting, playmaking, and ball handling.

End Of My Trendon Watford Rant

Watford showed up when the lights were brightest. This was the exact performance that the 76ers needed from their dull PF position. If he can maintain a high level of play, Philadelphia’s depth cannot go unnoticed in a banged-up Eastern Conference.