The Guerschon Yabusele experience was great for Sixers fans last year, especially in a season that saw few other positive storylines follow suit. So when the front office let him leave Philly and sign a two-year, $12 million deal with the hated New York Knicks, fans were not happy. They wished Yabu well, were grateful for his contributions, but would have liked to give him back his energy and three-point shooting.
However, a few weeks into Yabu’s stint with the Knicks – and Trendon Watford’s stint as his replacement in Philly – the decision to part ways with him may have been the right decision for Daryl Morey and Co.
Yabusele has struggled to even see the floor for the Knicks (he’s averaging less than 10 minutes per game) and hasn’t done much with the opportunities he’s been given. He is averaging 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 23.5% from 3-point range. All the energy and excitement he brought to Philly is nowhere to be found.
This also doesn’t happen in a Tom Thibodeau system that tests its starters every game. New Knicks coach Mike Brown has prioritized depth, and Yabusele still can’t crack the floor regularly. That’s not a good sign.
Meanwhile, Trendon Watford, who effectively acts as Yabusele’s replacement as a versatile forward, has been a revelation for the Sixers. He posted his first career triple-double on Saturday, with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. I don’t want to be a downer, but fans shouldn’t expect triple-doubles to be a regular occurrence at Trendon Watford.
But of course, a player on a two-year, $5.2 million contract isn’t expected to produce triple-doubles on a regular basis… Or ever, really. If the Sixers were to get consistent production out of Watford it would be a big win, and he’s making an early case for being a big part of Nick Nurse’s rotation.
Trendon Watford was an early surprise for the Sixers
I was surprised Watford didn’t get a bigger deal than what he got at the Sixers. The 2024-25 Brooklyn Nets were obviously very bad, but I thought Watford still impressed enough last season to earn a bigger deal on the open market.
Sixers fans aren’t complaining at this point, though, as Watford seems willing to push past typical production for a guy on a near-minimum contract. With the status of Joel Embiid and Paul George questionable from night to night, Watford was always going to have a chance to make a living with this team, and he does so early.
Dom Barlow was the Sixers’ first free agent signing to impress as he had a great season debut, but then he was also injured and that opened the door even further for Watford. He’s walking through that door now and his early play is making Sixers fans forget all about Yabusele. Just kidding, Sixers fans will never forget Yabu – and I’m sure most of them would be happy (but not overly vocal) to see him succeed in New York.
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