Thrust Into Bigger Role, Sixers' Holmes Stars in Win Over Wizards

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For as much as the Sixers' bigs are talked about, Richaun Holmes often is left out of the conversation. 

He's not the centerpiece of the team like Joel Embiid nor was he heavily involved in trade talks like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. He is the backup center who bides his time on the bench and quietly stays ready when he gets the nod.

And on Friday, he was the standout player in the Sixers' 120-112 win over the Wizards (see Instant Replay). 

"He's been sort of the person that people forget about because of the logjam of five men," Brett Brown said. "We all sort of think, ‘Well, he should just accept it because he's behind Joel and Nerlens and Jahlil. Good ol' Richaun. Go to the D-League and it's OK.' And that doesn't work. He's a pro, he's competitive. He's handled it. He's really been a wonderful teammate."

Holmes was bumped up in the rotation following the trade of Noel to the Mavs. He moved into the second-unit role while Okafor started in place of the injured Embiid. 

Holmes recorded his first double-double with 12 points (6 for 9 from the field) and 10 rebounds (three offensive). He also blocked a career-high five shots, tying Embiid for the most by a Sixer this season. The second-year big man put together this impressive performance in 26 minutes off the bench. 

"Just play hard," Holmes said of his approach. "Just go out there, show what you've been working on, play hard every second you're out there. That's the motto I've got."

Holmes is averaging 16.1 minutes and has appeared in just 32 of the Sixers' 57 games. This season he also spent time with the Delaware 87ers of the Development League to get playing time. Holmes embraced an opportunity similar to Friday's a month ago when he scored 18 points in as many minutes against the Clippers. 

"I try to approach every game this season the same way, whether everybody was playing or people were hurt," Holmes said. "Prepare like I'm going to play 30 minutes a game. I think having that mindset helped me to stay ready at all times and be aggressive when I had a chance."

Brown did not rule out the possibility that Holmes could start at some point if he continues this production. The Sixers are limiting Okafor to 20 to 24 minutes per game, according to Brown. That, combined with Embiid's injury, could lend itself to an increased role for Holmes. 

"I think in that environment, it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary for Richaun to get a start from time to time," Brown said. 

Even if he remains on the second unit, Holmes proved he can provide a spark off the bench. Dario Saric noted how Holmes' impact on both ends of the floor bolsters the frontcourt in addition to a more offensively-minded Okafor (11 points, two rebounds). 

"I think he played unbelievably good in both ways," Saric said. "Everybody knows he's an elite guy finishing around the rim, and he stepped in Nerlens' place, he replaced him unbelievably good. I hope he will get the same minutes for the next game because we have Jahlil, who is more like a post-up player, who likes more to score from the low-post block, and we for sure need some guy like Richaun who will play in both ways." 

Perhaps the person least surprised by Holmes' game was Holmes himself. It was the result he puts in long hours to produce.

"It's all about the grind," he said. "All about keep working, keep trying to move up, keep trying to get better every second and it'll pay off."