Tag: Charlie Brown Jr.

Sixers player grades: Joel Embiid comes alive to lead rally past Heat

Joel Embiid came alive in the second half as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied past the Miami Heat on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers knew what they would be walking into on Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back against a tough Miami Heat team. They were shorthanded as they were missing Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, and Shak Milton so they would be leaning more on their stars to lead the way for them.

The Sixers deserve a lot of credit for continuing to dig deep ad battle in this one. With Joel Embiid off to a tough start on the offensive end and the team being so shorthanded, this could have easily been a loss for them. Instead, they dug deep and were able to rally from 13 points down to knock off the Heat 109-98.

Tobias Harris had a big game going for 22 points and eight rebounds, Embiid came alive in the second half and had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and Seth Curry added 21 with five rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey also stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while Georges Niang added 12 off the bench.

Here are the player grades following a gutsy win on the road:

Sixers convert Charlie Brown Jr. to two-way deal, release Aaron Henry

The Philadelphia 76ers will convert Charlie Brown Jr. to a two-way deal and release Aaron Henry.

With the Philadelphia 76ers dealing with more COVID-19 issues, it offered up some opportunities for others in the G League to earn a look and try to prove their worth out on the floor.

Charlie Brown Jr. was one of the few guys who earned 10-day hardship exception contracts with the Sixers and he was able to show off his worth. In his few minutes, he was able to show off his length on the defensive end, he was helpful on the glass, and he was able to show his athleticism as well.

With the Sixers struggling on the glass, they have decided to convert Brown Jr.’s contract to a two-way deal and they will release Aaron Henry in the process.

Brown Jr. may not be a regular rotation player once everybody returns and is healthy, but he has proven he can be a solid player when called upon to give minutes in a pinch. He can also give the team a jolt every once in a while when they need it.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers player grades: Joel Embiid leads in win over Rockets, 7th straight win

Joel Embiid leads the Philadelphia 76ers to a win over the Houston Rockets for their 7th straight win.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to continue their winning ways as they took a trip to the Lone Star State for a date with the Houston Rockets. The Sixers were missing the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, and Seth Curry as they all were dealing with an ailment, but it didn’t matter on this night.

As long as Joel Embiid is healthy, the Sixers always have a shot and the big fella had himself yet another dominant night on Monday to lead Philadelphia to a 111-91 win over the Rockets for their seventh straight win. Embiid finished with 31 points, eight rebounds, and six assists as he once again dominated the Rockets for the second time in a week. This is also the seventh straight game where Embiid has scored 30+ points.

Furkan Korkmaz added 12 points and six rebounds, Tobias Harris added 13 points, Matisse Thybulle had 10 and three steals, and Andre Drummond had 13 and 11 boards. Georges Niang added eight and Isaiah Joe had 10 off the bench.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Sixers praise Charlie Brown Jr. for his play in home win over Spurs

The Philadelphia 76ers give praise to Charlie Brown Jr. after a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been in need of some bodies as COVID-19 has once again decimated the roster a little bit. With players going out, the Sixers have been needing to make moves to add to their team and give a little depth.

The latest player to receive a 10-day hardship exception was Charlie Brown Jr. who is a local kid from St. Joe’s. He has also been in Philadelphia’s organization playing for their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

He made his debut in Friday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs and he had three points and three rebounds. He showed off his length with two steals and he made a few athletic plays that impressed coach Doc Rivers.

“Charlie, his length, his athleticism, and really talking to Coby Karl and JB Clark who’s down, they just kept saying watch his athleticism,” said Rivers. “He gets his hands on everything, you’ll really like him. We put him at that time we needed defense.”

His one bucket was when Dany Green got a block and then he threw a terrific pass to Brown Jr. who converted the And-1. He also showed off a little emotion after the play which is understandable and the Sixers were just happy to see him producing.

“Honestly, I didn’t know too much about his game before seeing him at shootaround, but I just thought he had great energy for us,” said Tobias Harris. “He was in passing lanes, you can see the size, he’s got long arms and defends, he gets out and runs, so heckuva player. It’s good to see guys get an opportunity and show people their skills and what they can do.”

As a guy who started off in the G League himself, Seth Curry was impressed by what he saw from Brown Jr. He was able to do the little things that allowed him to get noticed by his teammates.

“He came in and brought great energy,” said Curry. “That’s just the key to it. Come in and try to make your presence felt on the floor and most of the time, that’s not gonna be from scoring the ball so you gotta try to do the little things. Do your job on the defensive end and then try to make the little plays like he did.”

Brown Jr. was even active on the boards with the three rebounds and he helped the Sixers get a few others with his activity That is how a guy from the G League on a 10-day deal is going to get noticed in this league. They have to keep working in order to get the job done and help contribute in these games.

“Offensive rebounds, cutting, getting out in transition, that’s just stuff you gotta do,” Curry added. “You gotta find your baskets without plays being called for you. He did his job of coming in, being long, being active, and giving us a lift.”

It is unfortunate that guys are getting COVID, but opportunities like this one allow a guy like Brown Jr. to make an impact out on the floor and show off what he can do.

“A lot of guys play all around the world and even in the G League, but sometimes, they just need an opportunity to showcase, and I think that’s the great thing about the league now,” added Harris. “It’s bad guys are getting COVID, but on the positive side, guys are getting an opportunity to come in and show their game so hopefully, he continues to showcase what he can do and keep improving.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers player grades: Joel Embiid, Seth Curry lead the way over Spurs

Joel Embiid and Seth Curry led the way as the Philadelphia 76ers knock off the San Antonio Spurs for a sixth straight win.

The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Friday feeling pretty good about themselves. They had just been able to rally to knock off the Orlando Magic the other night for their fifth straight win and they welcomed a shorthanded San Antonio Spurs team into Philadelphia on Friday which offered another opportunity for them to get it done.

After getting off to a fast start in the first quarter where they built a 21-point lead, the Sixers were able to cruise to a 119-100 win for their sixth straight win. Once again, Joel Embiid had himself another big game with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists to lead Philadelphia while Seth Curry also contributed with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Tobias Harris added 23 on 9-for-12 shooting and seven rebounds with five assists, Matisse Thybulle had 12 in his return, and Furkan Korkmaz added seven and four rebounds.

Here are the player grades following a win at home:

Thunder waive Charlie Brown Jr., claim Mamadi Diakite off waivers

The OKC Thunder waived Charlie Brown Jr. to create roster space to claim Mamadi Diakite, who was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guard Charlie Brown Jr., the team announced Sunday night.

The Thunder used the open roster spot to claim power forward Mamadi Diakite, who had been waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Brown spent part of last season on the Thunder. In nine games, he averaged 4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.9 minutes of play. He was not efficient, shooting 30.2% from the field and 23.8% from 3.

He was a fringe player on the roster at best entering the season. The Thunder had presumably seen enough of the 24-year-old guard, waiving him to create space for Diakite.

Diakite is a 6-foot-9, 228-pound power forward who appeared in 14 games for the Bucks last season. Over 10.1 minutes per appearance, he averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.

He stood out at the G League level when he played for the Lakeland Magic in the bubble last season.

Diakite was named to the All-NBA G League First Team, NBA G League All-Defensive Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team with averages of 18.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game.

He will have a chance to work out for the Thunder during training camp and the preseason and fight for a spot on Oklahoma City’s roster.

Charlie Brown Jr. signs multi-year contract with Oklahoma City Thunder

The OKC Thunder have signed guard Charlie Brown Jr. to a multi-year contract, GM Sam Presti announced.

Guard Charlie Brown Jr. has signed a new, multi-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team announced on Saturday.

Brown’s second 10-day contract ended Saturday, which would have prevented him from playing the final game of the season on Sunday. This new contract will allow him to remain with the Thunder for the remainder of the season and moving forward.

Terms of the contract were not released.

It is possible that future seasons are not guaranteed. The Thunder have done this with players including Gabriel Deck (three of four years non-guaranteed) and some two-way players including Lu Dort and Moses Brown.

Charlie Brown has appeared in eight games for the Thunder, during which he has averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. He is shooting 33.3% from the field and 29.4% from 3.

Brown first signed a 10-day deal with Oklahoma City on April 25 and then his second on May 5.

This is Brown’s second season in the league. Last year, he appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks.

Over his two G League seasons, Brown has averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field and 28.9% from 3.

This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!

Charlie Brown Jr. signs multiyear contract with Oklahoma City Thunder

The OKC Thunder have signed guard Charlie Brown Jr. to a multi-year contract, GM Sam Presti announced.

Guard Charlie Brown Jr. has signed a multiyear contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team announced on Saturday.

Brown’s second 10-day contract ended Saturday, which would have prevented him from playing the final game of the season on Sunday. The new contract will allow him to remain with the Thunder for the remainder of the season and moving forward.

Terms of the contract were not released.

It is possible future seasons are not guaranteed. The Thunder have done this with other players, including Gabriel Deck (three of four years non-guaranteed), Lu Dort and Moses Brown.

Brown has appeared in eight games for the Thunder. He has averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. He is shooting 33.3% from the field and 29.4% from 3.

Brown signed a 10-day deal with Oklahoma City on April 25 and his second on May 5.

This is Brown’s second season in the league. Last year, he appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks.

Over his two G League seasons, Brown has averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field and 28.9% from 3.

This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!

Thunder sign Charlie Brown Jr. to second 10-day contract

The OKC Thunder have signed Charlie Brown Jr. to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Wednesday.

Guard Charlie Brown Jr. signed a second 10-day contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, the team announced.

With that news, Brown will be available for every remaining Thunder game except the final one, which will take place against the Los Angeles Clippers on May 16.

In three appearances this season, Brown has averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes. He started the game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, during which he recorded eight points, five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes of play.

Brown did not appear in the games on Sunday or Tuesday.

The second-year player appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season, during which he averaged four minutes per game.

Over his two seasons of G League play, Brown has averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He has shot 43% from the field and 28.9% from 3.

Oklahoma City’s remaining schedule includes games against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday and Saturday night, games against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday and Tuesday, a game against the Utah Jazz on April 14 and one against the Clippers on April 16.

Tipoff against the Warriors on Thursday is scheduled for 9 p.m. Central Time.

This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!

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‘It’s embarrassing’: Thunder lose by 57 points to Pacers

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached the point of a true tanking team: embarrassing losses. The Indiana Pacers beat them by 57 points.

“It’s embarrassing.”

There comes a point for every rebuilding team when there’s a moment that that’s all an organization can say. For the tanking Philadelphia 76ers, it may have been the 119-68 loss in December 2015, their 21st loss in 22 games to open the season following a year in which they had won just 18 games.

For the tanking Phoenix Suns, if it wasn’t the 48-point defeat in the 2017 season opener, it was less than a week later, when they lost by 42 to the Los Angeles Clippers and then Eric Bledsoe tweeted that he didn’t want to be there.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the first true moment came in the 152-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

“It’s embarrassing,” said head coach Mark Daigneault. “I’m not going to try to spin that. It’s tough. It’s demoralizing.”

“It was a pretty ugly storm,” he added.

That’s the type of outcome to expect when the starting lineup is made of one rookie and four second-year players, three of whom spent some or most of their rookie season in the G League.

That’s the type of outcome when of the six bench players, two more are rookies and one is another second-year player who spent most of his rookie season in the G League.

The Thunder got obliterated by the Pacers on Saturday. Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double by halftime and finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists. Doug McDermott scored 31 points and Caris LeVert had 25.

Indiana scored at least 40 points in each of the first three quarters.

With 4:12 remaining, the Pacers led by 67, just one shy of tying the largest margin of victory in NBA history. The Thunder went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit down into non-historic levels.

Charlie Brown Jr., on a 10-day contract with the Thunder, started the first game of his career. He recorded eight points, five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes.

Gabriel Deck played his second NBA game and recorded eight points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.

Isaiah Roby had just two points and Theo Maledon scored eight. Moses Brown had 16 points and seven rebounds.

It was the worst game of the season for the Thunder, and likely the worst game in franchise history. It won’t get any easier on Sunday when they face the NBA-leading Suns.

The good news is, Oklahoma City is different than those tanking Sixers and Suns teams.

Those two teams were directionless, will all hopes lying in the draft lottery. While that is clearly important to the Thunder, they have players they believe in such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley. They have assets from teams including the Houston Rockets and Clippers, so they themselves don’t need to lose for years and years on end. They have a trade piece in Al Horford.

This game was embarrassing. They’ve won just two of their last 20 games. But unlike the Sixers and Suns, they built enough goodwill during the beginning of the season that fans can get through these final eight games for what they are. They can look to the future without thinking the team is two years away from being two years away from sniffing a playoff spot.

Oklahoma City lost by 57 points. They’re lucky it wasn’t worse. If there’s any positive to take away, it’s that they’ve hit their low at a good time: With eight games left, fans and the front office are already looking toward the draft.