Tag: dakota mathias

Every player in Philadelphia 76ers history who has worn No. 33

Here is a list of all 13 players who have worn the No. 33 in the long history of the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s summertime in the NBA, so it’s time to learn some history. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the older franchises in the NBA. Their history dates to the 1949-50 season.

With that longevity, the team has had hundreds of players come through the City of Brotherly Love. Sixers Wire looks at the No. 33, which has been worn by 13 of those players in the history of the franchise.

This running series will go through all of the uniform numbers worn in franchise history. The previous edition of this series was a list compiling the seven players who have worn the No. 34.

Here is the list of those 13 players who have worn No. 33 in Sixers history

Former Sixers guard Dakota Mathias lands with Grizzlies on a deal

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Dakota Mathias lands a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 2020-21 season was a wild one in the NBA as every team worked through the murky waters of the pandemic. The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the teams hit hard by the virus, which forced many players into the league’s health and safety protocol during the early part of the season.

To field enough players to get through games, teams relied on numerous younger players. One of those players was Dakota Mathias, a former Purdue standout Philadelphia signed to a two-way deal before the season started. He played in eight games, including two starts. He had a big role in a win over the Miami Heat.

The Sixers eventually waived Mathias, and he played six games for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2021-22 season while on 10-day deals. Now, he will now get another opportunity in Memphis on an Exhibit 10 deal.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=66888]

[lawrence-related id=66917,66952,66920]

Dakota Mathias to play next season with NBA G League Ignite

Mathias will serve as one of the veterans that will help mentor the next group of prospects, including Michael Foster Jr. and Jaden Hardy.

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Dakota Mathias will reportedly sign with the NBA G League Ignite for next season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Mathias, who went undrafted in 2018, averaged six points and 1.6 assists in eight games with the Sixers last season. He was among 17 players to play with the USA Basketball select team this summer and he also played in the AmeriCup qualifiers.

The 26-year-old will serve as one of the veterans that will help mentor the next group of prospects on the Ignite. The team will feature five-star prospects Michael Foster Jr. and Jaden Hardy with Scoot Henderson and Dyson Daniels also signed for next season.

[mm-video type=video id=01fe1d7t7pamwekrx6j6 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fe1d7t7pamwekrx6j6/01fe1d7t7pamwekrx6j6-e6f57be2a58f2b49237a229d7bc1c205.jpg]

Coached by Brian Shaw, the Ignite completed their inaugural season in March after qualifying for the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Led by Jalen Green, the Ignite also featured high-profile prospects Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.

Shaw has since been replaced by Jason Hart as head coach of the Ignite.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for those prospects looking to play professionally. The chance to play in the G League will help those players begin the transition to the next level while learning from seasoned veterans.

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

[lawrence-related id=37320,32990,36493]

[listicle id=36125]

This is the full roster for Team USA at 2021 FIBA Americup Qualifiers

USA Basketball announced its roster for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Americup Qualifiers. Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas are the two biggest names.

USA Basketball announced its roster for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Americup Qualifiers. Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas are the two biggest names.

The qualifiers will feature sixteen countries from North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America all competing to earn a spot in the 2022 FIBA Americup.

Johnson and Thoms are two of the five players on this roster who have experience on an NBA roster. Meanwhile, seven players on this team have already played for Team USA in some capacity before this tournament.

Led by head coach Joe Prunty, Team USA begins training in San Juan, Puerto Rico later this month. They will face Bahamas (Feb. 19) and Mexico (Feb. 20) on ESPN+.

Former Sixers guard Dakota Mathias to join Team USA in the AmericaCup

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Dakota Mathias will join Team USA in the AmericaCup Tournament.

Team USA is continuing to prepare for the 2021 Olympics after it was pushed back a year due to the global COVID pandemic. They are putting together the roster for the AmericaCup qualifying tournament in San Juan from Feb. 19 through Feb. 20 and a former Philadelphia 76ers guard will be joining them.

Dakota Mathias, who was on a two-way contract with Philadelphia before being waived, will be joining former NBA stars Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas in the AmericaCup Tournament. It will be a nice opportunity for him to learn from the veterans and grow his game for the next NBA chance.

Mathias averaged 6.0 points in eight games with the Sixers and he had 13 assists compared to one turnover. He was waived on Jan. 18 before Philadelphia signed Rayjon Tucker to a two-way deal.

Mathias did have a big moment in Philadelphia when he drilled a clutch 3-pointer in overtime, much to the delight of Tobias Harris, in a win over the Miami Heat back on Jan. 12. He was not in Philadelphia’s future plans, but he now has a chance to show off his skills in this tournament and continue down his NBA journey.

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

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=RAH1xGdBDh-1129035-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-related id=41856,41848,41845]

Sixers roster news: Team to waive two-way player Dakota Mathias

The Philadelphia 76ers will waive guard Dakota Mathias on Monday.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently traveling back to the City of Brotherly Love on Monday after they had to spend the night in Oklahoma City on Sunday due to contact tracing. It had something to do with their matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday which then caused their game with the Thunder was postponed.

The Sixers did make a roster move on Monday as they waived rookie two-way player Dakota Mathias, per a team official. He played in eight games for Philadelphia including two starts after being thrust into a larger role recently due to the Sixers being so shorthanded. He averaged 6.0 points and he shot 30.8% from deep and he had one big moment with the team when he knocked down a big shot against the Miami Heat in overtime.

A team source tells Sixers Wire that the move creates a roster spot for the future, but there is nothing imminent to share with regards to the open roster spot at this time.

It is a little confusing that Mathias was waived as he showed off an ability to play at this level. It will be interesting to see what team president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand will do with the roster moving forward.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=85G8YvxmkO-1102422-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-related id=41481,41474,41471]

Doc Rivers, Sixers proud of what rookies have contributed on the floor

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers is proud of the rookies for stepping in and producing on the floor.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been forced to rely on unproven players in recent games due to the league’s health and safety protocols keeping main rotation players Seth Curry, Tobias Harris and others sidelined as the league works through the landscape of the pandemic.

That means coach Doc Rivers has had to turn to second-round picks Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed as well as undrafted rookie Dakota Mathias along with Tyrese Maxey to try and pick up wins. After initial struggles with the team losing three in a row, they found a groove in Tuesday’s win over the Miami Heat.

Joe knocked down four 3s, including a clutch one late to help the Sixers force overtime. Mathias made his only shot of the night in overtime, a deep 3-pointer to give Philadelphia the lead for good.

“I think it’ll be hugely beneficial for them,” said Rivers. “Obviously, it’s not what we planned coming into the year. We didn’t think we would have games where we would have Shake out, Furkan (Korkmaz) out, Seth Curry out, Tobias out. Who would have thought that that would ever happen?”

This is not easy for Joe, Mathias or even Maxey. They are being asked to do a lot as rookies. They are being asked to grow up rather quickly and help a team that has championship aspirations get it done right now.

“At times, we’re not playing the right way, so you got to get on them, you got to explain to them how everything is supposed to be and what they’re supposed to be doing,” said Joel Embiid. “The best thing about all of them is they’re willing learners. They listen, they learn, they go out and do the right thing. We got a great group of guys. I really love all of them.”

One of the more impressive things down the stretch of Tuesday’s win was the ball security by Joe and Mathias. Both Maxey and Ben Simmons fouled out, meaning the two of them had to be the ballhandlers in overtime against a very good Heat team.

“We get in the game and Ben fouls out, Tyrese fouls out, and down the stretch,” said Rivers. “We have no point guard and the two guards that we had bring the ball up are both rookies with very little NBA experience and yet, they didn’t turn the ball over, and we handled that pretty well.”

In a time where they are trying to help the team win a title while also trying to take steps forward in a world that is also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the rookies are doing a solid job. This experience will help all of them as the season continues on.

“Just very proud of them and there’s so many lessons to be learned in this game, good and bad,” Rivers finished. “I think it’d be great for them in the long run.”

The Sixers will have a rematch with the Heat on Thursday at home.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=Mph4AiYzoE-1106627-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-related id=41298,41294,41287]

Joel Embiid, Sixers praise rookies Isaiah Joe, Dakota Mathias after win

Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid had high praise for Philadelphia 76ers rookies Isaiah Joe and Dakota Mathias after the win.

The Philadelphia 76ers were once again relying on unproven rookies in order to get some wins right now due to the lack of players they have at the moment. On Tuesday, they had to take on the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat while still missing the likes of Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, and others.

Coach Doc Rivers has had to turn to a second-round pick in Isaiah Joe as well as the undrafted Dakota Mathias in order to try and get some wins and on Tuesday, they stepped up big time.

Joe drilled a clutch triple late to bring Philadelphia within two to set up Joel Embiid’s bucket to force overtime and then Mathias made his only shot of the night in overtime. With the Sixers down by one, he knocked down a huge triple to give the Sixers the lead for good.

“They’ve been great,” said Embiid. “They’re learning on the fly. All of them have been great, especially with the guys that we haven’t been able to have the past couple of games. Isaiah made a big 3, then in overtime, Dakota made a huge one. Tyrese (Maxey) has been great, especially if we’re not gonna have the other teammates for I don’t know how long, they need to keep showing up every single day to help us get these wins.”

For Rivers, it is satisfying to see the young players on the team be able to step up and knock down big shots. Especially with the team still so shorthanded and trying to get wins right now.

“It was awesome,” said Rivers with a smile. “The fact that Dakota hadn’t made a shot, they swung out to him, and with no hesitation, takes that shot says a lot about him. Joe, I’ll tell you, like I’ve said it before, he’s a scorer. If you leave him open, he will make the shot, he will take the shot. He has great confidence, and both of them were big for us.”

The Sixers will most likely have to count on the rookies again as they get set to take on the Heat in Round 2 on Thursday.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=iUSEXBwEt7-1106444-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-related id=41272,41266,41256]

Tobias Harris reacts to Dakota Mathias’ go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Heat

Dakota Mathias helped the Sixers snap their three-game losing streak on Tuesday night. Tobias Harris approved.

Tobias Harris may not have been in the lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, but that didn’t certainly didn’t stop him from cheering on his teammates as if he were sitting on the bench.

By virtue of the Sixers being noticeably shorthanded against the defending Eastern Conference champs, Dakota Mathias got some extended minutes against the Heat, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

Actually, he came close to disappointing, but he managed to redeem himself.

With the Sixers leading the Heat by three points in the final minute of overtime, Mathias committed a foul against Tyler Herro, who connected on his 3-point attempt. By virtue of the 4-point play, the Heat took a late lead and appeared to be on their way to sending Philadelphia to its fourth consecutive loss.

After the teams traded baskets on each of their ensuing possessions, the Sixers trailed by a point. That’s when Mathias nailed what ended up being the decisive shot.

Not bad for a two-way player.

Meanwhile, back at home, Harris was presumably taking in the contest and dedicated a few tweets to celebrating the contributions of the neophyte, who gave Doc Rivers’ team 11 minutes on a night when everyone who suited up got extended minutes.

For those who aren’t geographically inclined. The highlighted state in the map tweeted out by Harris is South Dakota — an obvious ode.

Harris isn’t expected back in the lineup for the Sixers until Saturday, at the earliest. The Sixers will be traveling to Memphis to lock horns with the Grizzlies that day, but have another matchup with the Heat again on Thursday before that.

Perhaps Mathias’ strong play will continue.

Doc Rivers focused on Sixers development, player health in tough times

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers is focused on development and keeping his players healthy during these tough times.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in dire straits right now as they are down nine players at the moment due to health and safety protocols and various injuries this early in the season. This is the landscape that the league is dealing with as they wade into the murky waters of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Sixers had to play a game on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets leaning on three rookies in the starting lineup–Tyrese Maxey, Dakota Mathias, and Isaiah Joe–and then another rookie off the bench–Paul Reed–who played significant minutes against a Western Conference Finalist.

Due to the tough times, coach Doc Rivers is focused on development and keeping his players healthy more than anything else right now until he gets his team back.

“Development, number one,” Rivers started. “Health is number two because I think what we’re missing in this is COVID created this, but the concern is not COVID now, the concern is injuries because guys are playing so many minutes because we don’t have enough guys.”

In Saturday’s game, Maxey played 43:45, Joe played 44:51, and Mathias played 41:03 as they had to play heavy minutes due to the situation presented to them. Reed also played 26:11 after playing a grand total of 1:24 in the NBA entering Saturday.

“I think if I was deciding games in that way I would be very careful if I’m in the league,” Rivers added. “You don’t want that to happen either and so, for example, I’m looking at our stat sheet we had 1, 2, 3 guys plus 40 and it couldn’t be avoided. Now we play again in two days, then we play again, and so that’s my concern with this is that we got to be very careful in how we navigate over the next week.”

It is important that Rivers and his coaching staff do their best to manage these young player’s minutes. On one side, it’s important that they get this type of experience for their future, but on the other side, playing too many high-stress minutes for a guy who has not played that many minutes in the past can cause an injury in some cases.

Of course, the Sixers could possibly have Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid return on Monday as they both cleared the league’s protocols. They were late scratches against the Nuggets due to Simmons having knee stiffness and Embiid dealing with back issues. If they could return, that would be a huge lift to the lineup. If not, then the Sixers will have to keep it pushing,

“Our staff does a really good job of communicating to us beforehand on things like that,” said Joe. “I think a week like we’re gonna have we just got to be prepared for anything. Whether we have some players come back, whether we have to play seven again, we’re definitely prepared for whatever we have in front of us, but they definitely do a great job of letting us know as early as possible.”

The Sixers will battle Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday.

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=HdMjbqhDA6-1102534-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

[lawrence-related id=41177,41174,41171]