Tag: Ricky Council IV

Sixers praise Ricky Council IV for contributions in wild win over Spurs

The Philadelphia 76ers give their praise to rookie Ricky Council IV for his contributions in a wild win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers were searching for answers. They needed a spark against the San Antonio Spurs while playing without Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Kyle Lowry and others.

Coach Nick Nurse turned to rookie Ricky Council IV, who played the entire fourth quarter and all of both overtimes in a 133-126 double-overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs. He turned in 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting, hit three big free throws and had four steals. He was absolutely terrific in a tough situation for Philadelphia.

“I would say he was really good at the defensive end?” Nurse told reporters following the win. “He really was like, disrupting rhythm, picking up full court, like he was really moving his feet, keeping his guy in front, like, making the start of their offenses take a long time and that ends up — it usually ends up helping so that first and foremost, he was great there.”

Council had not received legitimate minutes in quite some time. He is a rookie on a two-way deal, so the Sixers made certain he received maximum court time in the G League to develop.

His play in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes against the Spurs was impressive, and Philadelphia needed all of it.

“Ricky’s kinda like, if he gets some space, he’s gonna go downhill, too,” Nurse added. “He mad a layup, he got fouled, and incredible pass out to Nico (Batum). The left-hand wrap around that was really the dagger play a little bit so he was good. He plays hard. He plays hard.”

Minutes and production like this are going to be meaningful and helpful for Council. The Sixers turned to their rookie and he responded with a terrific performance.

“It’s good,” Council told reporters. “I mean, I got a tap on the shoulder at the beginning of the fourth quarter telling me we need energy and they’re looking for energy so be ready. Coach came down with the board. My name was on the floor. So that type of confidence — they know I have that type of energy to impact the game was big so I had to go out there and do it and we came up with the win.”

The Sixers have three games left. All are at home, and they will need to win all of them if they are to move up in the Eastern Conference standings.

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Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe named G League Rookie of the Year

Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28).

Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe on Tuesday was named the G League Rookie of the Year for his play with the Indiana Mad Ants, the league announced.

Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, averaged 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field in 34 games with the Mad Ants, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

The undrafted center from Kentucky led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28). He registered six games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds and was one of seven players to reach that mark in a game.

Tshiebwe set the franchise single-game rebounding record with 28 on Nov. 22 in a win over the Motor City Cruise. He also set the single-season record for rebounds by recording 26 points and 26 rebounds in a win over the Long Island Nets on March 21.

The 24-year-old became the second Mad Ants player to win the award, joining Tony Mitchell (2012-13). He edged Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV in the voting by head coaches and general managers.

Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and continued to show that ability and more this year with the Mad Ants after winning G League Rookie of the Year.

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Rookie Ricky Council IV grows in confidence by the game for Sixers

Undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV is growing in confidence by the game for the Philadelphia 76ers.

BOSTON — With the Philadelphia 76ers having so many pieces in and out of the lineup, the door has opened for undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV to get playing time.

In 19 minutes on the road on Tuesday, Council poured in 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting with four rebounds as the Sixers fell to the Boston Celtics, 117-99. The final result aside, the growth the rookie has shown on a nightly basis has been impressive.

“The more I’m able to be on the court, learn from my mistakes, and be in practice with the guys and see everything, it means a lot for me,” Council explained. “It’ll help my game continue to grow.”

It has shown on the floor. He’s averaging 6.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game in his rookie season after going undrafted out of Arkansas. He is going to continue to grow with more playing time, and he isn’t looking for his own offense.

He just wants to fit in and help the Sixers any way he can.

“Just knowing what I do,” Council explained. “They haven’t really asked anything different of me. Play hard, offensive rebound, defensive rebound, play defense, cut. I don’t think that’s going to change this year.”

His role is likely not going to change in 2024, but in his second season? With more development on the court and in the weight room? There is a possibility.

“Maybe next year a bigger role will present itself, but I’m happy doing my role,” he added. “I was just telling my teammate … he was (saying) he could’ve hit me on the pop a couple of times. I’m like, ‘Man, keep it. You can shoot whenever you want to shoot. I’m going to go crash.’ I’m not tripping about having the ball in my hands. I’m just doing whatever I can to help my team win.”

The performance Council put on in Boston in such a hostile environment is impressive considering the situation the Sixes are in. He put on a performance comparable to his showing against the Washington Wizards on the road on Feb. 10 when he had 19 and 10 rebounds.

“I was thinking last night about how good it’d be for me to have a Washington-type game — come off the bench unexpected and help us to a win,” he finished. “I played pretty good and, obviously, we didn’t win, but to play against the best team in the NBA and have that type of performance means a lot to me.”

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Former Razorback Council making big statement on court with 76ers

Sixers guard Ricky Council is coming into his own after starring at Arkansas.

Just a year ago, Ricky Council IV was letting his play do his talking on the court for the Arkansas basketball team. Now the undrafted rookie is making his statement on the NBA court, for the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I feel like I’ve made a statement for sure,” he said during the recent All-Star break. “Now it’s just up to everybody else, if they felt the same way.”

The 6-foot-6 athletic guard made his NBA debut on Jan. 2, and has proceeded to become more of a factor in Philadelphia of late, with some increased playing time.

The Sixers have being limited by a rash of injuries this season, so they have turned to Council for an extra boost in the lineup. In the last three games before the All-Star break, the Durham, N.C., product averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, on 46.7 percent shooting from the field.

Since being called up from the G-League’s Delaware Blue Coats, Council has taken the court in 13 games for Philadelphia. He has played just under 10 minutes per game, but has averaged 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds over the last six weeks.

He has scored in double-digits four times, including his career-high 19 points, along with 10 rebounds, at Washington on Feb. 10.

“Ricky is an incredible athlete, who plays really hard, he makes things happen, he uses that to be a defender and a rebounder, first and foremost,” Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse said. “That’s a pretty good start, then he’ll battle on the offensive glass and get a bucket or two.”

Council, who transferred to the Razorbacks from Wichita State prior to last season, departed Arkansas after his junior year to pursue his professional dreams. After going undrafted in the June NBA Draft, he signed a two-way contract with the Sixers on July 1. He was then waived and re-signed on Oct, 25.

In 16 G-League games, council led Delaware with 24.4  points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Now, it’s looking like Philadelphia maybe have found a diamond in the rough.

“It’s just game by game,” Council said. “They tell me to stay ready. They’re proud of me. My teammates, for one, are super big in keeping positive thoughts in my head and just being able to stay ready so the coaches are just showing trust in me when they put me in the game. That’s all I need to see.”

It will be interesting to see how much faith the Sixers have in the youngster once play restarts after the All-Star break. Philadelphia will return to the court to host New York on Thursday night.

“I’ve said it about him a lot, but he does everything hard, everyday, every walk through, every practice, he’s focused and ready to go.” Nurse said. “It’s good to see him reap some rewards from that.”

Tyrese Maxey gives praise to undrafted Sixers rookie Ricky Council IV

Tyrese Maxey gives his thoughts on the strong play of undrafted Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ricky Council IV.

PHILADELPHIA — As the Philadelphia 76ers move into the post-All-Star break portion of the 2023-24 season, their main pieces are dealing with ailments, which will force others to step up.

One player who has answered the call has been undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV. The young forward out of Arkansas has done a great job of filling in and playing minutes that count. He played a big factor in road wins over the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers and had 13 points off the bench in the loss to the Miami Heat.

Council has caught the eyes of his teammates — especially, Tyrese Maxey who continues to take more of a leadership role.

“He’s energetic,” Maxey said of Council following the loss to Miami. “I was watching his workout before the game he was flying around going 100 miles an hour. I was like ‘Hey, man, listen here. You got to play 25 minutes. You need to slow down.’ But just he’s a ball of energy and we need him.”

Needing everybody has been the message Maxey has preached of late. He shared a big message to the team before the team’s Feb. 9 matchup with the Atlanta Hawks that everybody needed to be better and they needed to step up. The play of the other guys will keep them afloat until Joel Embiid and the other ailing Sixers return.

That’s where Council comes in.

“Like I told everybody before the Atlanta game, we’re gonna need everybody to play and everybody go out there and compete extremely hard and I feel like he’s done that,” Maxey added of Council. “It’s funny, like he’s still trying to learn certain positions and what to do on the switch or whatever, but as long as he goes out there and plays extremely hard, it will be OK.”

The Sixers will take on the New York Knicks on Thursday to open play after the All-Star break.

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Nick Nurse sees rotation opportunities for KJ Martin, Ricky Council IV

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse believes there is a rotation opportunity for both KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with numerous injuries that have opened the door for other players to earn minutes for coach Nick Nurse.

An example of that has been KJ Martin. With Tobias Harris missing two games in a row, the Sixers have turned to Martin and he has stepped up with two solid games showing off his defensive versatility as well as his basketball IQ on the offensive end.

Over the course of the final two games before the All-Star break, Martin has defended the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as examples which is something Nurse likes.

“He’s obviously got a unique skill set,” Nurse said of Martin. “Underneath the basket cutting, he’s obviously a guy we can throw a lob to, we can play some screen-and-roll with him as well as a roller just because of his athleticism. He can offensive rebound a bit. Very versatile on defense, too. He can guard a lot of different positions. He’s got great strength and athleticism and he’s kind of a utility guy on offense depending on who else is out there, but defensively, he’s pretty versatile.”

Martin, along with rookie Ricky Council IV, has taken advantage of the opportunities presented. Both forwards have a lot of size, athleticism, physicality, and a confidence within themselves that will eventually force Nurse to give them a look in the rotation.

“I think that just looking at the roster, there is some opportunity there for both him (Council) and KJ,” Nurse said. “Just now things have kinda shifted in the other direction. We’ve got lots of 1s and 2s, right? Maybe not as many 4-type guys. Obviously, we’ve got Tobias there, but who’s gonna be the backup 4? I think there’s a legitimate case for either one of those guys.”

Nurse is right. When Harris comes back from his left hip impingement, he will obviously get the bulk of the power forward minutes. However, Martin and Council will get the backup minutes coming off the bench.

“I think they both played very hard and certainly played like they weren’t afraid and they competed and made some plays,” Nurse added after Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat. “They’re on the glass. They’re finishing. They’re taking rhythm shots when they come to them so I think they both athletically showed they can hang. Compete level, showed they can hang, so we’ll see how it all plays out.”

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Ricky Council IV feels like he’s made a statement to Sixers to play more

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ricky Council IV feels as if he has made a statement to earn more playing time.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers appear to have stumbled onto something of a diamond in the rough, undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV. The young player on a two-way deal has stepped up for Philadelphia in a time of serious need at the moment.

In the past three games with the Sixers down key pieces, Council is averaging 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on 46.7% shooting from the floor. That is terrific production for a player who hasn’t played much all season to now getting serious minutes in a pinch.

After putting up 13 points and four rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat, one has to wonder if Council is ready for regular playing time when the Sixers come back from the All-Star break.

“I feel like I’ve made a statement for sure,” he said after the loss. “Now it’s just up to everybody else if they felt the same way.”

At this stage of the season and his young career, Council is just looking to continue to grow and build as a young player. He is taking in may feedback he has received from his coaches and his teammates as he looks to move forward as a player.

“It’s just game by game,” he added. “They tell me to stay ready. They’re proud of me. My teammates, for one, are super big in keeping positive thoughts in my head and just being able to stay ready so the coaches are just showing trust in me when they put me in the game. That’s all I need to see.”

It will be interesting to see what happens with Council when the Sixers come back from the All-Star break. They will be looking for him to step up and continue to give Philadelphia steady production off the bench.

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Sixers praise Ricky Council IV after surprising road win over Cavaliers

The Philadelphia 76ers praise Ricky Council IV after a surprising road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in a tough situation on the road taking on the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. Missing four starters and a key bench piece, the Sixers were attempting to take down a Cavaliers team that had won 17 of their last 18 games.

Despite the obvious challenges, the Sixers pulled out a surprising 123-121 win. Philadelphia has won two in a row and is now 6-13 on the season without Joel Embiid.

Rookie Ricky Council IV once again played a key role in the victory. He had eight points and five rebounds off the bench and after Donovan Mitchell had hit a triple for the Cavs to cut the lead to 120-119 with 14 seconds left, Council IV stepped to the line and knocked down two clutch free throws to extend Philadelphia’s lead to three.

This is the second consecutive game where Council IV has played a huge role in a win and coach Nick Nurse, who has a ton of G League experience as a coach, has been impressed with what he’s seen from his undrafted rookie.

“A couple things have to usually happen is you got to figure out can these guys play an NBA role? What’s their NBA skill versus what they’re doing down there? And Ricky is an incredible athlete who plays really hard,” Nurse told reporters. “He uses that to be a defender and rebounder first and foremost, right? And that’s a pretty good start.”

Along with his physical gifts and basketball IQ, Council IV has a ton of confidence in himself. The mental toughness to step to the line and knock down two free throws in that situation is a huge moment for him.

“That’s a pretty good start, and then he’ll battle on the offensive glass and get a bucket or two and how about that situation for him to step up and knock down two free throws?” Nurse added. “In that situation. A lot of courage, a lot of confidence in himself there.”

Another really important aspect for the rookie out of Arkansas is his work ethic. He’s always going 100% and Nurse loves that about his youngster. The Sixers needed all of that against the Cavaliers on Monday.

“I said a lot about him, but he does everything hard every day,” Nurse finished. “Every walkthrough, every shootaround, every practice, everything. He’s focused and ready to go and it’s good to see him reap some rewards from that.”

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Ricky Council IV discusses big night after helping Sixers to road win

Rookie Ricky Council IV discusses his big night to help the Philadelphia 76ers get a road win over the Washington Wizards.

WASHINGTON — The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night to begin a quick 2-game road trip looking to get moving in the right direction again. The Sixers entered the night losers of eight of their last nine and needed a win in the worst way.

They were able to get one as they knocked off the Wizards 119-113 on the road. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, but rookie Ricky Council IV hopped off the bench and poured in 19 points and 10 rebounds in 29:11 of playing time to give the Sixers a huge boost.

After a big night, including scoring seven big points in the fourth quarter, Council IV discussed his big night.

“Unreal right now,” Council IV said after the win. “I mean, I’m just glad I got the opportunity to be out there and was trusting me in big moments. Once you’re out there, it’s pretty simple. Just play hard and be yourself and since we got the new guys, we’re not really running a lot more of our advanced sets. We’re keeping it simple right now so it makes it even easier for me because I know all those plays.”

The rookie had no idea he would even play many minutes in this one. He was expecting a large number of minutes on Friday when he expected the Sixers to be down so many pieces. Not the case in that one nor on Saturday.

“Oh, I had no idea,” he laughed. “Last night, I mean, I think I played like six minutes. I mean, I was really ready, really hungry because I knew the situation with the trades going on, they might not even play so I knew there’s no way I’m not playing. I end up playing, like, six minutes. So I didn’t know what was gonna happen today. I just always stay ready.”

Good thing for the Sixers Council IV did stay ready. They maybe don’t win that game if he doesn’t.

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Blue Coats coach Mike Longabardi comments on Ricky Council IV, Terquavion Smith

Delaware Blue Coats coach Mike Longabardi discusses the development of Philadelphia 76ers rookies Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Philadelphia 76ers two-way rookies Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith are currently up with the team with the Sixers ravaged by injuries. Coach Nick Nurse can call upon them to produce at any moment.

With the Sixers having a rough night in Indiana to begin their 5-game road trip, Nurse gave Council IV and Smith their time to play in the fourth quarter. Council IV poured in 11 points while knocking down a triple and Smith had five assists with three steals and two points. The two rookies showed off their ability to produce and the Sixers know they have some terrific pieces for the future.

Mike Longabardi, the coach of Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, expressed his happiness for both Council IV and Smith as they move forward with their careers.

“We’re so happy for them,” Longabardi said on Friday after the Blue Coats defeated the Wisconsin Herd. “They’ve worked extremely hard. Both of them are big time. Like, love the game type guys, they’re hoopers, and to watch them get out there and play. We’re all just so, so happy for them.”

Both Council IV and Smith have been working hard since the summer. They played for the Sixers in both the Salt Lake City Summer League and the Las Vegas Summer League and they stayed with the team throughout this entire process.

Council IV is averaging 24.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in seven regular season games with the Blue Coats while Smith is averaging 22.3 points and 3.0 assists in Delaware. Longabardi has been impressed with their development.

“I just think experience, right?” said Longabardi. “They just like keep going, getting through it. They’ve been here since the summer, and they just continue to work. I just think now the pace and flow of the game, and I know—I send them a text message all the time, I said, ‘you guys belong’. They’re confident kids and they want to go out and they want to play so I’m really happy for them.”

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