Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gives props to ‘workaholic’ 76ers rookie guard

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gives props to ‘workaholic’ 76ers rookie guard appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

While headline-grabbing veterans like LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, plus the returning stars like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe, routinely draw all of the attention when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team has players all over the roster with unique stories and interesting upsides heading into a pivotal 2026-27 season.

One such example? The very first player drafted by Mike Gansey as Philly’s general manager, Labaron Philon Jr., the 20-year-old point guard who spent the last two seasons at Alabama. 

Talking to reporters about what Philon Jr. could bring to the table for the 76ers as a rookie, veteran free agent addition Kentavious Caldwell-Pop gave the young point his flowers, as his workaholic ways are easy to admire.

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“His work ethic is great. I’m on his second team with him. We play a lot together. He’s been a great listener. He’s been listening and applying everything to the court or any vet that’s talking to him, he applies it to his game. As you can see, he’s a workaholic. He’s working now. I love the young guy. I just love to compete.”

Initially drafted to fill a real role as an extra ball handler off the bench using one of the picks secured in the Jared McCain trade, Philon Jr. suddenly finds himself backing up Maxey and James, who will likely run the point more often than not in Philadelphia this fall. Still, when his number has been called in the preseason, the results have been encouraging, averaging 8.6 points and 4.3 assists in 23.6 minutes of action per game. If Philon Jr. can make 3s at an above-average clip and at least do an average job on defense against opposing guards, who knows? Maybe there’s a role in Philadelphia for him as a rookie alongside players like James, Maxey, and KCP.