Philadelphia 76ers rookie Labaron Philon Jr. says there's "a lot at stake" for the team after landing LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
It's unclear how much Philon will play in his debut campaign, but the Sixers' first-round pick is ready to learn from the club's talented core.
"Those older guys being able to teach us young players what we need to know, I feel like that's a very important thing for me," Philon told reporters Monday.
"Just being a rookie and being able to be around all those guys is a privilege for me. You don't get to see a rookie get to play with five guys that can potentially make an All-Star team."
Philon was drafted 22nd overall following a pair of collegiate campaigns at Alabama. The 6-foot-4 guard is coming off a breakout sophomore year during which he averaged 22 points on 50.1% shooting to go along with All-American third-team honors.
Philon showed some promise in Summer League, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals across four appearances. He'll likely face stiff competition for minutes with free-agent additions Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also factoring into the club's backcourt rotation.
But Philon's performance in Las Vegas caught the attention of 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
"He's in the rotation until something changes," Nurse said of Philon before James' signing. "I just feel like he's talented enough. I think we liked him enough as a staff (and) organization. … He's going this direction (up) quickly, and I think he's got some confidence to him that I don't think he'll be afraid. I think he'll make the most of the opportunity."
