Richaun Holmes and the rookie learning curve

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CLEVELAND — There are worse teams a rookie could play for other than the Sixers. Sure, the team likely isn’t going to sniff the playoffs this season and the mounting losses can send a player into therapy.

But if a rookie is looking to showcase his game, the Sixers just might have the playing time.

For instance, take T.J. McConnell. Barely a week ago McConnell was beside himself with joy for surviving through the preseason to land a spot on the 15-man roster. But because of taking advantage of some playing time, McConnell could be the Sixers’ starting point guard for the next month or so.

“There is nothing like giving NBA minutes to anybody,” coach Brett Brown said. “It’s the greatest job interview anybody will ever have. We have minutes and we give them to our young guys and people show what they can do.”

McConnell, undrafted out of Arizona, dished out 12 assists in each of his last two games and is the first rookie in NBA history to have two 12-assist games in his first four outings. Meanwhile, No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor is just the third teenager in NBA history to score 80 or more points in his first four games.

For as quick as the learning curve has been for McConnell and Okafor, it also can be a methodical process for rookies like Richaun Holmes.

Selected in the second round out of Bowling Green, Holmes logged just 23 minutes in his first three games and all of them looked as if the rookie had been thrown into the deep end. That’s to be expected, Brown said.

“[For a rookie, the NBA is] dramatic with the non-stop information,” Brown said. “You play against somebody different, the game offers challenges and we had a few illegal defenses the other day and we had to explain those types of things. You get hit with information all the time and you get dizzy.”

On Wednesday Brown turned to Holmes for 19 minutes in a backup role to Okafor and Nerlens Noel. Though the numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, Holmes did a lot more than his seven points and two rebounds indicated.

Defensively, Holmes was charged with guarding Milwaukee big men Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greg Monroe, no easy task for the savviest of veterans. Though he was whistled for a couple of goaltending calls, Holmes got to the line four times, had a dunk in traffic and spread the floor with his ability to run the pick-and-roll from the wing.

It’s pretty heady stuff for a rookie.

“It’s going pretty well," Holmes said. "I’m learning from the guys who have been here and figuring out things as I go from each game and try to get better.”

Still, for as fast-paced as the game can be for a rookie, the rate in which players have to make adjustments and deal with an onslaught of data off the court can be overwhelming. Just 22, Holmes has jumped into a world filled with non-stop travel, heightened responsibility and lots of demands on his time.

In fact, Brown says that a player who can best handle the off-the-court stuff has a better chance of surviving in the NBA.

“The NBA isn’t for everybody,” Brown said. “The importance of how quickly you learn and how quickly you adapt to things — that’s NBA basketball.”

Sometimes it can be sink or swim, Brown said.

“We don’t want to shy away from that reality, but I don’t want to cripple them with too much information and not let them be in a position to succeed," Brown said. "Right now I see the game coming [at Holmes] quickly and at times it’s intimidating.”

But Holmes says he’s up to the task. In Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, Holmes made a big step in showing he can hang in the NBA.

“Everything is definitely fast-paced, but I think I’m up for the challenge and that’s a credit to the coaching staff,” Holmes said. “They keep us prepared and ready to play.”

The games come fast and furiously. After banging around with the Bucks’ big men on Wednesday night, Holmes goes up against the Cavaliers on Friday night, the Magic on Saturday night before getting at it again on Monday against the Bulls.

Three games in four days has a way of showing if a rookie is up to the challenge of the NBA.

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