Philadelphia 76ers: Trevor Booker making an instant impression

Despite the Philadelphia 76ers coming up short, newcomer Trevor Booker has made an immediate impact in his opening games.

Although the losing streak of the Philadelphia 76ers extended to four games following their most recent back-to-back experience, there were nonetheless positives to come these contests.

The most notable positive came via the play of newly acquired Trevor Booker. Acquired in exchange for the seldom-used Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas, Booker wasted little time in getting acquainted with new teammates and a new system. At the time of the deal, Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo stated:

"“Trevor Booker has been a solid and competitive two-way contributor at every NBA stop. Trevor’s abilities should complement our style of play and his experience should add to our bench depth with playoff contention in mind.”"

Head coach Brett Brown echoed Colangelo’s sentiments:

"“I think that we’re getting a man. I think we’re getting a veteran that has been there, done that. There is a level of toughness and versatility that interests me. He’s shown that he can play and handle not playing and be good people in handling himself like a pro.”"

Despite standing just 6’8″, Booker’s combination of tenacity and veteran smarts has enabled him to compete at both the 4- and 5-spots in recent seasons.

Debuting for the Sixers against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Booker acquitted himself admirably in posting 12 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. Known for the terrific intensity he brings to the court, Booker also managed to capture five loose balls — such was his eagerness to make an impression in his new home.

After his first performance, coach Brown made the following observation:

"“Trevor plays with that sort of physical, reckless abandon, he’s a man, and it was timely to have him tonight….He’s high energy, he’s got a big motor, there is a level of maturity and toughness that we need.”"

Furthermore, Booker’s debut performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed throughout the social media world, with the popular following tweet throwing some shade at his predecessor:

With the Sixers hitting the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the back-to-back schedule, Booker was again thrust into the action due to the absence of Joel Embiid, who was missing for the second straight game due to back tightness.

Playing 25 minutes, Booker notched 16 points and nine rebounds, with five of his nine boards coming at the offensive end of the floor.

Due to his high energy and constant movement, Booker is already demonstrating being a terrific fit within the Sixers’ system. Despite coming up against two of the best bigs in the league in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the 30-year-old’s effectiveness was certainly not diluted as his veteran instincts made up for any size disadvantage.

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Moving forward, Booker’s contributions are likely to vary once Embiid returns to the lineup and the team thus has its full quota of players. But even if his minutes are reduced, the veteran presence that both Colangelo and Brown have alluded to will be worth its weight in gold for a very young Sixers roster.