Friday film: Sixers’ Ricky Council IV makes rotation case with double-double

The Sixers’ Wednesday night battle against the Houston Rockets resulted in a crushing overtime loss, but over the course of 53 minutes of play came evidence of progress — not the goal for a team looking to escape a 3-14 start to the season, but something nonetheless. 

Among a handful of positive signs from the Sixers was the emergence of Ricky Council IV, thrusted into a major rotation role thanks in large part to Caleb Martin’s absence. Council, whose struggles to open his second NBA season had been well-documented, made a strong case for future rotation minutes, posting a dozen points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-7 shooting (2-of-3 from beyond the arc) in 27 minutes — nearly swinging the game in the Sixers’ favor.

“Playing hard, just trying to find my groove back,” Council said. “I was bringing that raw energy.”

In this week’s edition of Friday film, let’s evaluate Council’s standout showing.

An opening statement

Council’s role this season has been one he should theoretically be perfect for: a change-of-pace, spark plug type of player who can help shift the energy in the gym. Council thrived in this role during his rookie campaign, but in 2024-25 he has not been able to have the same impact when Sixers head coach Nick Nurse calls his name.

Speaking at his locker after Wednesday’s game, Council said he had spent a lot of time watching film of his rookie season to find the best version of himself again. 

“I just had to bring that hunger, that dog back,” Council said. “I’m sitting on my couch watching games I played well in and games that I was in, just film I found on myself from last year — watching and rewinding, watching and rewinding… I was really begging to get in the game, and sometimes I was getting out there and I wasn’t doing anything with my minutes.”

And immediately upon checking into Wednesday’s game, a minute and change into the second quarter, Council left his mark — hammering home a putback slam and drawing an illegal screen against Rockets center Steven Adams, then pumping up the Philadelphia crowd:

“I love playing basketball, man,” Council said when asked about his enthusiasm on the court. “I feel like some people can take it for granted, but we all dreamt of this when we were young, and now we’re here. So as bad as things can get, as depressed as you can get, down as you can get, you’ve got to remember that you’re here in the NBA where you always wanted to be a whole lot. So any positive play I make… I’m always lit. I want to win, and I want to play the game of basketball. So when I get my opportunities to get in the game, it’s always going to be joy and excitement.”

Crashing the glass

It is difficult to remember any instance since the start of the Sixers’ 2024-25 training camp in which Nurse has not mentioned rebounding when asked about Council. It is clearly one of the coaching staff’s strongest points of emphasis for the hyper-athletic wing, along with decision-making on both ends of the floor. 

Council’s putback slam right after entering the game was his only offensive rebound, but not only did it set the tone for Council to play with relentless energy, it also foreshadowed a particular focus on crashing the glass which Council has not always played with.

Did Council finally show Nurse exactly what he was looking for?

“Yeah,” Nurse said. “He did a good job. He did what he can do… First great chance for him to play extended minutes and a great effort by him.”

The result of that effort: a career-high 10 rebounds for Council, who notched the first double-double of his NBA career:

Council’s deliberate attempts to make sure he was in position to snare rebounds were apparent from the outset.

“I mean, that’s what they tell me,” Council said. “They gave everybody a role on this team, mine is to crash. I feel like I showed that tonight.”

MORE: Sixers lose despite valiant effort vs. Rockets

Defensive playmaking

Council’s tremendous athleticism and strong frame on the wing make him a prime candidate to make standout plays on both ends of the floor. That means not just throwing down emphatic dunks, but utilizing outlier physical tools to generate turnovers and missed shots.

Defensive playmaking should become a critical component of Council’s game should he turn into an established NBA rotation player down the line. He had one steal and one block on Wednesday night, and they were both magnificent:

“It started on the rebounds,” Council said. “Then shots came my way, was playing defense, blocking a shot, getting a steal. So it’s bringing that overall energy.”

Shots start falling

Speaking of shots coming Council’s way, to some degree this does boil down to being able to knock down threes. Council showed noteworthy improvement between his final collegiate season and rookie year in the NBA as a three-point shooter despite unusual shooting mechanics. 

Given the lack of aesthetic glory in Council’s jumper and the fairly limited sample size to use from 2023-24, many speculated that his perceived progression in that area could prove to be an aberration. Council only made three of his first 18 long-range this season, but did connect on two left-wing triples which were not the easiest shots in the world:

When a player emerges from a shooting slump and has a strong night on that front, it is common for a reporter to ask if the player experienced any sort of change in mindset. It is equally common for the player to say nothing changed, they are just grateful to see shots go down again.

Council was asked a version of that question, and took a different approach.

“My mindset changed, ” Council said. “I felt like I was trying to prove too much, that I could shoot and improve from last year, and I wasn’t playing my game.”

“I wasn’t myself, and I feel like tonight was a good step in the right direction.”

MORE: Three Sixers play double-header

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