Instincts, off-ball movement are keys for James Ennis in Sixers’ series against Toronto

With the Sixers currently running an eight-man rotation in postseason play, every player is under a microscope. Both positive and negative outcomes are magnified in what essentially is 48 minutes of high-leverage basketball. In a duel between two NBA powers, fans will be treated to thrilling games and each player has to succeed in their roles. Sixers swingman James Ennis is no exception, as Mike Scott is day-to-day with a heel contusion and plantar fasciitis. Scott’s potential game 1 absence places more emphasis on Ennis’s play Saturday.

In his second taste of postseason action through his five-year career, his first coming with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016–17, Ennis has provided a nice offensive spark off Brett Brown’s bench. The 6'7", 210-pound wing is averaging 7.0 points while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. Though Ennis’s floor spacing has dipped compared to the regular season, a drop-off from 30.6 percent to 22.2 percent, he’s supplied energy and instincts thus far.

Ennis isn’t the 3-and-D wing Elton Brand hoped he was acquiring when he swung a trade deadline deal with Houston. However, Ennis has merely transformed into an energy wing archetype. That’s not an unfavorable outcome, in relation to his counterpart, Jonathon Simmons, who Brett Brown quickly realized didn’t yield much impact, as Ennis can be useful in a glass-half full viewpoint.

Instincts

Whether it’s occupying space around the basket for put-back opportunities or selling out for charges, Ennis is a very savvy wing who’s willing to put in dirty work. I’ve seen a couple of instances where he’s been called for a blocking foul, despite getting to his spot and potentially earning a charge call. Conceding a layup or having teammates trail a slasher might result in more PPP than serving as a security blanket by sacrificing his body.

Maybe taking charges is an ode to former Sixer and current Milwaukee Buck Ersan Ilyasova, but shifting into position for possibly a Sixers possession is what you covet from role players. If Kawhi Leonard or Pascal Siakam, players who put the ball on the floor, want to win their matchups off the dribble, Ennis could insert himself in their driving lane.

Ennis also displays his instincts on put-back attempts. He’ll clash with whomever is boxing him out near the rim and, *Marc Zumoff voice*, “turn garbage into gold.” As maybe the quinary offensive option, having a weakside scoring outlet from easy baskets is a high IQ play. Though you can cede transition opportunities, and the Sixers notably limit those, Ennis can be found, at times, cleaning up errant shots.

Ennis isn’t an athletic wing, but he carves out room and works harder than his adversary who’s clawing for a defensive rebound. Scanning over Ennis’s stat line with Philadelphia this postseason, you’ll find that his offensive and defensive rebounds are identical at 1.8 per game.

He’s also complementing Philadelphia’s stars with ball movement. In the two clips below, Ennis timely finds Ben Simmons. He allows Simmons to handle what transpires in transition, and Simmons defers with a quick touch pass for an Ennis dunk.

The Sixers try to infiltrate Brooklyn’s zone defense with Simmons curling into a spot on the block. A second or even millisecond later on this pass and Simmons doesn’t get the look he’s seeking. Though I’m nitpicking a bit, this feed could’ve been a tad quicker but Ennis keeps his eyes moving to locate and hit the entry.

Ennis isn’t likely to receive much on-ball action in offensive sets but these small, yet productive, aspects can mitigate some defensive issues.

Off-Ball Offense

With offensive studs surrounding him, Ennis is going to need to make his bones by circulating around the half court. In one instance in the series clincher against Brooklyn, Joel Embiid and Ennis were operating on the same side. Ennis fed Embiid in intermediate range, which allowed Embiid an opportunity to post up against a smaller defender. Ennis then hovered around the perimeter for an outlet, but missed an open three.

If Scott sits and Zhaire Smith enters the fold, Ennis’s movement as a perimeter outlet is essential. Smith found positive success from deep, going 6-for-16 (37.5 percent), but possibly losing a natural spacer in Scott is a blow Brett Brown will have to remedy. Ennis is just 2-of-9 (22.2 percent)from deep this postseason, and the Sixers will need him to increase that woeful number. Moving to an unoccupied area is the difference between an open and a slightly contested jumper.

Toronto collapsing to contain dribble penetration will be key to opening up looks for Ennis. As T.J. McConnell forces Spencer Dinwiddie to help and leave Ennis unguarded, Ennis is ready for McConnell’s outlet by setting himself up behind the arc.

I’m not a fan of Ennis’s mechanics, as his left elbow tilts to the side and his release point isn’t ideal. Having time and space is naturally going to help, however. An Ennis three isn’t option one or two on offense, but Brett Brown can design to catch Toronto’s defense off-guard.

Whether it’s an instinctual cut or designed cut, Ennis provides value when dashing for the rim. Deception and timing are coupled here to throw off D’Angelo Russell.

I’ve harped on Ennis’s abysmal man defense. Ennis will have difficulty guarding any player with his technique of playing straight up, rather than using his hips to rotate and stymie players. Raptors wing Norman Powell, a potential matchup for Ennis, is undersized at 6'4" but compensates with agility.

I expect Ennis to fail containing dribble penetration and mismanage pick-and-rolls. However, if he can harness his energy and instincts while knocking down the occasional three when open, Ennis will find success against Toronto.