ATLANTA — Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards has come up big in plenty of moments. For example, he made big shots late in wins over the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the season while also giving a terrific effort on a nightly basis.
However, the previous two games have been tough for the Philadelphia native. He shot 0-for-5, and 0-for-3 from deep, in a 120-117 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. This comes after he shot 0-for-5 and 0-for-4 from deep in the win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
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Ups and downs happen. Coach Nick Nurse isn’t going to all of a sudden lose complete confidence in his second-year forward.
“Listen, I think that he’s giving great effort, right?” Nurse said after the loss. “And that’s the one thing I always say I like about him. I gotta look at the film. I know he had a couple good looks, again, but I’m not sure all of the five shots were great looks, but he is gonna space and shoot, and we need him. We need him to go out there and play.”
As mentioned, Edwards has come up big in plenty of moments for Philadelphia. The Sixers aren’t going to just forget about him when he offers a lot in terms of size, versatility, and production. He’s in a rough patch right now, but he will continue getting opportunities on this roster and look to make an impact.
“He’ll get going and settle in, I’m sure,” Nurse finished. “He’s still a very, very young player. He’s gonna go through some moments like this. This probably won’t be the last one, but he’ll get on the upswing, for sure.”
The Sixers will have four days off before facing the New York Knicks on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Nick Nurse talks Justin Edwards’ struggles after Sixers fall to Hawks