John Salmons - No longer a Fish Out of Water

After one full NBA season, guard John Salmons is no longer a rookie. Although he still might have to help lug the veterans’ bags next year and is going through the Sixers rookie and free agent camp, the 6-foot-7 University of Miami product is looking to establish himself heading into the 2003-04 season and pick up more playing time.

Salmons saw action in 64 games last year, averaging 2.1 points and just under one assist in 7.9 minutes per game. Still, he saw most of his action at the end of games. Head Coach Randy Ayers would like to see Salmons pick up more minutes next season. Ayers is pleased with what he has seen so far from Salmons.

“John looks like a veteran. He’s our best player right now,” Ayers said. “He understands situations. He’s able to talk situations to the coaches now. ‘Coach here is what I see on the floor. Here’s what we can do.’ He’s a good leader. He’s a lot more focused than he was last year. That tells me he is feeling a lot more comfortable.”

Coming out of Miami, Salmons had started 107-straight games, the second longest streak in school history, and ranks as the only player in Hurricane history to surpass 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 steals in his four-year career. He showed flashes of his abilities last year including a season-high nine-assists against Dallas on Jan. 23. During one stretch of 16 games, he averaged 12.3 minutes per game.

Now in camp, Salmons is looking to continue to build on his foundation.

“Just knowing the system, just knowing the plays (Ayers is) putting in and just being a little step ahead,” Salmons said of why he is feeling so comfortable. “When the veterans come to (training) camp, everyone will be on the same page, so that will make it even better.”

Philadelphia acquired the rights to the Philadelphia native from San Antonio on June 26, 2002, in a draft day trade in which the Sixers also got the right to Randy Holcomb and veteran Mark Bryant for Speedy Claxton.

“I am anxious to see him up in Boston and in Utah as well,” Ayers said. “I think John will be fine. He’ll have a more expanded role this summer than he will in the fall. But I look for him to earn minutes in the fall when the veterans return.”

As for what he hopes to accomplish this summer in the Boston and Utah Summer Leagues, Salmons is a competitor at heart.

“I just want to win,” he said. “Just play good enough to win. If we do that, we’ll be all right.”