Some guys just stand out as soon as they step onto the basketball court.
Whether it’s because of their play, style or energy, some players just attract attention when they lace ‘em up.
For JaKarr Sampson, the Sixers’ second-year Swiss-Army knife of a player, it’s all the above.
With his braided hair, gap-toothed smile and infectious good nature, Sampson, a surprise undrafted player out of St. John’s, the ability to stand out in unique ways has helped him carve out a niche with the 76ers.
And as he prepares in the Sixers’ second mini-camp for players headed to the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, Sampson is hoping to stand out a little more with his versatility on the court.
“JaKarr is our emergency position guy. If he has to play back up [center], he’s willing to do it,” said Lloyd Pierce, who will be handling the head coaching duties at the Las Vegas summer league. “He’s played backup [point guard], we started him at the two and we started him at the three. It’s been great for him because he’s played inside his whole career starting in high school and he’s expanded his game.
“We’d love to put him in one role as a defensive stopper that can run the wing. If we can avoid playing him at [point guard], we will. But he’s been the emergency guy all year and I don’t see why he wouldn’t be right now.”
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That ability to play many positions worked out well for Sampson in a wild rookie season. Even though he was not drafted after two years in college, Sampson started 32 of 74 games at three different positions for the Sixers. And like another alum of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio named LeBron James, the 22-year-old is ready for whatever comes his way.
“Who knows? I’m ready to play whatever coach needs me to play, so when my name is called and I need to play point, I can play point,” Sampson said.
At 6-foot-9 and a sinewy 215 pounds, Sampson looks like a prototypical wing player, but with some openings in the backcourt he could find an opportunity at the point. It’s a position Sampson learned on the job in the NBA after Tony Wroten went down with an ACL injury and Michael Carter-Williams was traded at the deadline. Considering Sampson never really played much point guard until he started at the position in the NBA, the learning curve was quick.
“I think I handled it pretty well,” Sampson said. “To start in the NBA at point, that’s pretty big.”
It’s pretty big, but not necessarily ideal, according to Pierce. Ideally, Pierce said, Sampson would take on a role as a defensive guru, who could get out on the wings on the break and shoot the open three-pointer. Sampson certainly wasn’t bashful when it came to taking those long shots, firing up a little less than two per game and hitting them at a 24.2 percent clip.
Averaging just 5.2 points per game while shooting two-pointers at 52.5 percent rate, Sampson understands that his shooting will get him more time on the court. So along with some extra time in the weight room, Sampson has been fine-tuning his shooting. While the summer league team playing in Utah held its mini-camp, Sampson hung around the gym at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine firing up jumpers while working on drills for every position on the floor.
“I definitely know what to expect. I’m older, I’ve gotten bigger and I have a better awareness of the game,” Sampson said. “My ball handling and getting my body bigger and my shot — tweaking some things to get my shot consistent.”
Consistency is the key and so far Pierce says Sampson has shown some flashes. He’s not quite there as a sharp-shooter yet, but it’s coming along.
“He’s shooting the ball better,” Pierce said. “For him it’s going to be an ongoing process and he’s at the point where his shot is consistent. He’s been putting in the work and he needs to get into some games just to see if he can do it when it matters.”
Until then, Sampson still has ways of demanding attention on the court. On a youthful, rebuilding team where playing time is up for grabs to whichever player can seize it, Sampson’s personality and energy goes a long way.
“The reason why he stayed with us all year was his attitude,” Pierce said. “His attitude has always been perfect. He comes to work with a smile on his face and he plays on the court with nothing but energy and effort. He’s been great all along and it starts with his attitude.”