National Basketball Association

Quinn looking for roster spot with 76ers

Published Oct. 19, 2010 10:14 a.m. ET

foxsports

There is a lot new 76ers head coach Doug Collins will look at during the team's final two preseason games, tonight in Cincinnati against Cleveland and tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Center against New York.

Collins is still trying to figure out who will play when and with whom.

For point guard Chris Quinn, the next two games will be business as usual, though his status with the team is teetering.

Quinn is fighting an uphill battle to make the team. Jrue Holiday is cemented as the team's starting point guard, and Collins said he envisions him playing 35 minutes a night. Rookie Evan Turner, who will start at the point tonight, can play both guard spots, as can Lou Williams.

Adding to Quinn's strain is the fact that the Sixers are very fragile up front and Collins will probably want to load up with bigger players. Kind of a safety-in-numbers mentality.

"It's just a matter of me continuing to play hard and taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves," said the 6-2 Quinn, who spent three seasons in Miami and last year in New Jersey. "I'm just trying to play hard and compete and help the team win any way I can. It's getting down to the real deal now, so it's important for the team to get ready for that."

And whatever his future might hold, Quinn, a Notre Dame product, is ready. And he has a huge fan in Collins.

"He's such a good player, he's smart, he runs the offense, he's a great teammate," the coach said. "The players love him. When you play for Pat Riley for 3 or 4 years, you know the game. I love him. He loves to play. He's the ultimate teammate, which is a great thing. The players know that he's going to make the right plays, do the right things.

"We're going to see what the numbers are. Our biggest concern right now is we have 14 and we have to take a look and see what we're going to have to do. Do we need more big guys? Are we going to keep another point guard? But he's been great, I couldn't ask for anything more from him."

All Quinn is asking for is a roster spot.

"This will be my fifth year in the NBA and I've been through a lot as far as playoff teams, non-playoff teams, good teams, bad teams," Quinn said. "I've been a starter for games, I've been the 15th guy. The only thing I can do is control what I can control. The 76ers, as an organization, are headed in the right direction and I'd love to be a part of that."

Six shotsThe team practiced at the Wells Fargo Center yesterday before heading to Cincinnati for tonight's game. Doug Collins said he wanted the players to get acclimated to the arena . . . Collins will throw out a starting lineup tonight of Evan Turner at the point, Andre Iguodala at the "two," Jason Kapono at small forward, Elton Brand at the "four" and Tony Battie at the center. It will be Battie's first preseason action, as he's been sidelined with a swollen right knee . . . Collins said Marreese Speights (hamstring) might be ready. Spencer Hawes (back) probably won't play the final two preseason games, but Collins expects him to be ready for the opener on Oct. 27.

For more Sixers coverage, read the Daily News' Sixers blog, Sixerville,

at http://go.philly.com/sixerville.

Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BobCooney76.