All things considered, Mbah a Moute and Shved happy being in Philly
MINNEAPOLIS -- Given their residence in coach Rick Adelman's doghouse for much of last season, former Timberwolves Alexey Shved and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have welcome a change of scenery.
Even if the scenery is, at times, uglier than it was in Minnesota.
"It's been alright," Mbah a Moute said. "It's just trying to adapt to a different situation, enjoy the experiences as you go through them and learn from them and get better."
Said Shved: "I had a great two years over here. I love the fans, teammates, coaches, you guys (reporters) were great the last two years. But here, I like Philly, too."
At the 76ers' shootaround Wednesday morning, both former Wolves benchwarmers -- dealt to Philadelphia as part of the Kevin Love trade -- had an energetic aura about them. Gone were the melancholy tones in their voices and glum expressions on their faces, replaced by smiles and upbeat responses not often heard last year at the Target Center.
In a vacuum, you'd never know they're playing for an 0-17 team -- one hoping to avoid making dubious history Wednesday night against the Wolves. Lose, and the Sixers will tie for the worst start in NBA history. Lose again Friday against Oklahoma City, and the record will be solely theirs.
But that's not a talking point in Shved and Mbah a Moute's new locker room.
"We don't care about 18, 17, 20," Mbah a Moute said. "We're just trying to get better. Our record is what it is, but we care about getting better as a team."
Coach Brett Brown wasn't aware of his team's potential place on the wrong side of history -- again, after tying a league record with 26 straight losses a year ago -- until recently, he said.
"Nobody cares about that," said Brown, now in his second year as head coach. "It's the absolute last thing that motivates me right now. There's an undercurrent where I'm aware of it now, and sure, none of us want to really be a part of it, but it's got nothing to do with the plan.
"We're trying to build a program. We're trying to not blink and get knocked off the whole process of what's most important."
Shved and Mbah a Moute could be considered victims of the process in the Twin Cities, too. Each played a menial role last year while the Wolves dropped close game after close game and missed the playoffs for a 10th straight year.
Then came the three-team, blockbuster Kevin Love trade. Cavaliers first-round picks Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins came to Minnesota, Love went to Cleveland, and the Sixers got a 2015 first-round pick from the Cavs in addition to Shved and Mbah a Moute while trading Thaddeus Young to the Wolves.
Young was one of the last bona fide veterans on the 76ers roster, as general manager Sam Hinkie has made a point of going young and stockpiling draft picks -- even if it means losing streaks and national media showing up at shootaround to ask about them.
Now in his seventh season, Mbah a Moute is the oldest active member of the roster at present. Foot surgery sidelined guard Jason Richardson, and no other Sixers player has more than two full seasons of experience under his belt.
"It's me, a bunch of 20-year-olds, and Luc," Brown cracked.
Philadelphia is the latest destination in a sweeping set of trades that's seen Mbah a Moute play for four different teams the past three seasons. Milwaukee dealt the 2008 second-round pick to Sacramento before last season, and the Kings traded him for Derrick Williams less than a month into the campaign.
He's started 15 of the Sixers' 17 games at power forward and is averaging 26.3 minutes (the most since his third year in the league), eight points (a career-high pace) and 4.8 rebounds per game. That's 13 more starts than he earned last season, when he played just 14.7 minutes per game.
Shved's seen an increased role, too, especially lately with fellow guard Tony nursing a knee injury. The third-year Russian scored 18 and 19 points in his past two outings but isn't expected to play Wednesday due to a sore hip flexor.
Former Wolves president David Kahn signed Shved as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He garnered early rookie of the year consideration before hitting the wall midway through the year, then regressed even further last season.
But Brown says there's potential yet within the 25-year-old's gangly body.
"I'm always trying to challenge him on his defense," said Brown, the former Australian national team coach and Spurs assistant under Gregg Popovich. "He can play. I coached against Lexey in the London Olympic Games when I was with the Australian team. We played Russia. I've known Lexey a long time, and he is highly skilled offensively, running the pick-and-roll. So the challenge has always been defense."
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