Sixers Notes: 76ers' Holiday focused on keeping turnovers to a minimum

Jrue Holiday is honest when he says he doesn't know how many assists (4.8) he is averaging per game for the 76ers.

"I really should keep track of them, honestly, but I don't," the guard said Friday before the Sixers played the Charlotte Hornets. "But the number that I'm most concerned about is turnovers. That's what we talk about the most. That, and winning games."

Holiday entered Friday night's game averaging 2.7 turnovers per game. The Sixers, however, are averaging a league-low 11.7 while forcing more than 15.

Holiday said that he and assistant coach Aaron McKie have agreed that he has to avoid averaging three turnovers per game. If that happens, Holiday said, things will be OK.

"That's the number. Got to keep it below there to stay safe," Holiday said.

The Sixers gave away Jrue Holiday bobbleheads on Friday. Holiday got a kick out of the figure.

"It makes me look like I'm about 50, but it's cool," he joked.

Holiday also thought it was "cool" that minority owner, movie star, and West Philadelphian Will Smith was at the game.

Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and son, Jaden, sat along the baseline at the Wells Fargo Center.

The newest Sixer, center Francisco Elson, said he was tired and jet-lagged after flying here from Amsterdam earlier in the week.

"Yeah, so don't be surprised if you see me falling asleep on the bench," Ellison joked before the game.

The 7-foot Elson has appeared in 467 games with 149 starts. He has averaged 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in a little less than 16 minutes per game. In 2006-07, he appeared in 70 games with 41 starts for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Elson is here mostly to provide security for the Sixers, who are very thin on the front line with centers Spencer Hawes (left Achilles tendon) and Nik Vucevic (left knee/quad strain) still on the mend.

"He's going to give us another guy who gives us depth on the front line, but I don't know when I'll be able to utilize him," said Sixers coach Doug Collins.

"But he also gives us a guy who - on practice days, when we have guys who play a lot and don't do much on those days - will be able to play a lot of three-on-three and get our big guys some good work."