Monster dunk felt right at Holmes for Sixers' rookie

NEW YORK - Brooklyn Nets defender Justin Harper was helpless. The 6-foot-10 forward could only meagerly raise his arms as Richaun Holmes soared over him on Sunday afternoon. The Sixers rookie used two hands to posterize Harper, grabbing his first highlight-reel worthy dunk since being drafted in June.

Holmes, a 6-10 forward, was a flashy dunker in college at Bowling Green. It was only a matter of time until he threw down his first thunderous slam with the Sixers.

"It's probably No. 1 right now," Holmes said about his dunk after Sunday's 92-91 loss. "My first big one in the NBA. To have that moment in the NBA is a special moment."

The dunk was the finish to a masterful pick-and-roll. Holmes handed off the ball to Pierre Jackson and set a pick on Jackson's defender. He then quickly rolled and Jackson bounced him an easy pass between two defenders. The last man to beat was Harper.

"He shows a level of toughness and the ability to stretch the floor," head coach Brett Brown said. "He doesn't look uncomfortable shooting the three. There's a presence. There's a toughness in him at the rim."

Holmes was more of a "pick-and-pop" player in college, as he would move to an open spot after setting a pick and knock down a jumper. He said he's growing more comfortable with being able to determine when it is the right time to roll off a pick and head to the basket.

This season, Brown is encouraging his players to inject "random pick-and-rolls" into the offense. The pick-and-rolls help give the team an offensive stability as they deal with a consistent roster turnover. It would be impossible, Brown said, to teach a Princeton offense when the team has used 48 players the last two seasons.

"The kids come from AAU backgrounds, they're one-and-done in college," Brown said. "At this stage, what I have to do is not fight it, I just have to corral it and have discipline within chaos, if you will. Random pick-and-rolls are a part of that."

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen