Singletary hopes to catch on with hometown Sixers

FOR NOW, Sean Singletary is working hard to just make the Sixers' roster. But his goal is still the same. He wants to start, and be a star in the greatest basketball league in the world.

The diminutive guard, listed at 6-foot and 185 pounds, has opened eyes and turned heads during this week of training camp at Saint Joseph's. He is fast as well as quick, can handle the basketball as if it is on a string, and has been one of the best on-ball defenders all camp. Still, there is a logjam at the guard position, with Lou Williams, Willie Green and rookie Jrue Holiday. Also, in new coach Eddie Jordan's offense, there really is no true point guard - things are run more out of a two-guard set.

Those odds don't bother the Penn Charter and Virginia grad. In fact, it pushes him. It is why he is one of the first players on the court before practice and usually the last to exit. Yesterday, with the aid of assistant coach Jim Lynam, Singletary worked for an extra half-hour on his shooting.

"I'm feeling good, feeling comfortable," Singletary said. "I know my situation here. I'm not going to be starting, I'll be getting in there for 3- or 5-minute stretches and when that happens I want to make the most of it. I want to make everything I do perfect."

He was just about perfect during his 4 years at Virginia, where he started each one. He left the school as the fifth-leading scorer, third in assists, second in steals, third in three-pointers made and fourth in free throws made. He is the only player in the history of the basketball-rich Atlantic Coast Conference to achieve 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals.

Still, that impressive resumé hasn't landed him a secure spot in the NBA. Singletary was taken in the second round (42nd pick) by the Sacramento Kings in 2008. In August 2008, he was traded to Houston, then 2 weeks later was sent to Phoenix. Before he had a chance to compete in a regular-season game, he already was on three teams. A little more than a month into the season, he was again dealt, this time to the Charlotte Bobcats. He wound up appearing in 37 games between the Suns and Bobcats, averaging 2.4 points in 8.2 minutes.

"Man, I've been everywhere for a little bit, but I've learned a lot from different coaches and different players," he said. "It's helped me learn about the league. Sometimes it's frustrating, especially when you don't get the opportunity to play. But when you do get to play, you have to make the most of it."

Which is what he's been trying to do back in his hometown, and Jordan has taken notice.

"He has been playing very well," Jordan said. "He is a great change-of-pace type of player. The game gets a little faster when he comes in the game. He makes good decisions."

Although the movement from team to team isn't what Singletary envisioned when drafted, he has been smart enough to make the most of it and absorb knowledge from the people he has been around.

"When I was in Phoenix, I loved watching Steve Nash and the way he played and how hard he played," he said. "I learned what it takes to be an NBA player. When I was in Charlotte, coach [Larry] Brown taught how to get to the ball to the right player in the right place at the right time. I remember all that, and I know by doing that, it will make me a better player."

Toward the end of a recent practice, Jordan was implementing the fullcourt press. The coach wanted players to double-team the ball "when the time is right." Singletary was part of the offense going against that first-team press. He broke it, somewhat easily, every time. If an extra man came at him, he was either quick enough to dribble through or made a pass ahead before the double-team got to him. He consistently makes the right passes, although yesterday he caught Jordan's ire for not running the offense correctly during a scrimmage.

It hasn't all been roses for Singletary during this training camp, but he has been doing enough good things that he just might be able to smell a roster spot.

"It's nice to be back home, be close to my family and be able to play in my hometown," he said. "My mom and dad have both been sick for a while, so it's good to be back here, keeping an eye on them."

While he's doing that, Singletary continues to catch his coaches' eyes. He hopes to be doing it for quite a while longer. You get the feeling he'd like to settle down in one spot long enough to prove what he believes - that one day he'll be a starter, and perhaps a star, in the league.

The team was given a quiz in a morning meeting about offensive plays and defensive assignments, Eddie Jordan said. He said all did well, then allowed that no one was permitted to receive a grade lower than a B-minus. Thad Young said he did "very well" on the quiz. "It turned into a group-study session. We were supposed to do it as individuals, but we just started talking to each other." Sounds suspiciously like some cheating was going on . . . Jordan divided the group into two teams for a scrimmage late in practice. During that scrimmage, Sam Dalembert and Jason Smith played very well. Jordan said it was Smith's best practice of the camp . . . Highlight play was a long alley-oop from Andre Iguodala to Young, who dunked over 7-1 center Primoz Brezec . . . Temple coach Fran Dunphy was a visitor to practice yesterday.