Tony Bradley has stepped up for the Sixers | Off the Dribble

Good morning, 76ers fans. The Sixers have won three in a row and nine of 10 with Tuesday night’s 108-98 win at Golden State.

Throughout this 10-game stretch, many heroes have emerged. One is center Tony Bradley, who has taken advantage of his increased playing time.

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— Marc Narducci (offthedribble@inquirer.com)

Since the All-Star break, Bradley has been on a tear. He has appeared in eight games, seven as a starter. After shooting 8-for-8 and scoring a career-high 18 points against Golden State, Bradley has shot 29-for-36 (80.6%) over that time.

During these eight games, he is averaging 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 20.0 minutes. He also has an average rating of plus-9.9. The Sixers are 7-1 in those games.

Tuesday was his second perfect game from the field during this span. He was 7-for-7 in a 127-105 win at Chicago.

Since the All-Star break, Bradley started once for Joel Embiid when he was out because of health and safety protocol (contact tracing) and the last six games while Embiid is sidelined with a bone bruise in his left knee

Bradley plays within his means. He rarely forces shots. Against Utah, of his eight field-goal attempts, the farthest came from five feet.

“It’s been a great opportunity with Jo being out, just to make the most of the opportunity, to play hard, having fun while getting the opportunity to do it, to help the team win as much as I can,” Bradley said after Tuesday’s win.

Against Golden State, Bradley also grabbed 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.

» READ MORE: Is there a balance between playing well and staying healthy for the Sixers and NBA teams?

“I just thought he was awesome and I thought if I had a star of the game, he would probably be it tonight,” coach Doc Rivers said .

This season, Bradley has not played in 24 games. He has appeared in 20 and seen his most time when Embiid hasn’t played. Embiid has missed 13 games this season.

“We talk to him a lot about falling in love with your role, and being great at your role and doing it every night, and he’s doing that. He’s accepted that,” Rivers said.

Bradley, 23, is in his first season with the Sixers after spending his first three years with the Utah Jazz. He played just one season at the University of North Carolina, but was part of the Tar Heels’ 2017 national-championship team.

On Tuesday, Sixers teammate Danny Green, another former Tar Heel, donated $1 million to North Carolina to endow a scholarship in the men’s basketball program. Green was part of 123 wins during his North Carolina career and helped the Tar Heels win the 2009 national championship.

“That’s a huge deal and really big for Danny to do that. A million dollars, that is big-time,” Bradley said. “ ... What he’s done, a million dollars, that is a lot. It just shows how much he loves UNC.”

Keith Pompey writes that the Sixers and Miami Heat remain in the running to acquire Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors.

The Sixers are No. 1 for the first time this year in The Inquirer’s NBA power rankings.

The NBA coach of the year so far? Marcus Hayes says it’s Doc Rivers.

Pompey writes that the Sixers’ Paul Reed was not only the rookie of the year, but also the MVP of the G League.

Mike Sielski writes that former Sixer Shawn Bradley faces a challenge after a bicycle accident that left him paralyzed.

Elgin Baylor was one of the all-time greats in NBA history and, in retrospect, probably one of the most underrated superstars in league history. He died Monday at age 86.

Baylor, the first pick of the NBA draft in 1958 out of Seattle University, played his entire 14-year career with the Lakers, the first two seasons in Minneapolis and the final 12 in Los Angeles. He was an 11-time All-Star and 10-time member of the All-NBA first team.

» READ MORE: The Sixers will gladly take their ‘bad win’ against the Knicks and learn from it

The 6-foot-5 Baylor was Julius Erving before Dr. J. arrived.

One of his amazing seasons was 1961-62, when he averaged 38.1 points in 44 games. He was a U.S. Army reservist that season, and played only on weekends and didn’t practice with the Lakers. For his career, he averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Another eye-popping stat: He averaged 40.0 minutes of playing time.

Baylor’s postseason statistics mirror those in the regular season. In 134 career playoff games, he averaged 27 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists in 41.1 minutes. The Lakers appeared in eight NBA Finals with Baylor on the team and failed to win a single title.

Baylor’s career essentially ended when he ruptured his Achilles tendon two games into the 1970-71 season. He retired nine games into the 1971-72 season because of nagging knee injuries. The Lakers went on to win the NBA title that year.

Thursday: Sixers at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., Staples Center, TNT

Saturday: Sixers at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m. Staples Center, NBC Sports Philadelphia/NBA TV

Tuesday: Sixers at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m., Ball Arena, NBA Sports Philadelphia/NBA TV

April 1: Sixers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m., Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, NBC Sports Philadelphia

April 3: Minnesota Timberwolves at Sixers, 8 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

Question: I love Buddy Hield coming to town and this trade works: [Tyrese] Maxey, [Danny] Green, [Terrance] Ferguson. What do you think? — Leonard Fronczak via email.

Answer: Thanks for the great question, Leonard. This deal does make it through the ESPN trade machine. It’s an interesting proposal.

Hield has three years left on his contract with the Sacramento Kings after this season, totaling approximately $63 million. This year, he is shooting 38.4% from three-point range, and that is his worst percentage since the 2016-17 season when he shot 36.9%. He is a major long-range threat, but won’t provide much on the defensive end.

Green has an expiring contract. He has beeninconsistent, but Green is shooting 39% from three and provides much better defense and leadership than Hield.

Obviously, the key to the deal is Maxey. Is Hield, 28, worth giving up somebody with Maxey’s potential? My gut reaction would be to say no, because Green provides better defense, and Maxey should be used only in a trade for a proven star.

Send questions by email to mnarducci@inquirer.com or @sjnard on Twitter.