Guerschon Yabusele’s energy and effort have made him a perfect fit for the Sixers

Guerschon Yabusele always knew he would be a perfect fit for the 76ers.

That’s why the 6-foot-8, 265-pound post player paid a buyout to get released from his contract with Spanish professional basketball club Real Madrid and accepted a veteran-minimum salary with the Sixers.

“First of all, when you look at the power forward, [the Sixers didn’t] really have a four,” Yabusele said. “You know the two Martins [KJ Martin and Caleb Martin] are really a three. And you know, me, I consider myself as a real four, so I knew it was going to be a space out there.”

» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele power a Sixers’ 109-103 win over the Washington Wizards

He knew playing with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey would enable him to knock down open three-pointers because of the attention they draw from opponents. He also expected to play with a lot of energy.

The 29-year-old has provided that and more.

He’s been a safety net for the Sixers with Embiid (left foot sprain) and backup center Andre Drummond (left toe sprain) set to miss their third consecutive game Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Wells Fargo Center.

All-Star swingman Paul George (left groin tightness) is listed as probable for the game. However, point guard Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction), and guard Jared McCain (left knee surgery) will remain sidelined.

Yabusele has been a major addition to the Sixers (15-20). He’s started a combined 14 games at power forward and center. He’s averaging career highs of 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds and shooting a career-best 40.1% on three-pointers in his second NBA go-round.

And on Wednesday, he was a major reason the Sixers defeated the Washington Wizards, 109-103, at the Wells Fargo Center.

» READ MORE: Sixers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey's second half, Guerschon Yabusele’s rising stock

With Embiid and Drummond sidelined, Yabusele started at center. He finished with 21 points while making 5 of 7 three-pointers to go with eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. His second block on Bilal Coulibaly’s layup with 14.3 seconds remaining helped seal the victory.

“He just plays hard, man,” coach Nick Nurse said. “He plays hard, and he’s in the right place at the right time. He probably plays much bigger than he is. He scores at the rim over bigger people, he blocks shots like more of a bigger center, and he obviously had a huge block.”

Not bad for a French player whose first NBA stint ended only after two seasons.

Yabusele averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 6.6 minutes in 74 games from 2017 to 2019 with the Boston Celtics. He also made just 32.3% of his three-pointers in Boston before being waived on July 10, 2019.

But now with the Sixers, he has a knack for clutch plays, whether he’s hitting a key three-pointer or finding a teammate.

» READ MORE: Sixers hope to have Joel Embiid available to play in both games of back-to-back sets

Remaining stress-free during pressure situations has been key for Yabusele.

“I just get the ball and tell myself somebody is going to be open,” he said. “If it was two guys right there, so when I get the ball, I’ve got to look first to see if I’m open or not. And if I’m not, somebody’s got to be open. …. So I just take my time reading what the defense brings and what our guy’s doing so I just try to make the best read possible.”

That approach has proved successful. And Yabusele has proved, once again, to be the perfect fit.