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New York - It's more than two hours before a 1pm tip-off at Madison Square Garden and Jonah Bolden looks like he's already been working out for a while. Bolden is running through drills with the assistant coaches - pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, corner threes and more. For Bolden, whose journey to the NBA has been anything but linear, the extra work on his game is what's allowed him to overcome going back-and-forth from the G-League and the NBA, to being able to fit right in and play some important minutes for the 76ers over the past few weeks. "We're doing a lot of film so we're seeing what we're lacking, where our weaknesses are; that's helping me - going through film, and playing a little more in the rotation with the guys so it's starting to come together," Bolden tells ESPN after the team's win over the Knicks - a game in which he pulled down nine boards, tying his career-high.  Bolden's professional career began in Serbia playing for FMP Belgrade. He showcased enough of his versatile game while there to pique the interest of a number of NBA teams, but it was the Philadelphia 76ers who decided to take a chance on the 6'10 forward by selecting him with the 36th pick overall of the 2017 NBA draft. Feeling like he needed some time to develop his skills, the Sixers decided to stash him for a season, and Bolden ended up with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv before being offered a four-year deal by Philadelphia this past summer. The four-year deal - of which two years are fully guaranteed - shows the team has faith in the Australian, but early on, Bolden spent a lot of time being shuffled back-and-forth between the NBA and the team's G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. It was but one more obstacle to overcome for Bolden on the road to cracking an NBA rotation. To the outside world, the back-and-forth may seem like a hindrance, but Bolden says he understands that system is supposed to aid in player development.  "It wasn't as tough as people think. For me, it's all about the mindset," he tells ESPN. "For the most part, the transition between the Sixers and the Blue Coats was easy because they run the same plays, the system is put in place for guys like myself - two-way guys that are going back-and-forth - contracted guys that are going down .... but the transition is easy. "The biggest part is, when I do get on the floor with the Sixers, having not played with guys like Jimmy [Butler], or Ben [Simmons], and not knowing what to do in [certain] situations and not having that experience with them." Sixers coach Brett Brown praised Bolden's "mature" approach to being sent to the G-League. "There are some people that treat it as a slight, and then there are some people who see it through the lens that they should," he told ESPN. "It's an opportunity to play basketball. I don't care who you are, I've yet to see much improvement from people swinging a towel on a bench in games the way you can improve by just playing."  Since getting his first real opportunity on-court against Toronto in late December, Bolden has had just one DNP attached to his name on the score sheet. In his past ten games, Bolden has been given a chance to play, and he's been delivering, averaging 4.9 points per game, 5.4 rebounds in just under 19 minutes per game. His work ethic is there each and every night, but he knows that his ability to space the floor and knock down three-pointers will open up the game much more. "My energy has been there consistently," he says. "I think my shooting - my three-point shooting - I wanna work on that. Just [being more] consistent. When I catch it I'm not really thinking too much, I think it's just time and place. There's times when I'm catching it unexpectedly or I'm not doing what I usually do, but consistency and getting a feel for the guys more and more is what's gonna help all of us click." Overall, however, he's happy with his progress and says coach Brown has expressed to him to keep playing the style of game that's gotten him to this point so far. "He just told me [to] do what I do: shoot the ball, play with energy, and get rebounds as much as possible, defend as I've been doing and continue doing that," Bolden said. Brown feels like Bolden's skill set will keep him on an NBA roster for a long time to come. "I think he can make a three, he can run the floor; he's got that toughness in him. I think his future's gonna be bright. He's got the chance to be a 'keeper' of an NBA player for a while, he says." With Joel Embiid almost certain to be selected for the All-Star game, and Ben Simmons also a strong candidate to join him, there's a slight chance that if Bolden continues his impressive play, he may get a nod with the World team for the Friday night Rookie/Sophomore game at the NBA's showcase event. "I haven't even thought about that to be honest with you," he says. "If it is that'll be fun, if it isn't, then it's a nice time to get away from everything and get ready for that end of season playoff run."
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