Searcy's only appearance was the slightly more than four minutes he played against Boston in the Sixers' 107-75 rout on Monday. Wilkins started the second game of the preseason and logged 27 minutes against Brooklyn. He played 19 minutes Wednesday against Cleveland.
Undrafted in 2004, Wilkins is an eight-year veteran who has spent time in Seattle/Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Atlanta, and Detroit, where last season he was a regular in the Pistons rotation. And while he has never averaged more than the 9.2 points he scored in Seattle in the 2007-08 season, it is the intangibles he brings that have kept him employed.
"I don't think that some people understand the value of a guy like that, who might not play five minutes but understands how important it is to always be ready," Collins said of Wilkins. "He's helping the younger guys, talking to Nick Young and some of our younger guys and going through stuff with them.
"And," Collins continued, "I trust him."
Wilkins, who has appeared in 15 playoff games in his career, said the Sixers' potential to be good made it easy for him to sign with them before training camp.
"For me, I have learned to just come in and stay in character," Wilkins said. "If I get outside of my character, it's not me. I have to do what has kept me here, and that's hard work and doing what I do best. If I didn't do those things I wouldn't be here."
