NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten impressive production out of Ricky Council IV, an undrafted rookie who brings athleticism and intensity to the wing spot. But the team has to make a decision on the 22-year-old's contract that will decide whether his first NA season continues into the playoffs.

Council has spent his rookie year on a two-way contract and has enough available games left to make it through the rest of the regular season. But players on two-way deals are ineligible for the postseason. Council's playing time has gone up and down — and is likely to go back down should the 76ers ever get back to full health — but has been legitimately impactful on both ends of the floor.

The Sixers are close enough to the tax line that they will have to exercise patience when it comes to signing Council, should they choose to go that route before this year's playoffs begin. Rosters for the playoffs will be set at 3:00 PM EST on April 15, the day after the final day of the regular season.

Council has given the team plenty of reasons to conclude that he's worth being on the 15-man roster come playoff time. But whatever way the front office goes, Council is staying focused on what he can control.

“I feel like I put my hard work in and whatever the team needs — like I said a long time ago, whatever the team needs from me, that's cool,” Council told ClutchPoints ahead of the 76ers' matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. “If they feel like they don't need me for the playoffs and they're not gonna convert it, then that's their decision. I obviously would love to play in the playoffs but if I'm not playing then I'll sure be on the bench cheering.”

Council said it's about letting his game do the talking and staying “focused on the hoops” instead of his contract.

Since his breakout game against the Washington Wizards on February 10, the first in which he got real rotation minutes and tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes, Council ranks ninth on the team in total minutes but second in free throws attempted with 27. Only Tyrese Maxey, at 44, has more. Council has shot 70.4 percent from the line in that stretch and his 3.4 FTAs per game are also second only to Maxey at 5.2

While his per-game average of 8.0 points isn’t all that much, the rookie finds ways — often loud ones — to help the 76ers.

“I mean, it's pretty simple at this point,” Council said. “The only hard part is playing multiple positions 'cause I can either play two through four. Just trying to learn all the spots as a rookie. It can get tough at times but that's why you watch more film and ask more questions.”

Council said that Nick Nurse calling plays during timeouts helps, as does putting Council in familiar spots. Defensively, Council has been used to guard every position. While he typically matches up with wings, he greatly enjoys playing a multitude of matchups.

“I like that part 'cause I'm very competitive, so I get to guard everybody,” Council said, reflecting on how he guarded bigger players during his playing days in high school and college. Taking on players of different sizes and skills is “real helpful,” he said. “It just shows you where you're at at the defensive level. I've been holding my own pretty well so far.”

Whether Ricky Council IV's skills are something the 76ers want to have for this year's playoffs remains to be seen. Amidst a slew of veterans, he could easily find himself out of the rotation in the postseason as Nurse trims his rotation to the top seven or eight players. But given how well the beginning of his career so far has gone, Philly surely would like to keep him around for the long run.