The next game the Sixers play will be the full 48 minutes.
The team wrapped up summer league and its 40-minute, generally haphazard contests with a loss Saturday to the Bulls, finishing 2-3 in Las Vegas after a 2-1 performance in Salt Lake City.
Let's get into five broad takeaways:
What can Joe carry over?
With so many players getting rotation time and smooth execution so sparse, a team doesn’t always have a genuine summer league standout. That’s especially true for a squad like the Sixers that kept no draft picks this year.
However, calling Isaiah Joe the team’s top player shouldn’t be controversial. Joe was the leading scorer among the four teams in Utah (19.0 points per game), then shot 7 for 9 from three-point range during the Sixers’ opener in Las Vegas.
The 23-year-old also played quite well last preseason, averaging a team-best 16.8 points and shooting 59.3 percent from long distance. Everyone understands the regular season is more meaningful and challenging, but Joe’s play in these lesser competitions doesn’t appear fluky.
It shouldn’t all be chalked up to one magical night that’s generously skewed his stats, or to Joe having ample space to take whatever shot he wants. He’s drained tons of contested jumpers and also shown encouraging development beyond that; holding up defensively against larger players was a highlight of this summer league.
Even with further weight-room diligence, Joe will enter this season as an undersized two-guard. And the Sixers have added players who have proven their two-way NBA worth in P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr. and De’Anthony Melton. Joe keeps thriving outside of the regular season, though, which is all he can do for the time being.
Springer’s shot
Jaden Springer went 13 for 44 from the floor (29.5 percent) and 1 for 12 from three-point range.
Those statistics shouldn’t obscure the qualities that led Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey to say last month the team expects Springer to take a “huge step forward” in his second professional season. But they are another indication that Springer likely must improve his jumper to merit much trust in the NBA.
Regardless of percentages, it tends to be encouraging if a young player’s shot is simple, fluid and low-effort. Quick is a nice bonus, too. Springer’s current jumper doesn’t match any of those descriptors very well, and he made only 24.1 percent of his threes in the G League last regular season. Significant form change can sound daunting, but summer league was another piece of evidence that a minor tweak or two might not be sufficient for Springer.
Of course, the context matters a great deal here. Springer is 19 years old. The Sixers did not draft him with the 28th pick in 2021 assuming he’d beat out veterans for minutes as a teenager. He had some especially positive defensive possessions in summer league against the Nets' Cam Thomas, displaying lateral quickness, strength and intuitive mirroring talent.
Ultimately, to make the leap Morey hopes to see, Springer will need to be better at making jump shots.
The two-way spots
Like Springer, neither of the Sixers’ two-way contract players will be thrilled with their summer league shooting.
Undrafted rookie Julian Champagnie was 10 for 44 on his field goals (22.7 percent), 3 for 24 on his threes. He’ll have to prove that was a major aberration to fully break into the NBA. G League reps should help with getting settled and gaining confidence.
Charlie Brown Jr.’s full-court ball pressure overwhelmed opponents on several occasions. Shooting remains the obvious reason why earning semi-regular or regular NBA minutes in the near future still doesn’t look probable.
Foster Jr. an intriguing prospect
There’s a lot for Michael Foster Jr. to iron out.
For the most part, that’s a good thing. The 19-year-old big man had eye-catching moments in summer league as a post player, slasher, rim protector and open-floor ball handler. Playing at a lighter weight than with G League Ignite last year, he also looked perhaps a tad more nimble and balanced when coming “up to touch” in pick-and-roll coverage or switching on to guards.
No question he’s an excellent player to have on an Exhibit 10 contract.
The smaller guards
Both Cassius Winston and Grant Riller had impressive offensive stretches, among them Riller’s three-level scoring outburst against the Nuggets.
Life is tough for guards at or around 6 feet tall in the NBA these days, though, especially for polished players like Winston and Riller now firmly in their mid-20s. Each still seems capable of earning real opportunities, but the league values defensive sturdiness and versatility.
The 6-foot-6 Trevelin Queen also handled the ball plenty and registered a few creative, advanced assists.
But, even by summer league standards, Queen’s approach was hyperactive. He finds ways to put up threes, pressure the defense, and use his athleticism in transition. Though coaches usually welcome energy off the bench, most NBA teams would ask the 25-year-old G League MVP to play a more stable, less freewheeling style.
