July 21, 2024
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
Jared McCain did not have an encouraging Summer League in 2024, but had his best game in the Summer Sixers' finale on Sunday.
The Sixers played their final game of the 2024 NBA Summer League on Sunday afternoon, matching up with the Boston Celtics before the players returned to their home bases to prepare for training camp in a few months. The Summer Sixers knocked off Boston, 103-98. Here is what stood out from the the final game of the team's Las Vegas slate:
The Sixers' two best players in Summer League, predictably, were Council and Dowtin, who were with the team last season. As is customary for teams at the end of these two weeks, the Sixers opted to rest their established pieces in their final game for the sake of ensuring they are healthy entering training camp and allowing members of the roster with less experience to continue honing their skills.
Council hopes to build on his encouraging rookie season in 2024-25, which will be his first full NBA campaign on a standard contract. Right now, he figures to be in the mix for the team's final regular rotation slot, with KJ Martin perhaps being his strongest competition.
It is very likely that the team will sign a point guard using one of its three remaining roster spots, as Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry are the only primary ball-handlers on its roster at the moment. Dowtin has done enough to be considered — he competes, is a sound decision-maker and does not have any significant flaws. A player who has been with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse at multiple spots and appears to have Nurse's trust, Dowtin make sense as a third-string point guard to open the season.
Summer League has not exactly been kind to Jared McCain, who shot poorly but showed many flashes of impressive skill in his first game but has largely struggled since. At least he will be able to depart Las Vegas with a good taste in his mouth.
McCain had his strongest performance of these two weeks on Sunday, knocking down shots early and displaying some playmaking ability later on in the contest. His poor three-point shooting for the majority of this stretch should be the least of anybody's concerns; his jumpshot is absolutely going to translate to the NBA.
McCain will likely find himself on the outskirts of the team's rotation when training camp begins, but may only be one perimeter player taking a step back or suffering an injury away from receiving minutes. McCain should take some cues from veteran Eric Gordon once training camp gets underway; the veteran sharpshooter has had a terrific career that McCain should hope to emulate.
The Sixers entered Summer League with only a pair of their three two-way deals handed out, and that remains the case. Who from the Summer Sixers has a chance to nab that final slot?
• The early favorite was big man Keve Aluma, who has been strong on the glass and efficient as a scorer both inside and beyond the three-point line. Adding another capable front-court player would be a boon for the Sixers, even if it is on a two-way deal. The argument against Aluma would be that he has limited upside; he will turn 26 years old at the end of December.
• Judah Mintz, an undrafted rookie guard out of Syracuse, might be the favorite at this juncture. He is an absolute machine when it comes to drawing fouls and routinely displayed impressive point-of-attack defense for the Summer Sixers. It was a bit of a surprise when Mintz was not selected in last month's NBA Draft; the Sixers adding him on a two-way could be a good bet on value.
• The last player who made a late surge is wing Jordan Tucker, who shot the lights out on Sunday, including knocking down four three-pointers in the third quarter. Tucker has a good frame for a wing and is more than willing to launch spot-up threes. His three-point accuracy is just decent, not special, but being prepared to get the shots up is more than half the battle. Tucker's statistical profile on the defensive end is ominous; he rarely got blocks or steals during his collegiate career. But the eye test suggests he is a capable and sturdy wing defender.
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