July 19, 2024
Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports
Former Syracuse guard Judah Mintz has earned some serious consideration for a two-way contract with the Sixers with standout Summer League showings.
The Summer League Sixers were back in action Friday night, facing off against a San Antonio Spurs team that was resting No. 4 pick Stephon Castle, nabbing a 96-80 win. Here is what jumped out from this one:
When the Sixers released their roster for this year's Summer League, Mintz was immediately one of the more intriguing names. Many expected the guard out of Syracuse to be a second-round pick, but he went undrafted and the Sixers added him after no team appeared to offer him a two-way contract. Now, he is making a strong case to nab the Sixers' final remaining two-way slot.
Mintz is a ball-dominant guard without remarkable creation ability for others and a very poor three-point shot, all factors that likely led to his draft stock falling.
But there are appeals with Mintz's game, and they have been on full display over the last few games. The most notable aspect of Mintz's upside stems from his ability to get to the free throw line at will: he averaged more than eight free throws per game last season at Syracuse, and has been able to penetrate and draw contact whenever he wants in this environment. He is also a strong pull-up shooter in the mid-range area, giving his scoring profile some semblance of diversity.
In his first four minutes of action off the bench Friday night, Mintz scored 10 points on two field goal attempts -- he went 2-2 from the field and 6-6 on free throws in his opening moments.
.@jmintz10 has double digits in Q1! pic.twitter.com/I5N4iruGou
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 20, 2024
Mintz very well may not turn into an NBA regular, but he has a very strong standout skill, and that is often enough to convince teams to give a player a chance in the form of a two-way deal. With none of the other unsigned Summer Sixers standing out at the moment, it is hard to imagine Mintz not being in consideration.
Jones, who the Sixers signed to a two-way deal after last month's NBA Draft concluded, had a bit of a rough go during Summer League entering this game, but had his best game in a Sixers jersey on Tuesday night.
After four years of mediocre collegiate production, Jones emerged onto the scene as one of the nation's better scorers last season, posting 21.8 points per game for Memphis on impressive efficiency. He was seemingly not considered much of a draft prospect, but the Sixers moved quickly to add him to their mix on a two-way contract after his remarkable statistical breakout in 2023-24.
What made Jones successful in this game is what made his statistical profile last season so impressive: he scored at all three levels. Jones got the line a few times and converted when he was there, he had a brief heater from beyond the arc, and he comfortable operated in between the three-point line and the paint.
It is not easy to imagine Jones' scoring translating to the NBA level at the caliber that it produced in his final season of college basketball. But, like with Mintz, it's similarly not easy to pass on a player with a tangible skill when you are adding players on two-way deals.
Many have expressed extreme encouragement with how Bona -- who the Sixers drafted at No. 41 overall last month -- has performed in Summer League. To an extent, that is warranted, and there is no doubt that the center out of UCLA appears to be worthy of a selection in the middle of the second round.
But right now Bona figures to be the Sixers' third-string center after he reportedly agreed to a four-year standard contract with the team, and while there have been some positive indicators from his performances this month, there are also serious causes for concern given the importance of that roster spot on a team whose starting center, Joel Embiid, is a good bet to miss a significant amount of time.
Bona's most significant flaw will likely always be his alarming foul rate. He was constantly in foul trouble during his collegiate career, and is fouling opposing players even more often during Summer League action. While he will not play enough minutes to foul out of games, constantly giving the other team free throws -- or allowing them to inch closer to the bonus -- is a genuine issue.
Additionally, Bona's offensive utility beyond screening and an occasional alley-oop dunk or put-back basket is nonexistent, as he is a total non-shooter with poor hands.
Bona cut down on his fouling by a bit in this one, though he still incited more whistles than one would hope for. He did very little of note, and it underscores the importance of the role he will hold when the regular season begins if the team does not add a fourth center to the mix.
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