Philadelphia 76ers: Takeaways From Summer League Opener

The first time playing five-on-five basketball in over two months, the Philadelphia 76ers trotted out their Summer League roster Monday night in Salt Lake City. Rust certainly was expected as the mixture of rotation locks and hopefuls took on an experienced San Antonio squad.

A Jordan McRae missed triple at the buzzer capped off the 74-71 defeat as Latvian SG Dairis Bertans paced the Spurs with 19 points while shooting 5-for-8 from deep.

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The result wasn’t the main talking point after the opening Summer League game for both teams, it was Jahlil Okafor‘s dominant debut. After a highly anticipated and intriguing start to his Sixers career, the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft showed why his play warranted comparisons to among the greats of the sport.

While his competition certainly won’t match up to what he’ll face day one in the NBA, the incremental production displayed throughout the contest was promising. After sinking two and-one jumpers, Okafor struggled to convert on looks he excelled at playing for Duke last season.

The spin hooks weren’t falling and his ability to take his defender off the dribble were a struggle for the 6’11”, 270-pound big man. After a 3-for-11 start from the field in the first half, Okafor shined for the first time professionally in the third quarter.

A spin-hook, and easy looks from filling the paint, ignited the Sixers charge to take a six point advantage into the fourth quarter. Eventually, the Spurs were forced to send multiple double teams his way in the fourth quarter due to his second half brilliance. Okafor accumulated 16 of his 20 points in the second half.

You could see his comfort level and awareness increase on the court as the game progressed. Per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Okafor felt his first game experience eased and benefited him on the floor.

"“I just got more comfortable,” he said. “I hadn’t played a five-on-five since the national championship game [between Duke and Wisconsin]. So it’s just getting adjusted, getting some of the rust out. Just talking with my teammates and just figuring it out. It’s a process, and I’m excited about it.”"

This is what Sixers fans hoped to get out of the team’s first Summer League game. Okafor fostering doubles on the regular while showcasing his captivating low post mastery. The rookie finished with a team-high 20 points, on 10-for-22 from the field, to go along with nine boards, and two blocks.

Despite the stellar debut, Okafor felt differently about his first professional performance.

I wonder what an A in his terms will look like this season. His limitations billed previously to entering the NBA were displayed as positives against San Antonio. Okafor got up and down the court leaking out and filling lanes for easy looks. He converted jumpers outside the paint and with contact.

Okafor also didn’t seem bewildered on pick-and-roll attempts and denied two Spurs under the basket. It might just be a meaningless preseason affair in July, but there’s a lot to like about what Okafor could build upon after a stellar performance.

Joining Okafor among Sixers destined for ample playing time this season is two-way wing Jerami Grant. The second year player was more beneficial as a slasher last season and Monday night proved that notion.

Grant came up empty from deep (0-for-5) while taking contested looks, but ferociously attacked the basket fueling his 13 points. His persistent struggles from the charity stripe (5-for-10) tied into his consistent drives to the paint and initiating contact.

One of the most exciting players on the court, Grant attempted to posterize defenders while slashing to the basket. Despite not finishing consistently, he proved why he’s an invaluable energy guy on the second unit.

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McRae teamed with Grant on the wing and brings similar qualities to the Syracuse product. His two-way versatility, grabbing a loose ball on the defensive end and flushing it on a play, could blossom in the 2015-16 as a backup.

He finished with 15 points going 4-for-13 from the field while knocking down three triples. McRae seemed out of control at times attacking the basket and could find his rhythm tonight against the Celtics. McRae dominated the Summer League last year and will get plenty of opportunity to repeat his performance.

Furkan Aldemir didn’t show any semblance of an offensive game (0-for-3 FG) to garner rotation minutes over Jason Thompson or Carl Landry who can both score and crash the boards. Pulling in 11 rebounds Monday and setting picks on almost every half court set displays his role on the team vividly.

While Aldemir might put up the better rebounding total, his lack of secondary skills is a blow to his continuous NBA future.

He’ll also have direct competition with rookie power forward Richaun Holmes. The Bowling Green product showed capabilities of stretch-4 material venturing outside the paint and nailing jumpers. He finished with 9 points (3-for-6) and was a source of offensive output lacking off the bench. The promise is there with Holmes, he’ll just have to continue the optimistic play.

His second-round draft mate in J.P. Tokoto, whose name the announcers botched repeatedly, hustled on both sides of the ball but couldn’t show management the perimeter game that was a liability in college. He finished with four points, going just 2-for-7 from the field.

While he won’t make the team on just his versatile shooting, T.J. McConnell should be one of the best playmakers on the Sixers this season. Fighting for a roster spot, McConnell located teammates effectively and his cohesiveness with Okafor was reminiscent of the Ish Smith/Nerlens Noel pairing last season.

Despite finishing 3-for-10 from the floor with six points, he led the team, dishing out four assists, which was more than half of the team’s total (seven). On a partially guaranteed two-year deal, the Dusquene and Arizona product has safety in knowing he’ll remain on the team barring repeated poor outputs.

McConnell flashed floor general traits, “Jah” ruled, and both Grant and McRae were all over the court providing unexpected excitement. The Sixers (0-1) take on the Celtics Tuesday at 7 p.m. and look to build on a promising Summer League opener.

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