LAS VEGAS – For the second straight time in Las Vegas Summer League action, the Summer Sixers got set for what was supposed to be a high-profile matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center, but the most notable player on each side was in warmup clothes on the bench.
For the Sixers, VJ Edgecombe remained sidelined with his left thumb sprain, though the No. 3 overall pick suiting up as soon as Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards appears to be in play. On the other side, Hornets No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel took a scheduled rest day, as the Hornets were on the second leg of a back-to-back.
The game was not completely without intrigue, as collegiate stars Johni Broome and Ryan Kalkbrenner faced off, while 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaun also suited up for the Hornets. But with Edgecombe and Knueppel out of action, there was not a ton of buzz in the building.
At first, the Summer Sixers appeared headed for another embarrassing blowout loss caused by offensive ineptitude. But they hung in there with strong defense and eventually started to find something on the offensive end of the floor. A series of notes and observations from the Summer Sixers’ 96-94 loss:
A flurry of notes
Given there was much of the same for the Summer Sixers – whose struggles are even pronounced for a team largely comprised of players still aspiring to make it in the NBA – it is not worth belaboring just how much difficulty they experienced finding offensive rhythm for much of the game. They were able to find some semblance of offensive flow later on, which in tandem with a solid defensive game helped them keep the game close. In lieu of beating any dead horses, here is a batch of tidbits that stood out from behind the basket:
• Undrafted two-way rookie Hunter Sallis has been fairly underwhelming so far, with only one noteworthy jolt as a scorer across four games. But Sallis did make a few impressive passes early on in this game. Sallis said after the Summer Sixers’ opening practice that a major uptick in on-ball duties caused his significant downtick in offensive efficiency in his final season at Wake Forest, but that he felt it would make him a more versatile player in the NBA.
• Judah Mintz is a flawed player, but it is hard to argue against the results when it comes to his foul-drawing capabilities. Mintz is dead set on baiting defenders into making contact and exaggerating the impact of those blows. Being singularly focused on getting whistles might not be the best course of action in the long run, but Mintz has a legitimate NBA-caliber skill right now – a rarity for a player yet to even ink a two-way deal.
• Dominick Barlow signed a two-way deal with the Sixers and immediately asked if he could play in Las Vegas. He got on a flight, participated in one shootaround and then got a start on Thursday. He understandably looked a bit rushed at various points. On Saturday, the extra practice seemed to do New Jersey native a lot of good; he played under more control and was a constant presence around the rim.
• Sallis entered the starting lineup for this game because Jalen Hood-Schifino was not available. Hood-Schifino does not have any reported injury, but walked onto the court seconds before tip-off in street clothes. With Sallis starting, Archbishop Wood graduate Andrew Funk made his way into the rotation and knocked down an early triple.
• Adem Bona was not as consistently dominant in this one as he was against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City last week, but he was an imposing presence around the rim on both ends of the floor, making a couple of plays – an emphatic swat and an even stronger dunk – that drew admiration from the crowd.
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Sixers have some courtside representation
Early on in Las Vegas, a seemingly infinite number of NBA figures make their way to the Thomas & Mack Center for games, and teams like the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs have had nearly their entirety of their rosters in town to sit courtside and root for their organization’s summer squad.
Mavericks No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg was courtside for the Sixers’ battle against the Hornets, fresh off a loss to the Spurs, and he sat next to a contingent of Hornets that included LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Spencer Dinwiddie, Josh Green and Collin Sexton.
After not having any front-facing representation in Thursday’s blowout loss to the Spurs, the Sixers had a few familiar faces on hand for Saturday’s game. Head coach Nick Nurse observed pregame warmups and then took a seat, joined soon after by Tyrese Maxey and Trendon Watford. Maxey and Watford spoke to the media at halftime, and Maxey expressed enthusiasm about finally playing with one of his closest friends in the NBA.
Otherwise, Jared McCain has been on site with the Summer Sixers despite his inability to play just yet. McCain spoke to the media alongside Edgecombe before the game and said his recovery is “going great,” while Edgecombe said his thumb injury is improving. Edgecombe suiting up for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards does not appear out of the question whatsoever.
DARYL MOREY SPEAKS TO THE MEDIA
Full transcript | Biggest takeaways
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