Philadelphia 76ers fall to Portland Trail Blazers 97-95 in Summer League matchup
The Philadelphia 76ers lose their first game in the Las Vegas to the Portland Trail Blazers 97-95 after rookie guard Jared McCain air-balled a potential game-winning three-point shot. The 76ers are 1-1 throughout two Summer League contests in the City of Sin.
There was a lot to like from Philadelphia’s Summer squad, but also some grave points of concern. Here are my three biggest takeaways from the 76ers’ loss to Portland:
76ers’ Jared McCain heated up then turned ice cold
Jared McCain has struggled to find his footing throughout the Summer League and he may have hit rock bottom in tonight’s loss. McCain started off hot with 8 points and two three-pointers in the first quarter then proceeded to misfire on 11 of his final 12 shot attempts.
The 16th overall pick finished the night with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, on a ghastly 3-16 shooting from the field and 3-10 shooting from beyond the arc, his least efficient performance of the Summer League.
Two of McCain’s biggest offensive issues were prevalent immediately after the first quarter, which is the tunnel vision he gets as a ball-handler and his shot-chucking. McCain has yet to establish a feel for the game on the NBA level as each time he gets the ball, he looks to force up a contested shot rather than reading the floor and dictating his own pace.
It’s not wise to put a ton of stock into Summer League games, but the issues McCain is having could be prevalent come training camp, which could put him at risk of spending time with the Delaware Blue Coats.
76ers’ Adem Bona took on Donovan Clingan
After getting signed to a four-year deal by the 76ers, 41st overall pick Adem Bona went toe-to-toe with the 7th overall pick, center Donovan Clingan. While Bona struggled with Clingan’s size off the glass and in the low post at times, Bona faired decently with his high motor in play.
The two rookie big men clashed in the third quarter where they took turns putting each other on posters as Clingan drove down the lane and stuffed it in while Bona was in the air, then Philadelphia’s center returned the favor, blowing past Clingan off the bounce and throwing it down.
Bona made scoring in the paint difficult for the Trail Blazers as a unit with his quick help rotations against dribble penetration and his one-on-one defense, especially in semi-transition. The center got his scoring easy buckets off offensive rebounds and received a beautiful lob pass from Jared McCain off the dribble.
Bona contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks, on 4-6 shooting from the field, but also committed 7 fouls, something he’ll need to refine come the NBA season.
76ers get production from top to bottom
Ricky Council IV scored 18 points and dished out 3 assists while shooting 4-11 from the field, but got to the line 14 times and drilled 9 foul shots. Council attempted to create offense for others off the dribble, but ended up enduring growing pains with turnovers. His bread and butter was putting pressure on the defense with dribble penetration and drawing contact.
Jeff Dowtin had another strong performance consisting of 17 points and 8 assists on 5-11 shooting from the field. Dowtin’s all-around game continues to look polished with his shot creation being the most eye-catching aspect tonight. His ability to reject screens and create his shot off quick penetration on multiple-levels was impressive.
Judah Mintz notched his best performance of the Summer League with 16 points on 5-7 field shooting and 5-5 foul shooting in just 19 minutes. Like Ricky Council IV, Mintz thrived with the ball in his hands where he scored at the rim and drew contact almost at will. But unlike Council, Mintz used his quickness rather than athleticism to score in the restricted area.
The 76ers will look to right their wrongs against Rob Dillingham and the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. EST. on ESPN 2.
Mandatory Credit: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
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