76ers in the summer leagues: How key players have done

LAS VEGAS  —  After three games in Salt Lake City and four more (with one remaining on Friday) here in Sin City for the 76ers' summer-league contingent, there can be some educated judgment on talent, a few guesses as to what the future may hold and props to players who had no shot of a future with the team but pleasantly surprised.

Although he went down with an ankle sprain in the first game in Las Vegas, first overall pick Markelle Fultz did nothing but enhance the expectations the team and fans have for him this season. Coach Brett Brown has said that he will insert Fultz into the starting lineup on day one and stick with him through the expected struggles. Along with Ben Simmons, Fultz will be a primary ball handler and he showed some wonderful ability that should mesh perfectly with the way Brown wants to play.

Along with J.J. Redick, he will be able to space the floor with their shooting, while Fultz appears to be a very good passer in the open floor and shows a good ability to take the ball to the basket and pass in traffic.

Fultz will be a 25-30-minute-a-night guy for Brown, undoubtedly mixing in nights of good and bad.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot struggled throughout the two leagues, with lackluster defense, spotty shooting and bad decision-making. But that's all OK. Most of it was borne out of him trying to do too much, and that's what you want to see out of a second-year player who is fighting to find a spot in the regular rotation. He is better off as a secondary player, not a primary one, meaning that he is at his best when he is the third or fourth option offensively and does not have to carry the load. He can still run the floor well and should benefit from the additions and passing abilities of Simmons and Fultz.

He will compete for time in the rotation with Nik Stauskas sometimes, other times with Justin Anderson. There is plenty of time for him to grow his game, and him getting a bunch of time in the G-League with the Delaware 87ers isn't a bad thing.

It was a complete surprise when shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz was able to buy out his contract from the Turkish league and come over to join the Sixers' roster. The No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 draft will turn 20 later this month and has a body that is in desperate need of adding muscle to his 6-foot-7 frame. He seems to have trouble shooting while on the move in the fast-paced summer league, particularly when he goes to his left. But there is a toughness to him and some untapped potential. He seemed hesitant at times to take the ball to the basket, but when he did he usually found success. That's just immaturity and unfamiliarity with the NBA game. That's why he'll have to spend most of the season down in Delaware, too.

After Jonah Bolden left UCLA following his freshman season to play in Serbia, the Sixers were able to grab him in the second round this summer. Many believe if he had stayed in college, and played this past season with Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf  —  two first-round picks  —  that he, too, would have been a first-rounder, perhaps even a lottery pick.

There is definite rawness in his game, but there is also a world of upside. Being 6-10 with a high motor and an ability to shoot from the outside is exactly the makeup Brown wants from his big MEN. Bolden seems as if he could be very good at a variety of specialties with some hard work. He's most likely staying another year in Serbia but very well could be in the big-man mix for the team the following season.

Others who have impressed include Alex Poythress, Larry Drew II, James Blackmon, and Aaron Harrison. Poythress intrigued because of his three-point shooting and overall scoring ability. The problem is he is just so undersized for his position at 6-7 and doesn't really handle the ball well enough to be a true stretch four.

It's a mystery as to why Drew II hasn't caught on with anyone more than the 12 games he played for the Sixers in the 2014-15 season. He can create for himself, has terrific energy and is a capable shooter. But he's 27 now and time is running out. Blackmon showed toughness and has good size at 6-4, while Harrison has shown good shooting ability in games and during workouts with the team in Camden. All could be candidates for the 87ers.