Jaden Springer’s growth, Filip Petrusev’s return among Sixers’ Las Vegas summer league story lines

LAS VEGAS — Isaiah Joe gave the Sixers’ summer league team the ideal send-off from Salt Lake City, drilling a game-winning three pointer to lift them to an 80-79 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.

That was the latest glimpse at the Sixers’ roster of young players and NBA hopefuls, which went 2-1 in the three-day Salt Lake City Summer League earlier this week. It was the precursor to the summer league’s main event in Las Vegas, where all 30 teams are present for the tournament that lasts until July 17.

As the Sixers’ summer stint shifts to UNLV’s campus — where they open play at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against the Toronto Raptors before facing the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, and the Denver Nuggets on Friday night — here are the story lines worth monitoring:

Though the Sixers do not boast the flashy prospects that headline this event, their roster does feature some recognizable names. Joe and big man Paul Reed are entering their third NBA season but did not get any summer league experience before their rookie year because of the delayed 2020 draft during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reed — who was dominant in Tuesday’s opener against the Memphis Grizzlies with 20 points and 15 rebounds, then totaled 14 points and seven boards in Thursday’s win over the Thunder — will not play in Las Vegas. Joe, a guard who scored 19 points in each of his two games in Salt Lake City, is scheduled to play during this portion of the summer league.

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Last year’s draft picks, Jaden Springer and Charles Bassey, also played in Salt Lake City and are expected to see the floor in Las Vegas. This continues Bassey’s summer debut, after elongated contract negotiations kept him from playing in games last year.

It is common, though, for the more proven players to shift in and out of the lineup throughout the team’s stay in Las Vegas. That the Sixers play back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, and then have two days off, means that some will surely sit out or shut things down early. Bassey, Springer, Charlie Brown, and Cassius Winston got a game off in Salt Lake City, when the Sixers played three consecutive days.

That presents an opportunity for players fighting for their NBA shot. Julian Champagnie, who signed a two-way contract with the Sixers after the draft, Trevelin Queen, the reigning G League MVP who recently signed with the Sixers, and Michael Foster, who signed a free-agent deal after going undrafted following a season with the G League Ignite, were elevated into starting roles when others rested.

It’s worth continuing to track the progress of the only former first-round pick playing for the Sixers.

Springer, the 19-year old who is already known for his athleticism and tenacious on-ball defense, put up an early highlight in Salt Lake City when he flew in for a block against the Grizzlies that even impressed dazzling All-NBA guard Ja Morant.

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Offensively, though, Springer was streaky in his two games. He scored nine of his 11 points in Thursday’s victory during an aggressive first quarter. That followed him totaling 12 of his 15 points in the second half of Tuesday’s opener. Overall, he struggled from the floor (7-of-25) during those two games, but he did get to the line and converted 12 of 17 free throws.

Springer spent the bulk of last season developing with the Delaware Blue Coats, where he focused on reading defenses, making decisions on the fly, and establishing consistency.

A two-way contract, which was introduced for the 2017-18 season, allows two additional roster players on each team who split time with the NBA club and the G League. Brown and Champagnie are signed to those types of deals, but last season demonstrated their uncertain nature.

Myles Powell and Grant Riller, who are playing this summer for the Sixers, also were on two-way contracts for stretches last season. Winston, meanwhile, is a former two-way player for the Washington Wizards. Aaron Henry, who also was a Sixers two-way player for part of last season, is on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ summer league team.

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That means this summer is not just an audition for training camp for the entire league, but for the future when injuries (and, potentially, COVID surges) strike throughout an 82-game season. And a two-way deal can be an avenue for carving out an NBA role. Current Sixers Georges Niang and Shake Milton started their careers on such deals, while other noteworthy former two-way players include the Chicago Bulls’ Alex Caruso, the Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson, and the Washington Wizards’ Monte Morris.

Brown, who flashed potential as a rangy wing defender in 19 games with the Sixers last season, said he is aiming to demonstrate his shooting improvements this summer. He went 9-of-16 from the floor and 2-for-8 from three-point range in the two games he played in Salt Lake City, which included a shortened outing against the Jazz when he got hit in the face and did not return.

Champagnie, meanwhile, made just four of his 21 field-goal attempts in Salt Lake City, but did grab 10 rebounds against the Jazz.

Filip Petrusev, the 2021 second-round pick and former Gonzaga star, was a draft-and-stash player last season.

The 22-year old Serbian big man played for Turkish team Anadolu Efes, the 2020-21 Euroleague champion. He averaged 5.2 points during Euroleague play and 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while playing for the team in the Turkish Super League.

Petrusev said during last year’s summer league that he hoped he could play for the Sixers right away. That did not happen. He now has the in-person chance to show what he has been working on overseas.

After skill development coach Tyler Lashbrook was the Sixers’ head coach in Salt Lake City, Dwayne Jones will hold those duties in Las Vegas.

Jones, a former St. Joseph’s standout and 12-year professional player, has been on the Sixers’ staff since 2016. He was promoted to assistant coach/skill development for the 2021-22 season and primarily works with the Sixers’ big men.

Leading a summer league team can be an important opportunity for up-and-coming coaches. Prominent coaches who have recently held that position include New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green (when he was an assistant with the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors) and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon (when she was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs).