Five Sixers to Watch During the 2022 NBA Summer League
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers began their part of the 2022 NBA Summer League, with a 103-99 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. Over the course of the Summer League, the Sixers will play three games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and four games in Las Vegas, Nevada.
One of the bigger aspects of the summer league is that it lets younger players get time to help them develop their game as well as gain exposure. In the past, the Delaware Blue Coats has been a very successful farm team for Philadelphia with most of these players looking to continue their summer league journies with them in the upcoming G-League Season.
Here are five players to keep your eye on during the Summer League:
Jaden Springer is one of the young players that has benefitted from his time in the G-League. In his rookie season with the BlueCoats, Springer averaged 15 points, three assists, and five rebounds per game. It's this quick break into the scene that makes him a player to look out for during the summer schedule.
In Tuesday's game against Memphis, Springer shot 4-12 from the field, while shooting 7-10 from the stripe. All-in-all Springer scored 15 points, yet, his performance shows that he can still learn from taking better shots.
Trevelin Queen
Last week, the Sixers signed Trevelin Queen to a two-year deal worth a reported $3.3 million. During his time with the Houston Rockets, Queen didn't find much time with the main team as he was mainly playing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
His previous season was a complete reversal of his rookie year, as Queen averaged 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game. His shooting stayed consistent throughout the year, as he shot 48 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
His improvements and performances helped Queen become the NBA G League MVP. It'll be a narrative for fans to keep their eye on not only during the Summer League but also during the regular season as he may make his way to the main team.
Aminu Mohammed
Aminu Mohammed left Georgetown University after just one season, in which he averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game. After not getting selected on draft night, Mohammed signed an exhibit 10 contract with Philadelphia according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
With the Hoyas, Mohammed showed signs of his offensive ability, but still shows some big signs of improvement on the field. During his debut on Tuesday, Mohammed scored only two points, yet proved to be useful elsewhere as he recorded three steals against the Grizzlies.
In the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Philadelphia selected Filip Petrusev from Mega Soccerbet, a team in Serbia's AdmiralBet ABA League. After getting drafted, Petrusev did not come overseas immediately, as he spent time in the Turkish Super League and the Euroleague during the 2021-22 season.
During his time in Turkey, Petrusev averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game, which was a downgrade from his time in Serbia but if anything it shows that he can still put up solid numbers while he is transitioning.
The reason why it'll be interesting to watch Petrusev in the Summer League is that it's only his second time playing basketball outside of Europe or Asia.
During the 2021 NBA Summer League, Petrusev averaged four points and three rebounds across four games. Maybe his ability to adapt this year will be improved.
In foreign leagues, the game is played a bit slower with a focus on tactics. A fine comparison to an American equivalent would be that of college basketball.
Petrusev’s most recent game came on June 30 with the Serbian National Team, going 0-4 from the field while recording 10 rebounds.
Petrusev will only be available to play during the second half of the Summer League games, which entails the games that are hosted in Las Vegas.
A familiar name to many Sixers fans is Paul Reed, who will play during the first three games in Salt Lake City.
On Tuesday, Reed got off to a hot start against the Grizzlies, recording a double-double, consisting of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Reed getting a double-double in his first game shouldn't be too surprising as he averaged last year in the G-League, averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Reed's stint in the summer league may be a test to see if he's ready to play on the main roster, which isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. Last season, Reed appeared in 38 games while averaging eight minutes. Down the stretch of the season, Rivers would put Reed in over Paul Millsap and DeAndre Jordan when Joel Embiid needed to catch his breath.
Regardless of how he does during the summer, B-Ball Paul will remain a fan favorite in the City of Brotherly Love.
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.
