3 observations after Sixers notch first summer win of 2023

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3 observations after Sixers notch first summer win of 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

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The Sixers came back Wednesday night to earn their first victory of the summer.

With a 104-94 win over the Jazz, the Sixers improved to 1-1 in the Salt Lake City summer league.

Javonte Smart had 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Jaden Springer recorded 18 points, six steals and three assists.

The Sixers’ third and final game in Utah will be Thursday at 7 p.m. ET against the Thunder. They’ll begin play in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Here are observations on their win over the Jazz:

Entertaining two-way duo 

The Sixers began slowly for a second straight game, falling behind 11-2 and trailing 34-20 after the opening quarter.

Smart was a bright spot with a couple of driving layups. Ricky Council IV’s strength popped early on, too. Council likes using his body to create advantages and does so effectively; he’s not just bulling into the lane without any plans or control.

Fellow rookie two-way contract player Terquavion Smith let Council’s hops shine in the second quarter, setting him up for an alley-oop dunk. Council added another slam in the third.

About a minute after his alley-oop, Council skied for a block. His athleticism is a massive asset on both ends of the floor.

Smith had a slow shooting start that included a couple of very wayward misses. There’s nothing wrong with the NC State product’s immense self-confidence, and it should serve him well in the G League. Still, shot selection looks like a worthwhile area to sharpen. If Smith can gain a slightly better sense for where his best spots are and trim the rushed decisions, we imagine it would help his chances of sticking in the NBA.

A valid counter to the point above is that perhaps Smith should never deviate from his aggressive instincts. He found a groove late in the second quarter Wednesday, hitting two threes and a layup, and ended with 14 points and five assists in 24 minutes.

Springer’s free throws 

From the field, Springer had a nearly identical game to the Sixers’ opener.

After a 3-for-11…

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Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2023-07-06 03:28:26

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