3 observations after Council, Aluma help Sixers win their opener in Las Vegas

3 observations after Council, Aluma help Sixers win their opener in Las Vegas originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

With a clean slate in Las Vegas, the Sixers opened their second summer league of 2024 on a winning note.

Following a 1-2 stay in Salt Lake City, the Sixers notched a 94-81 victory Saturday night over the Pistons.

Ricky Council IV led them with a 24-point, six-rebound outing. No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II recorded 15 points and seven rebounds for Detroit.

The Sixers’ second game in Vegas will be Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET vs. the Trail Blazers. Here are observations on their win Saturday:

Useful reps for McCain off screens

The Sixers did not have the most encouraging start.

Council let a three-pointer fly on the team’s first possession and air balled it. Jared McCain also came up well short on his first three-point attempt and missed an early contested layup. Detroit jumped out to a 9-2 lead.

Jeff Dowtin Jr. (18 points, eight assists, five rebounds) remained the Sixers’ main point guard, though McCain brought the ball forward a decent amount in the open floor. He got on the board with a slick left-to-right crossover and driving layup.

While it hasn’t corresponded with incredible numbers, McCain’s displayed good attacking instincts and skills in transition during summer league. In the second quarter, he pushed the ball ahead, used a drag screen, and drained a pull-up three.

It will be intriguing to see what strides McCain can make this year as a movement shooter. The Sixers called an after-timeout play for him late in the second quarter, having the 20-year-old curl off of two down screens and receive a pass from Dowtin. McCain’s mid-range jumper went in and out, but the reps navigating around screens should absolutely be helpful for him.

He’s clearly capable of operating off on-ball screens, too. McCain made one of the night’s best plays early in the third quarter when he ran a pick-and-roll with Adem Bona, quickly faked a pass, and kept on driving for a lefty layup.

McCain’s jump shots still aren’t dropping the way they usually do. He had 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting, six rebounds…

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Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-07-14 01:37:37

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