LAS VEGAS — There was not much juice left in the building by the time the Summer Sixers and Spurs tipped off on Thursday evening at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Moments before, a chaotic crowd rose to its feet as Bronny James attempted a game-winning triple to beat No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. Even though there was technically a main event still to be played, the buzz had been killed.
On one side, No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe remained out with a left thumb sprain. On the other, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper remained out with a groin injury. The two players responsible for the high-profile nature of the matchup were on their respective benches in warmup gear — and if there was any excitement left in the building, it evaporated quickly.
The Summer Sixers never stood a chance in a blowout loss that was almost uncomfortable to watch. Some notes from a 111-70 loss to the Spurs that might have felt even worse than the score would indicate:
Dominick Barlow gets his wish
On Wednesday afternoon, news broke that the Sixers were waiving two-way forward Alex Reese and replacing him with Dominick Barlow, a New Jersey native with three years of NBA experience with the Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. Barlow was excited to join a new team close to home, but he had a request for President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse.
Barlow wanted to play in Las Vegas Summer League, he told them. “I think that’s a good challenge,” Barlow said before the game of his busy last 36 hours or so: traveling to Las Vegas, participating in one organized team activity — a Thursday morning shoot around — and then starting in the final game of the first day of action at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Barlow’s start came at the expense of No. 35 overall pick Johni Broome, who had been starting next to Adem Bona in the frontcourt. Broome remained an early rotation piece, and his development should continue to be a priority. But the Sixers believe Barlow has a chance to help at the NBA level, and he said discussions with Morey and Nurse led him to believe this was the right spot for him.
“Just wanting to bring in young talent that can play,” Barlow said of the pitch he received. “That was the biggest thing for me… I have a chance to show my work and what I know I’m capable of doing.”
Sixers’ inability to generate offense continues
With Edgecombe sidelined, the Summer Sixers’ only steady source of even reasonable looks on the offensive end is Judah Mintz, whose foul-drawing skill remains excellent. But Mintz is a shaky jump-shooter and not a refined playmaker, so his ability to provide an offensive spark is generally limited to self-created shots and free throws. Summer Sixers head coach T.J. DiLeo does not have that many buttons to push.
So, against a Spurs team that looked surprisingly cohesive, the Summer Sixers stood no chance. San Antonio opened the game on an 18-4 run in three minutes and change, never looking back. Leading the way was David Jones-Garcia, an undrafted free agent signed by the Sixers on a two-way deal last summer. Shortly before training camp began, he was waived and spent the year with the Utah Jazz. Perhaps Jones-Garcia was out for revenge, as he torched the team he was with this time last year.
Just as the Spurs pressured the rim at will on offense, they stifled the Summer Sixers with constant ball pressure on defense. DiLeo’s team often struggled to get its offense set, even having major issues when it came to securing inbound passes.
The Sixers not having a Summer League roster conducive to winning is not an issue. But the objective of these games is to enhance player development, and players like Broome — who should have an opportunity to display his low-post scoring ability and passing chops out of the high post — are not being put in optimal conditions for individual growth. It is not the end of the world, but if things continue to go this way, it will be somewhat of a missed opportunity.
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