The Philadelphia 76ers began summer league play on Thursday when they took on the Detroit Pistons in Las Vegas. It offered up the first opportunity for them to see what they have in their younger pieces in a competitive setting. They have been practicing all week, and now is the time to get in an actual game.
The summer Sixers began with a 101-93 win over the Pistons at The Pavilion. There were some sloppy moments, as there always are in the summer league, but the Sixers have to be happy with what they saw from the young players in the summer league opener.
Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. finished with 18 points and seven assists while Johni Broome had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Isaac Johnson had 20 points off the bench and Dante Maddox Jr. had 21 points while Amani Lyles had 11 points.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Labaron Philon Jr.: B-plus
Welcome to the league, Mr. Philon. The No. 22 overall pick went to work early as he knocked down his first three triples on the night. He had the ball on a string, too, as he really showed off his handles when pressured by Detroit’s guards. The shooting tailed off after the hot start, but his ability to get into the paint and make things happen either by finishing at the basket or making a play for a teammate was impressive in this one. The Sixers have to be happy with what they saw in this one. He will challenge Tyrese Maxey for having the best handles on the team. There is a lot of work to do, but Philon showed off a lot of his game in this one.
Johni Broome: A-minus
Coming off a rookie season where he was limited to only 11 games due to a meniscus injury, Broome is looking to prove himself in the summer league. He had a few impressive moves as he showed off his touch around the basket and from the 3-point line, but these are the moments in which he needs to dominate out on the floor. There were flashes, but there need to be more. He is capable of being a legitimate scorer at this level and the summer league is the best chance for him to get those reps for the future.
Dante Maddox Jr.: A
The Sixers received some big buckets early from Maddox as he stepped up in a big way with his 3-point shooting. There were a few buckets he had when he threw a pump fake, saw a defender fly by, and then knocked down an open triple. It was an impressive move by the young man and he built off his strong start by putting in a strong effort overall. He has some real offensive chops to his game and was able to bring it at a high level all night in the summer league opener.
Isaac Johnson: A
If there was one player who stood out off the bench, it was Johnson. The man nicknamed “Big Fish” is looking to catch on with a team and his performance in this one was impressive. He knocked down three triples in the early going and made a big impression for Philadelphia on the floor. He had an overall strong game as he was hooping at a high level for Philadelphia’s second unit.
Amani Lyles: B-plus
Lyles has some game to him. He was running the floor, finishing in transition, and was a pest on the defensive end. He also knocked down a 3-pointer, so the Sixers were able to get some good minutes out of the young man.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Labaron Philon Jr. leads Sixers over Pistons in Vegas
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