With each’s twenty-plus point performance, the Utah Jazz have two young players that can make a positive impact this upcoming season, if they can stay healthy.
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(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer). Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor (8) shoots as Boston Celtics’ C.J.
Still, when Okafor was surprisingly available when Philadelphia was on the clock with the No. 3 pick during the National Basteball Association draft, the 76ers didn’t hesitate to take him. The offense from anywhere, really, after they finished No. 29 in scoring, one-tenth of a point ahead of the Knicks for last.
Jahlil Okafor has only hit three of his 10 attempts from the free-throw line during the first two games of the Summer League. Lalanne began on Okafor and frustrated the third overall pick down low early, using every inch of his 7’5 wingspan to disrupt Okafor in the post and force some tough shots.
In his first few weeks as a professional, one of the main questions Holmes has consistently been asked is about the level of competition he faced in college. But he still commanded double teams in the post and reacted well whenever that happened, and in the second half Aldemir and others helped make Boston’s squad pay. Immediately in the third quarter, the six-foot, eleven-inch prospect made his presence felt as he stole a pass and took it “coast-to-coast” to tie the ballgame at thirty-four. Okafor is a Marc Gasol type of big who will is more athletic and agile than Gasol and will become stronger as he gets older, while Embiid is a kid from Cameroon who was rail-skinny before he came to the United States and played high school basketball.
So what can Sixers fans expect to enjoy from the club’s first highest-drafted rookie since Mo Harkless in the summer of 2012 to actually commit basketball? Rather, he will surround Okafor in a starting lineup with relatively experienced Furkan Aldemir and Jerami Grant, along with rookies T.J.
Jean-Charles was extremely active defensively.
Off the block, the Spurs pushed the ball and were able to convert an ally-opp tip-in from Bertans to Jean-Charles with 8.2 seconds remaining. Bertans led the Spurs in scoring with 19 points in 26 minutes, as he knocked down 6-of-10 shots from the floor and 5-of-8 three pointers. He only made 51 percent of his free-throws at Duke. He shot better from the charity stripe, going 3-for-6, but it’s still an obvious weak point of his game.
The injury was as heartbreaking to those watching as it was painful to the player who suffered it. Just minutes into his first game with the 76ers in the Orlando Summer League a year ago, 5-10 guard Pierre Jackson crumpled to the floor while making a move away from the basketball. So far in summer league, JP has played like a true team player and has played tough defense on top of being active on both ends of the court. He’s a great kid, his heart is so pure that he’s probably pressing himself a little bit.
The Sixers will return to action Tuesday against Boston in the three-day summer league.
Okafor, who won the 2015 NCAA Championship with Duke, was projected to go second in the draft.
Ah, summer league. When it was mercifully over, the Sixers prevailed, 76-62. Chris Singleton and Keith Appling led the way with 17 points each while Melvin Ejim pitched in 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
–Did not play due to contract holdup with team.
–0 points (0-5), 2 rebounds, 1 assists, & 3 steals.
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“And we don’t want to hold him back at all”.
