3 Takeaways From Sixers First Summer League Game

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers went toe-to-toe in the first game of the Utah Jazz Summer League. It was a game of runs and the Celtics ultimately prevailed. Jaylen Brown (29 points and 13 rebounds) and Jayson Tatum (21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals) led the Celtics to a 89-88 victory. Despite the Sixers loss, there were a few takeaways from the game.

Markelle Fultz Can Score
Markelle Fultz scored the first basket of the game with a smooth up and under move. He continued to look good throughout the night, finishing with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks. He made several spin moves and got to the rim with ease. His handles were impressive and he didn’t have trouble getting his own shot. He did take some questionable jumpers (he shot 6 of 16 from the floor) but had a good game overall. It seems that the Sixers may finally have a reliable go to scorer on the perimeter.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Looked More Confident
TLC finished the night with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 0 turnovers. Zero! Last season he struggled with handling the ball and appeared to be lacking some offensive awareness at times on the court. That was not the case this game.

He found teammates in the right spots and made the right passes while not doing anything extra. He had a good bounce to him and was ready to take shots. However, he struggled with his jump shots, only shooting 6 of 17 from the field and 1 of 9 from 3 point range. Even though his shot wasn’t falling, he was ready to take the shots and wasn’t afraid of handling the ball.

Jonah Bolden Could Be Another Second Round Gem
Jonah Bolden was absolutely fabulous. He had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. His athleticism was out of this roof. He sprung in the air and had some major swats that had the crowd dazzled. He showed some great defensive instincts in pick and rolls and he even made a 3 pointer. Much like Richaun Holmes in 2015, the Sixers may have found another second round steal.

Even though the young Sixers lost, they definitely showed some promise. Players like Aaron Harrison, Larry Drew II and Isaiah Miles played solid minutes. Fultz looked legit. TLC played well and Jonah Bolden surprised some folks. We can surely expect some more highlight plays from the Sixers next game against the Utah Jazz on July 5th on NBA TV.