Jaden Springer is entering his third season in the League, but for the first time in his career, he may have an opportunity to contribute. What can we expect from the young guard?
Getting ready for the season, there are still tons of question marks on the roster. The biggest question remains where star guard and league assist leader James Harden is going to play next season. Will it be with the Clippers? Or will he start the season with the Sixers? Where else could he end up? With so much up in the air, it will be important for the Sixers to have as much stability and reliability at the guard positions as possible. That being said, what could that mean for third-year-pro Jaden Springer?
Jaden Springer was drafted with the 28th pick way back in the 2021 NBA Draft. Since then, he has appeared in only 18 NBA games, averaging 2.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 steals per game across two seasons. So why is everyone looking forward to his play this season and predicting some level of a breakout from the young guard from the Tennessee Volunteers? Does new Head Coach Nick Nurse have plans for him? Nurse has a tendency to get the most out of his players, especially the young guys, and let them develop through playing time, and it appears that he has taken to Springer on some level.
One of the biggest reasons Springer is being looked at for a breakout year is because he played extremely well last year in the G League, averaging 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. He was also named G League Finals MVP for the Delaware Blue Coats after a dominant Game 1 performance that saw Springer drop 43 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, four assists, and two steals.
In Game 2, Springer cooled down, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds to seal Game 2 and become a G League Champion. His G League experience could not have gone better, and it appears that his continued development has been fantastic.
Since then, Springer has been balling out for the Sixers in the summer league. He led the Sixers team in points per game (22.3), steals per game (2.7), and minutes per game (30.4). He was able to show off his improved offensive game, shooting 48.8% from the field while continuing to show his dominant defense.
Springer is already a plus NBA defender
Besides his team-leading 2.7 steals per game, Springer was showing off his defensive instincts, blocking 1.3 shots per game. The young guard has really come into his own after two years in the G League and is ready to make an impact for the 76ers this season. Even Ex-Head Coach Doc Rivers believe that Jaden Springer is going to be an incredible defensive asset for the 76ers.
Jaden Springer was always going to be a project for the Sixers after selecting him in the 2021 NBA Draft. Rather than make him ride the bench, Philadelphia used their G League Affiliate to give Springer plenty of run in order to help him develop. While Springer’s name may not be well known, he will certainly be given the chance to be the defensive ace that we believe he can be. In the best-case scenario for next year, Springer is a key rotational piece that contributes on a nightly basis. Worst case scenario, he spends one more year splitting time between the Sixers and the Blue Coats so he is ready for next season.
