School is on summer vacation.
The Sixers defeated the Boston Celtics 103-98 on Sunday afternoon to finish the summer at 5-3, including a 1-2 record in Utah and a 4-1 record in Las Vegas.
The Sixers practiced with two players from last year's roster, two rookies from this year's draft and two undrafted rookies on two-way contracts.
While nothing dramatic happened this summer that would cause any dramatic changes, now is the time to take a look at the eight Summer Sixers who could potentially play this season and evaluate them heading into the 2024 Summer League.
Ricky Council IV
Starting with the guys who were here last year, Council has consistently looked like one of the best players on the court this summer, which is nice to see given his experience.
In addition to the athleticism that will give him an edge against this level of competition, Council was clearly trying to learn the things that will help him thrive as a rotation player in the NBA. Unlike last summer, he didn't stop shooting on nights when his shots weren't coming in.
Though he shot just 29.3 percent from three-point range, he was still taking more than five per game, and his shots were quicker and smoother than they were at this time last year.
questionnaire
How would you rate this summer's Ricky Council IV?
Jeff Dowtin Jr.
Dowtin, who was with the team last year, had a chance to play some more this summer, and the Sixers waived a $2 million contract for next year before bringing him back for the summer.
Like Council, Dowtin’s experience and general ability to put the ball in the basket meant he was seen as one of the better players on the court for most of the match.
He averaged 17.1 points per game this summer while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range, but he and Council called it a day before the final game.
The Sixers seemed pleased enough with what they saw that The Athletic's Shams Charania reported just hours after the team's final summer league game that the team would give Dowtin his third and final two-way position.
questionnaire
What grade would you give Jeff Dowtin Jr. for the summer?
Jared McCain
Now, for those whose summer didn't go as planned.
The 16th overall pick turned some early heads in this past draft, and he started nearly every game with a pair of impressive 3-pointers, but then his form seemed to drop off.
He finished the summer shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 25.5 percent from three-point range.
Those numbers don't look great, but we have to remember that Summer League is still a very small sample size, and it's not like McCain looked bad — he took a lot of good, creative shots, but many of them just missed the rim.
He also made 3 of 7 3-pointers in the first half against the Celtics and was able to finish the second half on a high before being rested.
questionnaire
How well did Jared McCain do over the summer?
Adem Bona
Meanwhile, the Sixers' second-round pick took a much simpler approach.
Bona's ability to protect the rim and block shots was on display from the first game, and he never let up. He finished the summer averaging 2.6 blocks in eight games.
He's certainly still growing — his aggressive nature has and will almost certainly continue to get him in foul trouble, and his rebounding prowess isn't what you'd want on this team, but the positives have far outweighed the negatives over these eight games.
questionnaire
How well did Adem Bona fare this summer?
Keve Alma
The first unexpected player to really shine this summer, Alma was extremely productive from his first game with Utah. He came off the bench and finished the summer averaging 9.7 points.
After spending several seasons in Korea and Japan, the 25-year-old has looked like a reasonably experienced big man, even moving up to the power forward position when the team wanted to work him into the lineup more often.
He's probably best utilized as a No. 5, but he's also tried his hand at other things and proved himself. He stepped out and shot 38.8 percent on three-pointers.
Given his age, a two-way deal probably doesn't make sense for him, and the team probably wants to keep the spot open for a younger, more promising player.
But he could potentially sign an Exhibition 10 contract, which would still allow him to play for the Sixers during training camp and the Blue Coats during the regular season.
questionnaire
How well has Kev Aluma performed this summer?
Justin Edwards
Well, one of the players currently occupying the two-way position, the Imhotep native showed some impressive performances this summer.
He took some gambles defensively that paid off, and he had some games where he played really well offensively when he was able to make shots.
But he shot just 27.3 from three-point range over the summer, and while he may have the build of an NBA player, his longevity may depend on simply being able to make the shot.
questionnaire
How well did Justin Edwards fare this summer?
Judah Mintz
As the summer progressed, another guy emerged who made the conversation about the two-way spot interesting: Mintz.
It took him a few games to find his footing offensively, but his motor and intensity were troublesome for whoever he was guarding that night.
Mintz finished off a strong season with 18 points against the Celtics, raising his points per game average to 9.5 this summer.
Dowtin may have filled the final two-way spot, but the Sixers could still trade Edwards or David Jones if they wanted.
questionnaire
How did Judah Mintz fare over the summer?
David Jones
Jones is currently the last player in Philadelphia to occupy the two-way position. Like Mintz, Jones also ended the summer on a high note, scoring 15 points on Friday against the Spurs and a game-high 23 points against the Celtics.
Those two games have helped Jones' three-point shooting percentage rise to 38.8 percent this summer.
His profile is very similar to Edwards' — an athletic wing, but still very young and a bit rough around the edges — and both are left-handed.
Jones looked completely out of control at times early on, but he has been able to improve on that over the past few games.
Neither he nor Edwards performed well enough to warrant a two-way spot over Mintz, but it will be interesting to see if he can build on this strong finish.
