
Late foul dooms Sixers in loss to Blazers in Las Vegas Summer League
Despite Ricky Council IV leading the way, a late foul spelled heartbreak as the Sixers of summer suffered a close loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Las Vegas, 97-95.
Here's what I saw.
Likes
- Good things come to those who stay persistent, and Adem Bona is the most persistent Sixer we've seen in quite some time. He doesn't stop at the glass, the chase on long rebounds, the pursuit of blocked shots, or the second chance at the rim. Bona is persistent in that he does all of those things - often in sequence. He has no fear of or tendency to be discouraged by failure. Look no further than his game-long back-and-forth with Blazers rookie big Donovan Clingan.
Some would be embarrassed by what happened early in the game - the play described in the "Dislikes" section. Bona stored that memory for motivation in the third quarter. He packed a Clingan shot at the rim, got dunked on by Clingan contesting a drive at the rim, and then came down and attacked Clingan for a baseline explosion and ferocious dunk.
It was quite the matchup all game long, and Bona was game for it despite the difference in size.
- There's some Jimmy Butler in Council's game. That is, he's got some young Butler and some more veteran Butler to him. The athleticism is where you see the younger version of the star. Council continues to be absolutely undeniable at the rim, persisting through contact and challenging angles to give himself a chance up close. The free throw rate is where you see the Miami version of Butler. 14 foul shots to 11 field goal attempts. And if Council thought no one noticed him probing as a pick-and-roll ball-handler before attempting a lob, he's mistaken. Interesting development to his skill set.
- Glad to see Jared McCain attempt 10 threes; don't care that he only made three of them. He'll adjust to shooting off the move from NBA distance with time. He'll build up the wind to shoot off of sprints, physicality on screens, and defensive sequences. Just keep letting it fly.
Dislikes
- We can remain cognizant of the likelihood that Bona will spend most of his rookie season with the Delaware Blue Coats (because center isn't exactly a position of need for Philadelphia) while also acknowledging how many attributes he's displayed in the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. Still, Bona is very raw. That much is clear the more you watch him play.
One of the things he will have to develop is a plan when he catches the ball high on the floor and the nearest ball-handlers are not available to spark the two-man game. Those scenarios will often be to defenses' designs; top-lock or front the dynamic dribblers and make the uncomfortable big man do something in space. When it happened on Monday, Bona drove straight to the basket with no plan of attack. His 6-foot-8 frame was no match for the 7-foot-2 Clingan, who made sure Bona's efforts to make something happen at the rim went fruitless.
The Sixers (1-1) will face the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0) on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the action on ESPN 2.
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Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media
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