Summer-league play poses new roster questions for Sixers

LAS VEGAS - On July 5, a contingent of players left Philadelphia and headed for the Summer League in Utah. Meanwhile, back at the 76ers practice facility, another group was preparing to make the trek to Las Vegas to participate in that league.

The groups have competed in seven games, with only one win. But that's not what the summer is about. It's about evaluating talent, determining strengths and weaknesses and, at least for fans and media, trying to predict who will get invited to training camp, which will start in late September, and who will be on the roster Opening Night.

For the past two weeks, all eyes have been set on Jahlil Okafor, who has participated in five of the seven games, sitting out one to rest and being excused by the team for another to attend the ESPYs.

The No. 3 pick has flashed many positives, particularly at the offensive end. There are also areas that need improvement. Let's take a closer look.

Offensively, Okafor has the footwork and court awareness comparable with that of many big men already in the NBA. He is very good at feeling the defense on his back and finding which way to make his move to the basket. He can drop-step with either foot, and has a very good up-and-under move. Though he is 6-11 and 270 pounds, he is very nimble on his feet, and often his finishes are done more with finesse than power.

The problem he might run into offensively when the real games begin is getting his shot off. Okafor is a below-the-rim player, and a long defender seems to give him some problems. He needs space to get off his shot. He is good at creating space with his strength, whether it's burying a shoulder into a defender's chest or simply getting to his spot and not giving it up. But if the space isn't there, he seems susceptible to getting his shot blocked.

He saw many double-teams in the summer leagues and probably will see more during the regular season, particularly if the Sixers are again a below-average shooting team. But he is very good at feeling where it is coming from and mostly gets the ball to the right person or waits for the double to leave before making a move to the basket.

His free throw shooting numbers are horrible, but it really seems to be more mental than physical. His form, rotation and mechanics seem fine. Still, if he doesn't put the ball in the basket from there, he can't be in close games late. It will be fun for fans to watch him and Nerlens Noel on the court together.

It's hard for either Jerami Grant or JaKarr Sampson to really shine in summer leagues, because what is most important in their games for the Sixers is defense. Both have had a very good summer away from the court, both getting bigger and stronger.

Grant quite possibly could be the starting small forward this season and also see time at power forward. He is athletic as can be and is longer than a bad summer league game. Should coach Brett Brown have a starting lineup that includes Okafor and Nik Stauskas and a smaller point guard, a strong defender will need to see some heavy minutes. That could be Grant. Sampson is sort of cut from the same cloth, more effective defensively than offensively.

Furkan Aldemir was impressive on the rebounding side of the game and did make three treys in a game, but he is so limited offensively. If the team keeps newly acquired Jason Thompson and Carl Landry, it might be hard for Aldemir to see any time.

Many were excited to see 6-5 Jordan McRae join the big club after he had such a successful run in the Australian League, as its second-leading scorer with 19.9 points a game. He then came over and played for the team's NBA Development League affiliate Delaware 87ers, where he averaged 18.4 points.

His biggest attribute is that he's a scorer. But whether he can do that in the NBA is a major question. He is slight, weighing only 180 pounds. He is a decent outside shooter, but mostly relies on driving and getting to the lane. That might not translate to the big team.

Second-round pick J.P. Tokoto is athletic as all heck, but, quite frankly, he's not as impressive as K.J. McDaniels was a year ago. If he can become an elite defender, that would be his calling card to making the team.

Point guard is still sort of a mystery. Perhaps Brown expects Tony Wroten to man the spot, but a pass-first, above-average shooter at that spot would seem to be the best fit. T.J. McConnell might not be athletic enough for the league. The team just signed Pierre Jackson, but he is still working his way back from the torn Achilles' he suffered in last year's summer league. Scottie Wilbekin is a streaky shooter who also plays point, but, like the others mentioned here, he is small.

Still a lot of questions. As usual, summer league usually lends to creating more than settling some.

Blog: ph.ly/Sixerville