Sixers’ schedule for NBA Summer League announced

It’s almost time for Summer Sixers to take over. The league has announced the schedule for the 2021 MGM NBA Resorts Summer League, which will run from August 8-17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Sixers’ four scheduled games are:

• Monday, 8/9 vs. Dallas Mavericks (4:00 pm ET on NBA TV)
• Thursday, 8/12 vs. the Atlanta Hawks (9:00 pm ET on ESPN2)
• Saturday, 8/14 vs. the Boston Celtics (5:00 pm ET on NBA TV)
• Sunday, 8/15 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves (7:00 pm ET on ESPN2)

Every team will play four games, after which the two teams with the best records will play in the championship game on Tuesday, August 17 at 9:00 pm ET. The teams that don’t make it to the championship game will play a fifth game on August 16 or 17. All games will be broadcast on ESPN or NBA TV.

This should be a fun set of games for the Sixers. Despite only having one year’s experience in the NBA at 20 years old, Tyrese Maxey is probably a bit overqualified for Summer League. His development in all areas as a rookie was highly impressive (you can look back and read more on that here), and he earned time in the Sixers’ rotation at various points of the season. That said, he’s still young and extra basketball reps never hurt as he continues to work on his game. And given Maxey’s tireless work ethic, you can always expect him to be ready to take part.

Apart from Maxey, Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed are the exciting Sixers to look out for in this year’s Summer League. Joe showed a lot of promise as a rookie with his high-level shooting and defense, particularly with his competitiveness on the ball, length, and sharp instincts and help rotations which understandably impressed Doc Rivers and the team. Meanwhile, BBall Paul rapidly became a fan favorite and dominated in the G League as MVP and Rookie of the Year there. Of course, he has plenty to work on — from adding strength, to his three-point shot, to reducing his fouls on defense. But he has a lot of promise. As a highly agile, athletic defensive big with face-up upside and shooting potential, it will be interesting to see how he develops this summer and how many minutes he can earn next season.

Based on recent reporting that it’s very likely the Sixers trade their first-round pick, there isn’t as much intrigue with their draft selections this year. It’s hardly surprising as the Sixers look to maximize their roster around Joel Embiid with veteran help, and they already have a good selection of young talent on the team to grow and soak up more developmental minutes. The Sixers could use their 50th overall selection in the second round, though, and either way, they have a ton of potential to entertain in Summer League with their existing young core.