He’s been ‘unscreenable’: Jaden Springer is turning heads at Sixers training camp with his defense

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Doc Rivers was blunt this week when discussing 76ers second-year guard Jaden Springer, who including the playoffs played a total of six minutes last season.

“He was 18,” Rivers said. “He’s not there yet. I can tell you that now.

“He’s not there yet, but he’s going to get there. And he’s going to keep improving.”

Springer’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed at the team’s training camp this week at The Citadel. The Sixers have been raving about his defense.

Rivers went as far to say: “I don’t think any of our guys want to see him defensively.”

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The coach added the Sixers, obviously, still need to find out what Springer can do offensively.

Rivers’ praise doesn’t mean Springer is destined to be one the first players off the bench or even in the rotation this season. Springer, who turned 20 on Sept. 25, is a young player on a veteran-laden squad with championship aspirations. At this stage of his career, he’d be better suited playing consistent minutes for a rebuilding team.

But, at least, he’s getting an opportunity to show what he can do in training camp. As a rookie, Springer never got an opportunity to display the scoring ability and defensive prowess he displayed in his lone season at the University of Tennessee.

The 6-foot-4 guard led the Volunteers in scoring at 12.5 points per game, and also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals.

Last season, Springer averaged one point, one rebound, and one block in his two regular-season appearances for Sixers. He spent most of the season with the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

Not playing for the first time in his basketball career motivated him.

“Just having that feeling and watching guys, now my mindset was like, I want [to] get out there so bad and [do] anything I can to help people on our team,” Springer said. “So that’s my mindset.”

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Springer, who was selected with the No. 28 pick in the 2021 draft, also had to mentally adapt to the NBA. He quickly realized last season that the level of play in college compared to the NBA is a big jump.

“It’s faster, guys are smarter, stronger, more athletic,” Springer said. “So being able to make that adjustment and finding your role, I feel that that’s the biggest thing coming into the league.”

Right now, his role could develop into being a solid defender off the bench. And the expectation is that he’s destined to get better at his craft.

“He doesn’t even know how to play yet,” forward P.J. Tucker said this week. “That’s the crazy part. He’s just out there just bulldozing. I love it.”

In addition to learning the game, Tucker loves how Springer plays. He just goes about his business playing with effort and energy every day without talking.

“He just does things,” Tucker said. “Guys like that, especially during these times in the dog days of training camp, [you] love to have them.”

Tyrese Maxey also expressed his love.

Maxey, a third-year guard, noted that Springer is shooting the ball well, too. But his defense is what has really caught Maxey’s attention.

“What he’s doing on the defensive end, pressuring and getting screens, [Sixers player development coach Spencer Rivers] calls him unscreenable,” Maxey said. “To be unscreenable in the NBA, that’s a good job.”

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But what’s the biggest reason behind Springer’s defensive success?

Opportunity? Or the work he’s put in this offseason?

“It could be a little bit of both,” Springer said. “I [have] just been putting in the work all summer. Pretty [much] all of the guys have, the whole team has been working. So I could definitely say that.”

He feels like things are starting to come together for him in terms of adjusting to the NBA level of play.

“I still have a lot to improve on,” Springer said. “But I feel like I’m going in the right direction.”