Impressive start for Sixers rookie Jared McCain in Salt Lake summer league debut

The 76ers played their first offseason summer league game on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although that sort of thing isn’t typically significant, it did provide a first look at No. 16 pick Jared McCain, who didn’t disappoint in his first official appearance. McCain posted 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

But while the stat line was impressive, how he scored and set the table for big man Adem Bona, the Sixers’ second-round pick, was most eye-popping. McCain looked comfortable in the screen and roll, played well in a crowd, and put together a few crafty transition plays in space. He managed to play at every level without forcing the action too much.

The above tweet from CBS’ John Gonzales is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and serves as a reminder that Summer League doesn’t always represent what we’ll see in the regular season.

Another reminder: Ricky Council IV joined the too-good-for-summer-league list, scoring 29 points in his first game and tossing down some insane dunks. Council is an impressive young player, but he touched the court in only 32 games and spent significant time in the G League last year with the Delaware Blue Coats.