76ers’ Jaden Springer Lays Out Goals for Improvement in G League
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Philadelphia 76ers’ 2021 first-round pick Jaden Springer hasn’t seen the court much with the main roster during his sophomore effort. While Springer appeared in two games so far this season, he’s seen the floor for a little over four minutes across 11 games.
As the 20-year-old guard continues to develop in the early stages of his career, the Sixers want to ensure he gets as much playing time as possible so can continue growing. Therefore, the Sixers assigned Springer to the Delaware Blue Coats ahead of the NBA G League’s start.
Last Friday night, the Blue Coats paid a visit to the Greensboro Swarm to participate in back-to-back matchups. During the first outing, Springer’s sophomore season debut lasted 23 minutes.
After getting the start, Springer shot just 2-12 from the field, collecting seven points on the offensive end. The Blue Coats dropped to 0-1 on the year as they came up short 128-108 to the Swarm.
The following night, Springer got his second-straight start with the Blue Coats and checked into the matchup for just over 30 minutes. While Springer took fewer attempts, he was much more efficient from the field, going 5-9, knocking down his lone three to snag 12 points in the 112-104 victory over Greensboro.
“It felt good, you know, to just get up and down and just getting back to playing again,” said Springer following the two matchups. “So, it was great.”
Last season, Springer appeared in 20 G League regular season matchups. He averaged 25 minutes on the floor and accounted for 14 points per game while producing 2.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
With a full season under his belt, along with another NBA training camp with the Sixers, Springer feels much more confident this go-round with the Blue Coats.
“I feel like this year has been great after getting that first year of experience,” Springer continued. “Being around the team, the Sixers, and all of the coaching staff, everybody. Great development, great people, and great veterans from this team to learn from.”
Springer was considered one of the most improved players in the offseason by some of his teammates and coaches. Coming into the NBA, Springer’s defense was always a point of emphasis for the 76ers, who believed he has the potential to become a legitimate threat on the defensive end coming out of college. The Sixers now want him to master that side of the ball as he collects minutes in the G League.
“Really, the biggest things [the coaches] have talked to me about was my defense,” the second-year guard explained. “They felt like my defense has been great. They feel like I can still improve on that, but that’s been the main focus.”
While defense has been Springer’s strong suit through his first two seasons in the NBA, the Sixers have shown a clear need for two-way players over the last year. Therefore, Springer’s offensive development is key to eventually garnering a role beyond the G League.
“Offense, shooting the ball, catching and shooting, that’s the biggest thing,” said Springer when discussing his coaches' expectations regarding his offensive development. “Being able to make the right read, and playing out with close-outs and stuff like that.”
Springer might struggle to see minutes beyond the G League at the start of the 2022-2023 season, but he’s in a good situation for himself as he’s surrounded by plenty of veterans who have been willing to assist with his development.
“Everybody talks and everybody is trying to help me out here and there,” Springer finished. “So, it’s a collective as a team. A bunch of good guys and a bunch of good vets and stuff.”
After getting recalled by the Sixers ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns, Springer was back with the team. It’s unclear how often he’ll spend time in the G League this season, but the young guard could be back on the floor when the Blue Coats take on the Capital City Go-Go on Friday night for their home-opener.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
