Jaden Springer Bounces Back in Second G League Outing

76ers draft pick Jaden Springer had a better second outing with the Blue Coats.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, kicked off their season on Friday night in North Carolina. 

As the Sixers hosted the New York Knicks in Philly, the Blue Coats were on the road facing the Greensboro Swarm for the first matchup of a back-to-back. 

Earlier this week, the Sixers assigned their former first-round pick, Jaden Springer, to Delaware. Considering Springer wasn’t getting any action with the 76ers’ main roster, the 20-year-old was set to join the developmental squad so he could work on improving his game at the pro level.

When the Coats faced the Swarm on Friday, Springer got the nod to start. Unfortunately, his sophomore debut in the G League could’ve gone much better.

In 23 minutes of action, Springer shot just 2-12 from the field. He wrapped up the game with seven points, one rebound, and one steal. In addition, he had five fouls and three turnovers. Saturday’s game in Greensboro offered Springer an opportunity to bounce back.

Once again, Springer received an opportunity to start. Right out of the gate, the young prospect was sharper from the field as he hit on all but one of his four shots. One of those attempts came from beyond the arc, which was a successful make. Springer collected seven points in his first eight minutes of action.

With a lack of shots in the second quarter, Springer wrapped up the first half with seven points, three rebounds, and one assist. Coming out in the second half, Springer once again struggled to find that early success. Taking two unsuccessful shots from the field, he didn’t have any production on the offensive end in the third quarter. Fortunately, his fourth-quarter performance was much better.

Springer tacked on five points in eight minutes. He also snagged a steal and produced one assist. In the end, Springer finished the night with 12 points, knocking down 55 percent of his shots. He also had three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.

As for Philly’s two-way prospects, Julian Champagnie had himself a solid night. With 30 minutes of playing time, Champagnie knocked down seven shots for 15 points. He collected a double-double with ten rebounds.

Meanwhile, the other two-way prospect Michael Foster Jr. shined as Delaware’s starting center on Saturday. After coming off the bench on Friday, Foster made the most of his 26-minute shift on Saturday. The young rookie snagged 26 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal before collecting a sixth foul in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers’ affiliate defeated the Swarm 112-104. With that win, the Blue Coats move to 1-1 on the year. Their next game will take place next Thursday in Delaware against the Capital City Go-Go. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.