The Philadelphia 76ers face off against the Charlotte Hornets in the second Las Vegas Summer League game for both teams. No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe exploded for 28 points and 10 rebounds in his Summer League debut out in Salt Lake City but missed the next two games and the opener in Las Vegas due to a thumb/wrist issue. Edgecombe is expected to miss tonight’s matchup as well, which takes away a bit of the hype in what was expected to be a battle with No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel. There is still plenty to be excited about as each young talent looks to showcase what they can do on the floor to cement their NBA outlook.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Hornets as four-point favorites at -185 on the Moneyline ahead of the contest. The 76ers hold +154 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 177.5.
76ers vs. Hornets preview, prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers went 1-2 in the Salt Lake City summer league and were blown out by the San Antonio Spurs 111-70 in the Las Vegas opener. While the outlook changes if Edgecombe returns to the Summer League roster, they look awfully like the Sixers did during the regular season this year. San Antonio jumped out to a 34-12 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. No Sixers starter scored more than nine points against the Spurs and no player on the roster tallied more than 12 points overall. While San Antonio has a more than respectable roster, this also occurred without Dylan Harper on the floor and it felt like it had more to do with the Sixers’ internal struggles than anything else.
Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, who are each expected to play rotational minutes for the Sixers this year, have struggled to differentiate themselves at the Summer League level. Judah Mintz has largely been a bright spot but shot just 2-for-7 against the Spurs. 35th overall pick Johni Broome has had some flashes, but still looks to be adjusting to the NBA pace of play. There have been a couple of nice moments from players like Dominick Barlow, Hunter Sallis, and Keve Aluma, but the roster feels a bit barren of NBA talent even by Summer League standards.
The Hornets picked up a 111-105 victory over the Utah Jazz in their first Summer League game. This was even while No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel struggled, being limited to five points and four assists while shooting 1-for-8 from the field and 0-for-5 on three-point attempts. 29th overall pick Liam McNeeley made up for this, dropping a team-high 22 points with 12 rebounds and six assists off the bench. Last year’s No. 6 pick, Tidjane Salaun, also added 20 points and seven rebounds while former second-round pick K.J. Simpson poured in 21. Charlotte also has a legitimate big man option in Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James will continue to be a player to keep an eye on.
The Hornets have quietly done a nice job assembling a young core that appears ready to take a step forward. These Summer League opportunities are valuable in sorting through which of these young talents are foundational pieces and how all these young players can fit together. They have a more well-rounded team than is sometimes the case on Summer League rosters and showed some impressive cohesion in the opening game in Las Vegas.
76ers vs. Hornets pick, best bet
The talent gap is larger than the spread indicates. I expect this to be on full display tonight.
Philadelphia fell to the Utah Jazz 93-89 during the Salt Lake City Summer League while Edgecombe was still on the floor. There have been some slight roster changes, but the Hornets beat a very similar Jazz team 111-105 in the previous game. You cannot break a contest down this simply and anything can happen in a one-game setting, but this is still telling regarding the state of the rosters.
Expect Philadelphia to continue to have issues generating consistent offense with Jalen Hood-Schifino greatly struggling despite it being his third Summer League. Ryan Kalkbrenner also should be in a position to make his impact felt against Bona and Broome after an underwhelming first game. If either player can play to their peak, Salaun or Knueppel could both look like the best player on the floor by a pretty comfortable margin.
The conversation would change if Edgecombe could make his return to the floor. But for the time being, the Sixers are limited on ball-handlers and quality shooters in a way that greatly limits their offense. Expect the Hornets’ young talent to have success and don’t be shocked if this game turns into a blowout as well.
