The Philadelphia 76ers have had some really positive developments on their Summer League roster. However, there are been some players who had high expectations and have failed to deliver thus far.
Both players in question were offseason acquisitions by the Sixers. Julian Champagnie was signed to a two-way deal after going undrafted. Trevelin Queen was signed to a partially guaranteed deal as well.
I had high expectations for both when the deals were made, but both have failed to make a positive impression during their appearances in Summer League. This should start to concern the Sixers if this trend continues.
Queen’s and Champagnie’s in Summer League should concern the Sixers.
Queen missed the team’s first game due to a conditioning issue and has failed to pick back up his game from when he ended his G-League MVP season. In both Summer League venues, Queen has averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals, while shooting 26.8 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from the 3-point line.
On the flip side, Champagnie has averaged 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, while converting 22.2 percent of his shots and 6.7 percent of his 3-pointers at both venues. Considering that he was the best player on St. Johns last year and averaged around 19 points per game, this is concerning.
Let’s be clear, the Summer League performances aren’t the end-all-be-all. There have been plenty of players who have looked bad in Summer League who have become fine NBA players and the inverse is true as well.
However, if this trend continues, it should make the front office feel uneasy about their recent decisions regarding those players. The players themselves should be aware that the Sixers could cut them at any time with minimal financial ramifications.
With all that being written, both players have time to turn their play around during the Summer League and the Sixers can be relieved of any concerns they might have.