LAS VEGAS -- While the 76ers two first round draft choices Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith have received an interesting introduction, both are also displaying some positives out on the court.
In fact after three games, the two have shown progress each time. For the first time, the two rookies had double-doubles in the same game in the Sixers 94-87 loss to Golden State on Monday in the Las Vegas summer league
Young had 15 points and 11 rebounds and missed several easy shots on a 7 for 20 night. Smith had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
While Young never seemed awed by the situation, Smith looked a little overwhelmed when the Sixers opened with a 65-61 win over San Antonio. In that game smith had two points (1 for 6 from the field), 5 rebounds and one tongue-lashing from coach Maurice Cheeks.
“I told him the first game he was a spectator,” Cheeks said. “He didn’t do anything and was out there standing around.”
Since then things have changed and Smith appears more and more comfortable. The 19-year-old Young on the other hand, plays with a confidence of an NBA veteran.
What the first three games have shown is that he will need to put in extra hours on his ball-handling. A lefthander, defenders are already trying to take away the left side and force him right.
Those shots that Young knocked down from the perimeter in college, aren’t dropping yet, but that will come.
The fact that he can get them off and is limiting his forces to a minimum is a good sign.
As for Smith, he has become a little more aggressive each game.
Sure there will be plenty of setbacks for both players, but the fact that they have learned and improved each game is a positive sign, especially since the players have been going hard with either practices or games for eight straight days
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Marc Narducci is in his 23rd year as a sports reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 2007-2008 season will be his first as the 76ers beat writer. For the past two seasons, Marc had been the backup writer for the Eagles. Over the past few years Marc covered the NBA, NHL and Major League baseball as well as writing on sports media. Prior to covering professional sports, Marc was a long-time high school sportswriter for The Inquirer's South Jersey section.
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