76ers: Is Jaden Springer's G League Appearance the Start of a Trend?

The Philadelphia 76ers are still working on finalizing the rotation. As the experiment is still in play, minutes are inconsistent for several players who are on the bubble.

So far this season, the third-year guard Jaden Springer has struggled to pick up steady playing time. Despite being the team’s preseason standout and showing two-way flashes throughout his quick spurt of minutes in select games, Springer hasn’t played in quite some time. 

Granted, the young guard has been dealing with a setback. Although he was initially cleared for action in the Sixers’ November 25 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Springer was deemed unavailable to play in the first quarter as an illness affected him.

Over the next two games, Springer was ruled out. When he returned to the bench for Philly’s Friday night outing against the Boston Celtics on December 1, Springer was a DNP. The trend remained in place for the next two games.

The last time Springer appeared on court for the Sixers was during the team’s 13-point loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 22. Springer checked in for under nine minutes. 

Being that it’s been so long since the young guard acquired playing time, the Sixers took advantage of a favorable scheduling situation. On Saturday, the 76ers were off from practice and a game. However, their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, were home and hosting the Greensboro Swarm.

For the first time this season, the Sixers assigned Springer to the developmental squad.

The Start of a Trend?

Springer is no stranger to the G League. Since he joined the Sixers as a first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2021, he’s spent most of his time developing his game at the G League level. Throughout his first two seasons, Springer appeared in 44 regular season games for Delaware.

Saturday’s matchup against the Swarm was his first of the year. Will it be his last? That’s a possibility.

“I just wanted to send him down there as a one-gamer,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Sunday, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick. “He had the illness and some time away, and he hasn’t hit the court for a while.”

Shortly after the Blue Coats wrapped up their Saturday night matchup, the Sixers recalled the third-year guard and had him back on the court for practice with the 76ers on Sunday.

Nurse, who was in attendance for Springer’s G League season debut on Saturday, claims he liked what he saw out of his young veteran. 

“I thought he did good,” Nurse added, per Levick. “He really looked like he could get to the front of the rim just about any time he wanted to.”

Springer started and collected a 23-minute shift on Saturday. He attempted 14 shots, knocking down half of his field goals, with three successful attempts from beyond the arc. Springer finished the game with 19 points and two assists on the offensive end. Defensively, he grabbed four rebounds and two steals before collecting a sixth foul.

When the Sixers take the floor on Monday night for a game against the Wizards, Springer will be suited up and on the team’s bench, waiting for his next opportunity to play. With just 11 appearances in 21 games this year, it’s clear Springer is on the outside of Philadelphia’s nightly rotation. That won’t make him a G League regular moving forward, however. 

While a favorable scheduling situation could later on in the season could get Springer another trip to Delaware, Nick Nurse seems confident that Saturday’s situation was a one-time scenario.