It's not just that rookie draft picks Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen aren't able to begin their transition into the NBA, but there are young veteran players on this roster whom I'm sure Collins would've loved to have spent the summer working with.
By the NBA guidelines, summer-league teams can also include players who have been in the league for 3 years or fewer. That means forwards Marreese Speights (3 years in league) and Craig Brackins (1), plus guard Jodie Meeks (2) and, most important, swingman Evan Turner (the second overall pick in 2010) could have joined Vucevic and Allen.
I doubt the Sixers would have asked third-year point guard Jrue Holiday to spend the summer with them, but he would have been eligible.
If you're the Miami Heat and your team revolves around Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, you're not sweating the stunted development of rookie point guard Norris Cole. But if there is a 2011-12 season, the Sixers likely would be counting on a few of these players to be a part of the regular rotation.
Things could change, but for right now Meeks is the starting shooting guard. He made 64 starts last season and averaged 10.5 points while shooting 39.7 percent on three-pointers. He may not be ideal, but another evaluation period in a summer league could have told the Sixers a lot about whether there is room for more growth.
Turner had such an up-and-down rookie season that he is almost starting all over again. His inconsistency first showed in Orlando last summer and, frankly, he just needs to play as much basketball with the Sixers coaches as possible. He needs to have a huge sophomore season to restore confidence that he is a star-quality player who can help lead the Sixers to the next level.
