Jeff Dowtin Jr. is fighting for every opportunity he can get with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 27-year-old guard had his $2 million deal for next season waived by Philadelphia just a few months ago before the Sixers invited him back to take part in the NBA Summer League.
There was a lot riding on his performance out in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, and Dowtin showed out with the pressure on. Through seven games across the two cities, Dowtin averaged 17.1 points per game shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 30 percent from three. He was a main ballhandler for a lot of his time on the floor and is notably careful with the ball, limiting turnovers wherever possible. In the summer, he averaged 5.7 assists to 1.9 turnovers per game.
Just a few hours after the Sixers' final Summer League contest, the Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the team would be giving Dowtin their third and final two-way spot for the upcoming season.
This isn't the first time Dowtin has fought for his spot, either. He came to Philadelphia back in early March on a two-way deal with the Sixers desperate to refill their guard depth after Tyrese Maxey suffered a concussion. Dowtin then appeared in seven games, shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. He was rewarded with a conversion to a standard NBA contract.
Overall, in 12 appearances for the Sixers last season, Dowtin averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 assists on 0.4 turnovers in 11.8 minutes per game. He sank 47 percent of his 19 triple attempts in that stretch. It's nothing that is going to break records or turn heads for casual viewers, but it's critical that Dowtin is plainly competent and effective as a reserve guard. He doesn't try to play beyond his skillset or do too much; he has proved to simply be a steady, reliable guard that can be pulled from the G League into the Sixers' lineup relatively seamlessly.
Speaking of the G League, Dowtin will likely spend most of his time getting consistent reps with the Delaware Blue Coats, as he did last season. In 32 games with that squad last campaign, Dowtin averaged 19.5 points (49.5 percent field goal shooting and 39.1 percent from long range) with 5.3 assists on just 1.4 turnovers per game in 32.5 minutes per outing.
Because of that experience and proven reliability at the top level when called upon, Dowtin is the most NBA-ready of the Sixers' three two-way contract holders (the other two being undrafted rookies David Jones and Justin Edwards). Certainly the Sixers don't want to be in the position where they are relying on a two-way contract holder to hold down the fort in a big rotation spot, but it wouldn't be the first time this team was hampered by injuries that had them looking for help. Also, with Kyle Lowry currently holding the backup guard spot at the age of 38, having someone ready to step into that role at a moment's notice could prove significant.
If that happens, they'll have a solid in-house option to turn to in Dowtin.