Philadelphia 76ers guard Xavier Silas elbowed in the head at Orlando Summer League (VIDEO)
Fans typically look at NBA Summer League games as a chance to see high-profile draft picks in low-impact competition. It's a glimpse at what we might see in the fall, when the games count and we start to decide which guys were steals and which were busts.
For most participants, though, the Summer League is a legitimate chance to win an NBA job, or at least show prospective employers elsewhere that they're worth significant contracts. Xavier Silas, an undrafted rookie who finished last season on the roster of the Philadelphia 76ers, is one of those players. His play in the Orlando Summer League with the Sixers could be the difference between staying in the NBA for another season or heading overseas to look for the best offer.
Keep that context in mind when watching the video below. In the Sixers' Friday game against the Detroit Pistons in Orlando, Silas attempted to guard the rim against a shot from a Pistons attacker. Unfortunately, he was inadvertently elbowed in the head by teammate Solo Jones. Silas went down with a concussion, and the Sixers initially feared a skull fracture (which made sense at the time, based on this screengrab of his head, via Guyism). Watch the video of the injury after the jump, if you're curious:
Thankfully, Silas is now fine, as his teammate Evan Turner tweeted after a phone conversation with Silas on Friday afternoon. Concussions are serious business, of course, and the Sixers will continue to monitor Silas. The good news is that the Orlando Summer League is now over, which means that Silas won't miss any more opportunities to impress Sixers brass. Although, given his relationship with them, it's likely he had earned a spot in their training camp anyway.
We wish Silas good luck as he recovers from this injury. The NBA's recently instituted concussion policy means that he'll be checked out before returning, and chances are he'll be fine by the time the Sixers return to action in October.
