NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
It was just a scrimmage. Sure, that’s all. Sorta in the same way that Ben Franklin was just a bald, fat guy with a kite.
Saturday afternoon’s proceedings represented the first public appearance of the Sixers as we now know them, the first time LeBron James and Jaylen Brown appeared alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Advertisement
And sure, you couldn’t tell much, considering it was played at three-quarters speed, in an arena that was perhaps two-thirds full. Also considering the regular season is still over two weeks away, and the playoffs aren’t even a blip on the horizon.
It was, as James said afterward, a “great first step in the direction we want to go.”
So everything needs to be framed in that light. It was just a faint outline of what they hope to be, and what they can be. It was an unveiling, with much more yet to be revealed.
Here are some takeaways:
Happy Camper
As everyone has said throughout training camp, Embiid was moving well, seemingly unencumbered by the knee issues that have slowed him in recent years. He dunked early on, off a feed from Edgecombe, then nailed a three-pointer. Later he slammed with the left hand, not long after Ariel Hukporti had blocked his shot.
Advertisement
“He’s so much more healthy (than at the 2024 Olympics),” James said of Embiid, a teammate then and now. “He hasn’t missed a practice. He’s been in every drill.”
Embiid kinda/sorta acknowledged as much, and certainly his frame of mind seems good – something else his teammates have mentioned.
As an example, consider his thoughts on the lefty slam: “”(Hukporti) did block me the first time, so I was kinda pissed off about it.”
Then he joked that it was “probably the last dunk of my career.”
Hey, we’ve missed that guy. Nice to have him back.
Space Cadets
When the starters took the court to open the day, they played the five-out style that might be expected, which opens the court for slashing by Maxey and Edgecombe, mid-range magic from Brown and Embiid and James’ all-around excellence. There were back cuts and dribble handoffs. There was movement and energy.
Advertisement
Embiid said he has heard a great deal about…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/first-glimpse-sixers-leaves-one-214133115.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-10-03 21:41:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
