NEW YORK – LeBron James is truly hitting the ground running as a Philadelphia 76er.
James made his preseason debut with the Sixers on Thursday night at Barclays Center and played a strong first half in the team’s 114-108 loss to the Nets.
The four-time MVP logged 18 minutes and scored a very efficient 10 points, going 1-for-1 from the field and 8-for-8 at the foul line. He added five assists and four rebounds.
Jaylen Brown led the Sixers in scoring with 18 points and Tyrese Maxey had 14.
The Sixers were without Ariel Hukporti (torn right Achilles tendon), Adem Bona (left foot sprain), Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Dominick Barlow (back) and Tacko Fall (left hip sprain). Here’s a complete look at the team’s injury chart.
Next up for the Sixers is their third of four preseason games Saturday against the Celtics in Boston. Here are some observations from their loss to the Nets:
James gets straight to work with a special pass
James’ pre-game introduction into the Sixers’ starting lineup caused a huge wave of noise. The Sixers will be in the spotlight wherever they go this season.
Once the action began, the team wasted no time in showing off their immense offensive potential. The Sixers started 7 of 8 from the floor.
VJ Edgecombe escaped for a quick layup to put the Sixers on the scoreboard. When healthy, the star-stuffed Sixers should be a threatening team in transition.
While they don’t yet appear to have installed an extensive half-court playbook, the Sixers generally looked sharp from the start with both designed sets and improvisation.
James should be a big help as an elite passer and world-class offensive organizer. He notched all five of his assists in the first quarter, including a smart one-handed pass that set up Edgecombe for a slam. On another eye-catching play, Maxey got open, James fed him the ball and the Sixers’ All-NBA guard sank a three-pointer on the wing.
Rotation plan
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade and Jabari Walker were the first men off the bench for the Sixers.
Brown and Edgecombe were the last starters on the field with the second unit. James then replaced Brown for the final minute and 50 seconds of the first quarter. The starters all found themselves together in the final minutes of the first half.
Labaron Philon Jr. and Justin Edwards joined the rotation in the second quarter. Philon was ready to roll, draining a catch-and-shoot three on his first touch.
Simons, Bona and Barlow should be in the rotation once available, but Thursday was a good indication of Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s current overall plan to use his bench and shift stars. He’s clearly a fan of the Brown-Edgecombe duo, who impressed Monday in the Sixers’ preseason opener against the Knicks.
Rusty first game for Embiid
Embiid had a strange second quarter and was far from his overall A-game.
He was whistled for a technical foul after expressing vehement disagreement on several calls and missed an easy layup and caught off guard in transition. The seven-time All-Star scored six points on 1-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and eight turnovers in 23 minutes.
Of course, pre-season rust is a common, not automatic cause of deep concern.
The Sixers held a two-point lead at halftime and kept Embiid, Brown and Edgecombe on the court until midway through the third quarter. From that point on, the Sixers bench closed out the night. They finished the game strong and cut Brooklyn’s lead to 109-108 on a late triple from Edwards, but the young Nets ultimately secured the victory.
Gn sports
