Observations after James makes impressive Sixers preseason debut in Brooklyn

Observations after James makes impressive Sixers preseason debut in Brooklyn  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — LeBron James is truly up and running as a Philadelphia 76er. 

James made his Sixers preseason debut 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 10 highly efficient 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 was the Sixers’ top scorer with 18 points and Tyrese Maxey tallied 14. 

The Sixers were without Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear), Adem Bona (left foot sprain), Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Dominick Barlow (back) and Tacko Fall (left hip strain). Here’s a full rundown on the team’s injury picture.

Next up for the Sixers is their third of four preseason games Saturday against the Celtics in Boston. Here are observations on their defeat to the Nets:

James’ pregame introduction in the Sixers’ starting lineup prompted a massive swell of noise. A bright spotlight will be on the Sixers wherever they go this season. 

Once the action began, the team wasted no time flashing its immense offensive potential. The Sixers started 7 for 8 from the floor.

VJ Edgecombe leaked out for a fast-break layup to get the Sixers on the scoreboard. When healthy, the star-stuffed Sixers should be a menacing team in transition. 

While they don’t appear to have installed a vast half-court playbook yet, the Sixers generally looked sharp out of the gates with both designed sets and improvisation. 

James should be a giant help as an elite passer and world-class offensive organizer. He notched all five of his assists in the first quarter, including a clever one-handed pass that set Edgecombe up for a slam. On another eye-catching play, Maxey slipped open, James rifled the ball to him, and the Sixers’ All-NBA guard sunk a wing three-pointer. 

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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade and Jabari Walker were the first men off of the Sixers’ bench. 

Brown and Edgecombe were the last starters on the floor with the second unit. James then replaced Brown for the final minute and 50 seconds of the first quarter. The starters all came back together for the final few 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 mix once available, but Thursday was a decent indication of Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s current broad blueprint for using his bench and staggering the stars. He’s clearly a fan of the Brown-Edgecombe duo, which impressed Monday in the Sixers’ preseason opener vs. the Knicks.

Embiid had an odd second quarter and was far from his A-game overall.

He got whistled for a technical foul after expressing vehement disagreement about multiple calls and missed an easy, flat-footed layup in transition. The seven-time All-Star big man posted six points on 1-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and eight turnovers in 23 minutes.

Of course, preseason rust is common and not automatic cause for deep concern. 

The Sixers held a two-point halftime lead and kept Embiid, Brown and Edgecombe on the court until around the midpoint of the third quarter. From that point, the Sixers’ bench closed out the night. They ended the game well and cut Brooklyn’s lead down to 109-108 on a late Edwards three, but the youthful Nets ultimately secured the win.