Jaylen Brown left his first game with the 76ers seeing something bigger than the final result.
Philadelphia’s Opening Night win over the New York Knicks already had the feel of a statement, from LeBron James getting his shot at the team he nearly joined in free agency’s ring night to Nick Nurse and company getting revenge for last season’s playoff ending. The 1-0 start has even pushed the 76ers into early chatter as the best team in the Eastern Conference.
But Brown’s read on the night was less about arrival than potential. After the game, he made it clear he thinks Philadelphia is still far from finished.
“I think it was just OK. We got a lot of room for growth, room for improvement…” Brown said via ESPN's Kris Rhim. “We're not even at the tip of the iceberg in terms of hitting chemistry… So it's a good sign that we can win while still being at that early stage.”
That’s the part that should catch the league’s attention. The 76ers were good enough on both ends to beat the reigning and defending champs and, by Jalen Brunson’s own admission, humble him in the process. But the night still came with a clear warning sign: the 3-point shooting wasn’t close to where it needs to be.
Only Anfernee Simmons knocked down more than three triples, and Philadelphia finished at 28% from deep. Even with that drag on the offense, the 76ers still got the job done. And if that outside shooting starts to come around, James has already pointed to the kind of firepower this group can unleash.
In Other News...
Sixers Home Opener Brings An Early Test They Should Feel
The 76ers first home game of the season arrives with some real weight behind it. After opening by beating the Knicks 106-100 on ring night in New York, Philadelphia comes back to the city for a matchup with a Cavaliers team that has spent the offseason reshaping itself and talking like a contender. For a Sixers group trying to set an early tone, it is the sort of test that should tell them plenty about where they stand.
Cleveland has not been subtle about its ambitions, making major roster changes and bringing in Donovan Mitchell while also adding James Harden. With LeBron James now in Philadelphia, the Cavaliers are carrying added pressure to turn those moves into something more than paper strength, and the home opener gives the Sixers a chance to measure themselves against a team that expects to be in the championship conversation. It is still early, but this is the kind of game that can start to define how serious a season feels. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Shooting Search Could Put A Familiar Name Back In Play
The Lakers decision to waive Dalton Knecht ahead of the roster deadline has put a familiar shooting option back on the market, and the 76ers are now among the teams reportedly keeping an eye on him. For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious: a young perimeter scorer who showed enough in his rookie season to suggest he can help, even if his role in Los Angeles faded as the year went on.
The bigger question is timing. The 76ers would need to open a roster spot before making a move, but the possibility of adding Knecht later in the season gives them a straightforward path to a potential shooting upgrade without forcing an immediate decision. For a team still weighing ways to add spacing, that makes this one worth watching as the roster picture settles. [Read more 🡒]
76ers May Have Found A Surprising Way To Survive Embiid Minutes
Early in the season, the 76ers are already having to think creatively about their frontcourt rotation, and one of the more unusual ideas on the board has come directly from Joel Embiid. With injuries and limited depth at center forcing the staff to search for answers, the conversation has turned toward using LeBron James as a nominal center in certain lineups, a wrinkle that would give Philadelphia another way to stay afloat when Embiid is off the floor.
The concept is not being framed as a full-time shift, but rather a situational tactic for moments when Embiid is sidelined or in foul trouble. For a team trying to preserve its lineup flexibility and survive the minutes when its anchor is unavailable, it is the sort of unconventional adjustment that can keep games from slipping away while the coaches look for more permanent solutions. [Read more 🡒]