LeBron James barely needed two minutes to give 76ers fans the kind of glimpse they’ve been waiting for. He zipped a pass to VJ Edgecombe, who raced the length of the floor for a transition layup, and that kind of action kept popping up all night in Philadelphia’s 114-108 preseason loss to the Nets on Thursday at Barclays Center.
The result was secondary. What stood out was how the 76ers looked with their starting group together for the first time: Edgecombe, James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid.
The talent is obvious. The fit is still coming together.
Philadelphia’s best stretches came when it pushed the pace. James finished with five assists, and the fast-break flow gave Maxey and Edgecombe room to work. Maxey scored 14 first-half points, getting clean looks in early offense, while four of Edgecombe’s 11 points came off James assists.
James also showed he can steer things in the halfcourt. He scored 10 points, handled the ball, worked as a roll man, and got to the line eight times without missing a free throw.
His presence forced Brooklyn to react, and that created openings for everyone else. On one possession, James and Embiid ran a pick-and-roll, the Nets blitzed, Embiid made the short-roll pass, and Brown finished with a cut from the baseline.
Brown was a bright spot throughout. He scored 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting and topped 15 points for the second straight preseason game.
Even with the starting five available, he spent a lot of time creating in isolation. Whether that’s a sign of a still-developing halfcourt offense or just Brown taking what the defense gave him, his scoring package stood out.
Embiid, though, had a rougher night. He finished with six points and eight turnovers, looking rusty in early October. Some of those giveaways were on him, while others came from a team that clearly isn’t fully synced yet.
That lack of sharpness showed up in the overall turnover count, too. Philadelphia gave it away 21 times, a reminder that the halfcourt offense still needs polish and that chemistry is still a work in progress. Even so, the James-led transition game looked dangerous enough to matter right away.
Defensively, the issues were harder to miss. Brooklyn scored 50 points in the paint, and Philadelphia’s rim protection was the biggest problem.
The Nets also grabbed nine offensive rebounds and turned them into 19 second-chance points, exposing the Sixers on the glass and in the box-out battles. This group is still finding its defensive identity, and that was clear against a Brooklyn team that committed just four turnovers in the first half.
Dean Wade gave Philadelphia a useful look on the wing. He scored seven points on 2-of-2 shooting from three and added four rebounds, but his impact went beyond the box score. He made life tougher for Julius Randle, who shot 4-of-11, and showed why his length and positional versatility matter on a roster trying to sort out its defense.
Jabari Walker also kept making his case for minutes. With Ariel Hukporti out after rupturing his right Achilles in Philadelphia’s 120-97 win over the Knicks on Monday night, Walker is pushing into the backup-center conversation.
Against Brooklyn, he had eight points and seven rebounds. His game won’t jump off the page, but he brings effort, physicality, and rebounding on both ends.
At 6-foot-7, he may not be the reserve five every night, but he is taking advantage of the opening in front of him.
Philadelphia heads to Boston next, facing the Celtics on Saturday, October 10, at 8 p.m. ET.
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