NEW YORK - The Sixers’ second preseason game offered a little of everything: sharp ball movement, obvious growing pains and a reminder that even a star-heavy lineup can get messy fast when the turnovers pile up.
For the first time, all five starters were on the floor together in Thursday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets, giving the 2026-27 Sixers another early look at how the pieces fit. Nick Nurse liked parts of what he saw, but he also saw the sloppiness that can swallow a possession in a hurry.
"I think it's some good, some bad," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. "It was good to get them out there for the first time, obviously, that's kind of what the preseason is for.
I think there was some really good things happening right off the bat, a bunch of back cuts and good passing. But I think it got, there were segments where we turned the ball over a lot, which you can never do.
It was just a little clunky in segments, too, but again, it's preseason, it's the first time their together, I think, you look at it as what's good, and what are the learning experiences, things that we can improve on, and just try to get them together as much as we can in the next time we get that chance and in practice."
The good showed up early. The Sixers came out with a burst of offense, and LeBron James was right in the middle of it, steering the attack as a passer. He finished with five assists, all of them in the first quarter before the turnover problems started to take over.
All five of LeBron James' first-quarter assists in his Sixers preseason debut: pic.twitter.com/K0hGMnT11G
- Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
James’ impact went beyond the box score, too. VJ Edgecombe said the 41-year-old already makes life easier on both ends.
"Yeah, I think [James] helps both offensively and defensively," VJ Edgecombe said. "Defensively, he's loud, he's talking...
And then offensively, he just creates plays. And obviously, he just requires so much gravity, everyone else gets open and he don't care who scores.
He already got the record. He don't care to score anymore."
Then came the rough stretch. The Sixers handed it away 11 times in the second quarter, and the offense lost its rhythm. That sequence left a sour note on a night when the starters were only together at the beginning and end of the first half.
Joel Embiid was at the center of that mess, and he owned it after the game. He committed eight turnovers in 24 minutes and was the least clean of the five starters by a wide margin.
"It should take a while for everybody to get on the same page," Joel Embiid said after committing eight turnovers in 24 minutes, "but we're going to get there. So yeah, just taking it day by day and go from there."
Joel Embiid had a rough preseason debut, committing eight turnovers: pic.twitter.com/3bVcef6snF
- Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
Embiid said the fix is simple, even if the execution was anything but on Thursday.
“Yeah, just take care of the ball, obviously. It’s the preseason, especially for me, I've got to do a better job of taking care of the ball," Embiid said.
"But [it was the] first game, my first few games usually every year [are like this]. So yeah, it's going to take a few games to get there and just got to do a better job.”
Even with the turnovers, Embiid moved well and took several awkward falls without any obvious effect on his mobility. That matters for a player who often uses how he feels moving as a gauge for his condition.
“I'm extremely happy that he was out there with the group," Nurse said, "and I thought he was playing very hard, which was great to see.”
There were other noteworthy moments sprinkled through the night as well. Jaylen Brown explained his comfort working around the dunker spot, saying, "I’ve played a lot of different spots my whole career.
So, not something I'm unfamiliar with. I feel like at this point in my career, I can play from any position anywhere at any given time and be effective."
James also had praise for Dean Wade, saying, "He fits on any basketball team on the planet. Got to have guys like that in order to win. But, I mean, he can play for any basketball team on the planet, and he'll fit right in."
And one of the more interesting lineup wrinkles came with Labaron Philon Jr. sharing a stint with Tyrese Maxey. Philon brought the ball up on the play, letting Maxey work off the catch before Philon drifted into space and knocked down a spot-up three.
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