The Philadelphia 76ers came into the preseason with a dramatically different look, and Jaylen Brown has already gotten an up-close view of what that means. After the team finished last May’s Eastern Semifinals loss and retooled by adding Brown, LeBron James, and Anfernee Simons, expectations shot up fast.
The early returns, though, have been uneven. Philadelphia is 1-3 through four preseason games, and Friday’s loss didn’t exactly quiet the noise.
Even so, Brown came away with plenty to say about the group, especially James. He made it clear what it means to share a locker room with someone he has long admired.
“It’s incredible to see his work ethic and to see his process,” said Brown, via Jeff Skversky. “That’s the greatest player to play the game, so it’s an honor.”
Brown has never hidden his respect for LeBron, and now he’s seeing the routine behind the resume firsthand. For him, the point isn’t just the talent. It’s the daily standard James brings, the kind that keeps him relevant year after year.
Brown is also learning what it looks like to play alongside Joel Embiid instead of trying to stop him. That’s a shift with real weight, considering Brown has faced Embiid multiple times in the playoffs. Now, the relationship is about building something together, and Brown says Embiid is already making clear progress.
“This big fella is making strides, getting better each and every day,” Brown said. “We’ve been pushing him on offense and defense, and I think he’s been meeting the challenge.
Just continuing to get better and better with pace, quick decisions-all that type of stuff, defensive mentality. It’s great to see him out there because he can dominate the game.”
The 76ers still look like a team in the middle of the process rather than one that has it all figured out. With so many new pieces to fit together, that’s hardly surprising. Brown said that adjustment is happening on both a personal and team level as he settles in and learns the system, the city, and the facility.
“Individually, I’ve made my strides, just getting familiar with the system and familiar with the city and the facility and all of that; getting settled in my place with the group,” Brown added. “I think we’re just setting the mentality that we need to set.
We need to just inch closer every single day. So, we just have to continue to emphasize the type of mentality that we want to have.”
Philadelphia’s preseason play has looked messy at times, with stretches that haven’t matched the talent on paper. But Brown isn’t backing off the bigger picture. He believes in the foundation, trusts the star power around him, and is focused on soaking up as much as he can from James and Embiid while trying to raise his own level.
That matters, too, because Brown already posted big numbers last season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks while shooting 47.7% from the field. With a larger role and more help around him, there’s reason to think even more is on the table.
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For Sixers fans, it is the kind of comment that brings back a familiar what-if conversation about how different things might have looked if the franchise had landed another star when it had the chance. It also adds another layer to a game that already carries plenty of intrigue, since Butlers absence does not make the challenge any less pointed, only more delayed until he is healthy enough to step back into the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]