The 76ers will be short on star power when they open preseason play Monday against the Knicks.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Philadelphia is expected to be without LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Anfernee Simons, Dominick Barlow, and Adem Bona for the matchup. That means the first preseason game will feature only Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe from the group of starters that showed up in the weekend scrimmage.
Brown’s presence is notable, especially this early in the preseason. After spending the past decade with the Boston Celtics, he already looks set to get a head start on settling into Nick Nurse’s system with the Sixers. Edgecombe, meanwhile, should also be in uniform as Philadelphia begins easing into game action.
The absences, though, are not much of a surprise. This is the first preseason game, and there’s no reason to rush anyone with more important basketball ahead.
LeBron James, in particular, does not need to be out there for an October 5 game. Joel Embiid’s situation is always handled carefully, given his injury history, and the Sixers are wise not to push him too early.
Bona remains sidelined after dealing with a setback before training camp even began. There is no timeline for his return, though Nick Nurse has said Bona should get preseason minutes at some point.
Simons, one of Philadelphia’s new additions, is also set to sit out. His absence appears to be precautionary, not alarming, especially since he has been practicing and putting in extra work after sessions.
Barlow will also remain out of public action for an undisclosed reason. The Sixers know what he can bring, but they will have to wait a bit longer to see how much he has taken forward during the offseason.
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For Sixers fans, the reaction is likely less about the Kings and more about the old debate Simmons has reopened by simply looking like himself again. Sacramento is taking a careful approach as he gets ready for his 10th NBA season, but any sign of stability or production from Simmons invites the same familiar question in Philadelphia: what might have been, and how much different could the story have looked if this version had arrived earlier? [Read more 🡒]