DETROIT — Throughout the first few weeks of Sixers‘ training camp, LeBron James preached patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all, and NBA champions frequently aren’t either.
It was perspective James had gained through a near quarter century of NBA experience, and from four previous stops trying to build chemistry and comradery with a brand new set of teammates.
It is perhaps unfair to lump the 2003-04 Cavs into this group, as they were largely bereft of talent (hence why they had the #1 overall pick to select LeBron James with in the first place), and the 18-year-old James was still learning how to navigate NBA life. Expectations, at least in the short term, hadn’t yet been elevated, so their 2-7 start wasn’t all that unexpected.
But other than that, each and every time that James has changed teams over the course of his career, expectations were sky-high, right from the jump. Yet it usually took his new teams some time to gel, and all of the 2010-11 Heat (started 5-4), 2014-15 Cavs (also 5-4) and 2018-19 Lakers (4-5) needed some time to find their footing before eventually becoming the force that everyone envisioned. In the end, both the Heat and Cavs did turn it around, finishing with 58 and 53 wins, respectively, before they both advanced to the NBA Finals.
But these Sixers have bucked that trend, coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders. In fact, no team in LeBron James’ storied 24-year career has gotten out to a better start than the 7-1 sprint the Sixers have pulled off heading into last night’s contest against the Pistons.
The one blemish came at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, who handed the Sixers a 106-93 defeat at the Xfinity Mobile Arena back on October 25th. That game had a few asterisks, on both sides, with Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson all out of the lineup for their respective teams. Even so, the Sixers had a chance to make amends for their on early season hiccup at the Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night.
The Sixers did so with a 112-106 road win, a game where the Sixers took control midway through the first quarter and never looked back.
The game featured yet another balanced attack, where each of the five stars found a way to leave their own individual imprint on the game. It’s been a running theme here in the early going.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 30 points on 11-19 shooting, although his biggest play of the night was arguably a block he had on Cade Cunningham with 38 seconds left and the Pistons desperately trying to make one final push. Joel Embiid added 26 points and a season high 15 rebounds, LeBron James nearly had a triple double, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, VJ Edgecombe added 11/6/3 and Tyrese Maxey, who shot just 1-7 while picking up three fouls in 12 first half minutes, found his footing and led the team with 17 points on nine field goal attempts after intermission.
With the win the Sixers improved to 8-1 on the season, including a combined 4-1 against the Knicks (2-0), Cavs (1-0) and Pistons (1-1), three of the primary teams the Sixers are battling with in the Eastern Conference. It is the Sixers’ best start through nine games since they went 9-0 to start the 2000-01 season, more than a quarter of a century ago. They are a perfect 4-0 on the road, once against their best road start for the franchise since 2000-01.
Yet whenever anybody on the team is asked, the response to a T is that they’re just scratching the surface.
“They all are trying to get to know each other. I’m trying to get to know them. I’m still, every day, trying to figure out how to put these guys in their best positions to succeed.” — Nick Nurse said after the game.
“We’re still a long ways away from playing a 48 minute game.” — Nick Nurse.
“We feel like we’re not close to where we need to be.” — Joel Embiid.
“We’re still figuring out that side of the floor [offense].” — LeBron James.
Yet they’re still somehow an NBA best 8-1, with a 4-1 record against the top teams in the Eastern Conference and a perfect 7-0 record in clutch games.
The story of the season so far is that they’ve found a way. Each and every night, regardless of the competition, regardless of the adversity that they’ve faced, they’ve found a way.
“I wouldn’t read any super long-term stuff into anything because it’s early and there is a lot of stuff going on,” Nurse said after the game. “I feel like that was another game where we feel like we’re getting a touch better, and that’s the goal.”
When Tyrese Maxey is ineffective in the first half, Embiid, Brown and LeBron step up. When the Pistons go on a 10-0 run in the guts of the game to cut the Sixers’ once 18 point lead down to four, Jaylen Brown comes up with a game-saving block against Detroit’s superstar.
“Everybody wants to take on that challenge and guard whoever it is. That’s stuff that you want. Now you have when VJ gets in foul trouble, when VJ gets tired, we have a guy like Jaylen Brown who can get 30, and stop the other team’s [top] guy,” Tyrese Maxey said of Brown stepping up defensively.
When one superstar is down, there’s three more to step in his place and pick the team up.
“I know Tyrese has closed some games, but JB has taken us home in a couple too,” Nurse continued. “I don’t think it’s going to be the same recipe every night, which I think is huge.”
Doing all of this, while still clearly just scratching the surface of what they’re capable of offensively, while still new in their on, and off, court relationships, and while playing against other Eastern Conference contenders multiple times per week, has Sixers fans salivating over what they’re capable of when they start firing on all cylinders.
“We’re still learning each other, but like I said defensively we’ve been super in-tune on the game plan each and every night, and that’s definitely helped us out, even when sometimes it kinda looked a little rugged offensively,” LeBron James said of the team.
Big takeaway
With built-in chemistry from years of an on-court partnership with Joel Embiid, and a skill set that fits perfectly alongside of LeBron James’ transition attack and passing wizardry, Tyrese Maxey has been the team’s stabilizing force on offense for most of the year.
Maxey came into the game first on the team in scoring, averaging 29.1 per night on 50.3% shooting from the field. And he’s been remarkably consistent, with 26 or more points in each of the Sixers’ first eight contests.
Last night, for the first time this season, he struggled.
Maxey started Wednesday night’s game against the Pistons just 1-7 from the field for two first half points, struggling with Detroit’s size on the perimeter, compounded by early foul trouble that prevented him from finding a rhythm.
“Missed some easy shots early. I missed a pull-up, I missed a wide-open 3, and I was fouling. I was hacking. And when I was hacking I couldn’t really get no rhythm,” Maxey said after the game.
LeBron James was orchestrating the offense, with six dimes in the first half, each one seemingly more impressive than the last. But he was not an aggressive individual scorer in this one. The offense would need somebody to step up into the scoring void, against a tough defense, that Maxey had left behind.
Enter Jaylen Brown, who led the team with 30 points on 11-19 shooting, 23 of which came in the first half, in what was easily his best performance as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Part of the theory of this team is that the baseline should be exceedingly high, as odds are that one, if not multiple, of the team’s stars should have a matchup they can exploit, and one, if not multiple, of them should be on top of their game on any given night. Gone are the days when an off night from Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid would doom the Sixers to a frustrating loss.
Based on the first nine games of the year, that baseline is further elevated by one of the best defenses in the league, a formula that should lead to an embarrassment of wins, and appointment viewing each and every time the Sixers lace them up.
“Our defense is gonna be our identity. We have a lot of scoring, obviously. We know that from individuals. We’re still figuring that side of the floor out,” LeBron said after the game. “But defensively, that’s where we’re gonna make our mark. It’s the point of attack, it’s us communicating, it’s us helping one another.”
Stat of the game
Stat – 15 rebounds for Joel Embiid
Prior to this year, one of the consequences of multiple meniscus surgeries on Joel Embiid’s knees was a significant drop in his rebounding. In the two years since Kuminga landed on his knee, Embiid has talked about how he’s struggled with confidence to play in traffic, and the lack of elevation around the rim was apparent to anyone who watched this team with any regularity.
But this year has been a significant bounce back for Embiid in that regard.
Embiid, who averaged back-to-back career lows in rebounds at 8.2 and 7.7 per game the previous two years, is back up to double digits so far this season, with exactly 70 rebounds in seven games played after hauling in 15 in last night’s win. His defensive rebounding rate is back up to 25.5%, still slightly down from where it was in his peak, but significantly better than the 20% he hauled in last year.
Overall, the Sixers are collecting defensive rebounds on 75.1% of the shots that opponents miss with Embiid on the floor. That ranks in the 92nd percentile across all lineups leaguewide. The Sixers collected defensive rebounds on just 69.2% of the shots that opponents missed when Embiid was on the floor last year.
“He’s just feeling better, moving better. He’s just really moving a lot better, and a lot of determination. He’s going to get a lot of those rebounds, they aren’t just coming to him,” Nurse said of Embiid’s improvement on the glass.
If all of this holds up, it’s not a trivial change to the Sixers’ equation, and would turn what was one of their few projectible weakness into, at the very least, something they’re competitive in.
(Don’t ask about the rebounding numbers when Embiid’s on the bench.)
Stray thoughts
- This was yet another incredibly strong game from Dean Wade. While Wade finished with three points on four shots in 22 minutes, his defensive versatility, connective passing and overall good decision making were once again on display. Having a role player who excels at doing role player things is such a breath of fresh air, especially on a team that has so many star players who can do the star player things.
- LeBron James’ passing is always impressive, but it really popped in this one, including in the half-court. James made a pair of passes to VJ Edgecombe — the first a wrap-around pass to VJ rolling to the rim, the second a kickout for a wing three — that I’m not sure any other Sixers player in the last 20 years even attempts, much less pulls off. On top of that, the two-man game between LeBron and Embiid was rolling early in the game.
- That block by Brown took the soul out of the Little Caesars Arena, which seemed like it was building up to a crescendo as the Pistons made their late run. Just a massive defensive play from a guy who had carried them offensively for most of the night.
- I thought this was one of Adem Bona’s stronger games, helped by the fact that he caught a few passes that he often times struggles with. LeBron’s such a crafty and unique interior passer that Bona, for all of his imperfections, could really benefit from — if the Sixers are able to find a way to sneak some Stickum on Bona’s hands without the league finding out.
Quotables
“We’re competitive as hell. You all see us playing hard, playing hard defensively, playing together, that’s who we are. That’s not fluff. I found that out Day 1 in training camp. We was moving the ball and I looked at Joel and I said ‘All the ego stuff and the one ball stuff that we hear is going to be okay because LeBron’s here, and he has made everybody willing passers. And when LeBron can be a willing passer, the rest of us can too.” — Tyrese Maxey, on the team’s defense clicking so quickly.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, this is how my finger’s looked all season, since last year. but I’m fine. I wouldn’t lie to you. You dressed too nice for me to lie to you.” — Tyrese Maxey, when asked about how his right pinkie felt after jamming it during the win.
“I was 16 years old [when LeBron played with Kyrie] and I watched probably every playoff game that they had. I was a big Kyrie fan, and I was a big DWade fan, so I had to watch LeBron. I did learn a lot from that because LeBron does a good job of getting those guys open, and he does a good job of just being in spots for himself to get open so we can hit him. So I’ve been watching a lot of old Kyrie film, watching a little bit of Steph and KD film.” — Tyrese Maxey, on learning to play with LeBron James.
“Competitive. It’s a lot of guys here who don’t like getting scored on. It’s a lot of guys who don’t like hearing stuff from their teammates. VJ gave up a couple threes today to Duncan Robinson and then he heard it from all of us, so he’s like, he doesn’t want to hear that. It’s love, but it’s accountability, which is good.” — Tyrese Maxey, on the team’s defense.
“Everybody wants to take on that challenge and guard whoever it is. That’s stuff that you want. Now you have when VJ gets in foul trouble, when VJ gets tired, we have a guy like Jaylen Brown who can get 30, and stop the other team’s [top] guy. We have guys like Dean Wade, he’ll guard everybody. KCP. The list goes on and on.” — Tyrese Maxey, on the team’s defensive depth.
“Yes and no. You want to focus on yourself as much as possible. Tonight we had some really high highs, and we had some lows, so you want to focus on yourself and focus on what you did wrong…It’s the regular season. We got a lot we’re working on, but like I said it’s all about us.” — Joel Embiid, on this game being a measuring stick.
“He just changes everything. On defense, on offense, he’s just a very high-IQ basketball player.” — Joel Embiid, on Dean Wade.
“He’s just keeping the main thing the main thing, and that’s trying to get better every day, just trying to implement himself into the system. Every day is another learning experience, another teaching experience, for him. Obviously it’s a new system, a new city, new everything. He’s doing a great job with everything.” — LeBron James, on Jaylen Brown adapting to playing with the Sixers.
“If we continue to just buy into what we want to do, Nurse and the coaching staff is gonna give us the game plan, we gotta hold each other accountable, on the floor but off the floor as well. We got a good team. Guys vibe with one another. Guys like each other. Guys enjoy being around each other. That has a lot to do with it too. it makes the game a lot easier when you enjoy being around people.” — LeBron James, on what he’s learned about the team so far.
