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Takeaways from Sixers Preseason Game Two

The Philadelphia 76ers made their first appearance at “The Center” against the Cleveland Cavaliers Thues day night, and they did not disappoint. A last second three pointer by Scottie Wilbekin gave the Sixers the lead as they topped off a quarter where they outscored the Cavs 41 to 25. The comeback seemingly came out of nowhere as the Sixers couldn’t overcome the 8-10 point deficient hanging over their heads all game.

The majority of the game we saw the upper half of the Sixers depth chart dominate the minutes, but towards the end of the 4^th quarter, Brett Brown inserted some of lesser known, new faces in Philly, and the young guns took over. Guys like J.P. Tokoto, Richaun Holmes, and Christian Wood were all in the game for the first time when the Sixers started storming back. Those kind of pressure situations can really help rookie players, and I’m sure Coach Brown and company were thrilled to see those guys come off the bench and immediately play well.

BY THE NUMBERS:

The 76ers shot 44.6% from the field as a team…33.6% from three.

A total of 14 players got into the game for Philly tonight.

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The Sixers outrebounded the Cavs 42-40, and also had three less turnovers.

The Sixers never had the lead until Wilbekin’s go ahead three with just over a second left.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES:

McConnell Shines

Former Arizona Point guard, and undrafted free agent T.J. McConnell played well in a whopping 21 minutes tonight compiling 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. McConnell is not the kind of guy that is going to take over a game with pure skill and athleticism, so hustle has always been his strong suit.

Diving for every ball, and finding teammates on several pretty passes, McConnell left a lasting impression on his coaches, and if it weren’t for Wilbekin’s game winner, I’d have said he took a clear step up in the depth charts tonight.

Okafor Struggles Early On

Jahlil Okafor made his Philly debut with his father Chukwudi in the stands. Unfortunately for the big man, success didn’t come nearly as easy. After starting off 5 for 5 on Tuesday against Washington, Jah went just 1-5, and 4-12 total on the night. He did show off some more of his impressive post moves, but just couldn’t quite finish at the basket.

One promising sight was seeing him make 4-5 of his free throws, as well as getting a solid 20 minutes of playtime. Okafor is still lumbering up and down the court a bit, but his elite ability to score down low is as good as advertised.

Noel Eats

Nerlens Noel brought in 15 rebounds in tonight’s win, and looked to be more comfortablebattling down low for the ball. He did struggle in certain areas like free throws where he went just 6-12. He also really needs to improve his closing out ability on perimeter shot takers. Now that Jahlil occupies the center position, Nerlens is responsible for getting out there on deep shots much more often, as well as switching and pick and pops.

If the Sixers want their two potentials stars to mesh, Noel is going to need to cover more ground of D. For the record Noel did take a rather long fall onto his tailbone in the third quarter, but he eventually came back in the game just fine.

FINAL QUICK TAKES:

Jerami Grant looked spectacular tonight with team high 19 points and 3 rebounds off the bench. Don’t be surprised if Grant makes a push for the starting lineup come late October I think Brett Brown really likes him as the first PF off the bench, but his improving jumper can’t be ignored for long. They may need to make room for him at the SF spot.

The Canaan balls were flying left and right tonight as Isaiah Canaan took full advantage of his ball handler duties. He threw up 12 shots, eight of them three pointers, and ended up with a solid 16 points. Not the most efficient night, but he needed this kind of showing to stay in the running for the Sixers starting point guard job.

Jakarr Sampson sported a rough -16 rating to end the night, and can’t afford many more performances like that. Hollis Thompson, and Jordan McRae are coming for his starting job for sure.

The Sixers next preseason game takes place on Saturday at 3 PM where Philly will take on the Brooklyn Nets at The Times Union Center in Albany, New York. Keep your eyes peeled for more awesome content to come from The Sixer Sense as this NBA regular season creeps closer and closer.

Next: Flat Top Podcast Episode 3

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