Five Takeaways From Philadelphia 76ers Preseason Opener

Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward
Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward /

2. Dario Saric is NBA-ready

While it took Embiid a little bit of time to get used to the flow of the game, Dario Saric appeared poised from start to finish.

He ran the floor well, sank his first two 3-pointers and did a nice job on defense (which isn’t exactly his strong suit), specifically while switching on picks.

In 18 minutes of play, he scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked a shot.

Moving forward, he’ll need to improve his decision-making with the ball in his hands (he had four turnovers), but overall, it was a successful debut for the Croatian rookie.

And he proved that he belongs in the best basketball league in the world.

It was an important statement for the rookie, since he’s going to be one of the players competing for the opening at the starting power forward slot with Ben Simmons out for at least three months recovering from his surgery.