The Philadelphia 76ers' new-look starting five gave the Brooklyn Nets and the rest of the NBA world its first peek this week in some preseason action.
For the most part, 76ers fans should be pleased. LeBron James' passing was on full display, Jaylen Brown's lead scoring kept pace, and the duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe continued to look lightning-fast.
Really, the only valid complaint about the starting five was the rustiness of Joel Embiid. The star center checked in for 24 minutes. He struggled with his shooting, going 1-for-5 from the field. Four of Embiid's six points came from the charity stripe. While he dished out three assists, came down with three rebounds, produced one steal, and one block, Embiid turned the ball over for a game-high eight turnovers. He was by far the most concerning player on the floor out of the group.
Nick Nurse stuffs away any worries
Let's face it, it was a lousy line for Embiid. So, when the head coach fires off his analysis on the center with a quote like, "I thought he was very good," it comes off as saving face for the team.
But then you're reminded that it's just preseason. Not only does it not count, but every player has different expectations from the coaching staff. For a guy like Embiid, his preseason evaluation tends to be less about his dominance and efficiency, and more about shaking off rust, being in tip-top shape, and staying healthy. Based on Nurse's expectations, Embiid checked his boxes.
"I thought he ran the floor pretty well," Nurse told reporters. "I think that just needs to get some rust off and get out there playing, which was great to see. Obviously, he could play a lot better than that. He would be the first one to say that. I’m extremely happy that he was out there with the group, and I thought that he was playing very hard, which was great to see.”
Embiid does this every year. The difference is that he tends to miss preseason, leaving his rusty performances to show face when the games count towards the record. If we're searching for silver linings, then it's great that he's getting a chance to shake the rust off in early October this time around. In the past, Embiid might've started slow throughout the first few games, before reminding the league that he's one of the best when healthy. If all goes right, he'll expedite that second phase and have that version ready by opening night in New York.
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