HomeSports3 observations after Sixers eliminated NZ Breakers in their preseason opener

3 observations after Sixers eliminated NZ Breakers in their preseason opener

Three observations after Sixers eliminated NZ Breakers in their preseason opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Within a few minutes, there was no doubt that the 2024-25 Sixers would start their preseason with an extremely decisive win.

The team opened its six-game preseason Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center with a 139-84 victory over the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League.

Tyrese Maxey was among the Sixers’ many efficient players, recording 15 points in the first quarter on 5-for-7 shooting (4 for 5 from three-point range) and three assists.

Neither Joel Embiid nor Paul George played as they prepared for the games that count. Both stars were on the ground Monday morning after the Sixers shooting.

Head coach Nick Nurse was pleased after a night in which 19 Sixers played and 17 scored.

“I was just happy that we went out and got after them defensively,” Nurse said. “We try to build those things: ball pressure, deflections, creating turnovers. This year we are working much more at a certain pace than in the past: throwing forward and getting the ball on the ground. We did some of that nicely (well). And then just get everyone out and go.

“There’s a lot of things we’ve seen in training camp that you’re never quite sure what you’re looking at when you’re playing against yourself. And then you go out and a lot of it was confirmed tonight, which is good. A good start to lay the foundation for things.”

The Sixers’ second exhibition game is Friday evening vs. the Timberwolves in Des Moines, Iowa. Here are observations from their huge win against the Breakers:

Drummond lets them fly

Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond moved into the Sixers’ starting lineup. True to form, Drummond was especially interesting to watch.

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He scored the first hoop of the game, finishing inside a Maxey forward feed. Gordon became the fifth Sixers starter on the board when he drained a 3-pointer following an offensive board from Drummond. The stark disparity in talent between the teams was immediately apparent; a Maxey triple increased the Sixers’ lead to 13-1.

Drummond then joined in on the three-point fun, drilling a catch-and-shoot jumper from the left corner.

The last time Drummond made a third season was on February 24, 2020. It seems quite unlikely that he will turn into a serious shooting threat, but he has clearly worked on his jumper and is willing to shoot in games when he is wide. -Open. He tried another later in the first quarter but missed.

Drummond played the first seven minutes and in substitution of the night, recording five points and five rebounds in his opening stint. On a less positive note, he was called for two early fouls. Drummond likes to poke around and look for forced substitutions, a trait Nurse will likely tolerate more than the average head coach.

Maxey and McCain’s shotmaking

Maxey’s outing was exactly what you would expect from the one All-Star on the floor.

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He played the entire first period and was fast, shifty and impossible for the Breakers to stop. The fifth-year guard found a good balance between aggressive shooting and distributing the ball to his teammates.

Jared McCain also knocked down four 3-pointers on nine long-range attempts.

In the second quarter, the rookie guard hit a step-back three and later two catch-and-shoot triples in a row. For a young player looking to both impress and learn the professional game, seeing jumpers fall is a good confidence builder.

“Since summer league, all I’ve done is work on those catch-and-shoot shots,” McCain said. “Once the first one fell, it was a relief. From then on it was just muscle memory. I know what I’m doing there.”

Overall, McCain’s performance was a mixed bag. He was 1 for 5 inside the arc and was knocked off the dribble a few times defensively. In a team-high 28 minutes, the 20-year-old had 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

He called the evening “the best feeling of my life” and compared the experience to a video game.

“I feel like I’m in (NBA) 2K,” McCain said with a smile. “This is great. There’s no way to describe it. I’ve played 2K, I’ve been watching basketball games since I was a kid, and to put on that jersey tonight, I didn’t feel like it.”

Keep an eye on the rotation image

Although Nurse Guerschon described Yabusele at media day as “not a three and… not really a five”, the 28-year-old Frenchman played centrally behind Drummond. He is clearly a backup option for the big man.

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Yabusele made his first NBA appearance since 2019 and had 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting and two assists.

“It feels special just to get into the arena,” he said Monday morning about his return to the NBA. “It’s been great so far. I just enjoy it, try to have as much fun as possible and learn to be better.”

Yabusele will likely play the majority of his minutes at power forward on full-strength nights for the Sixers. Either way, he looks like a player who should be able to find points by simply running the floor and planting himself in the paint whenever he has a juicy crossing match. He should also have some success as a hard roller off his screens.

Rookie Adem Bona was the Sixers’ third center against the Breakers, playing in youthful lineups with teammates like McCain, Justin Edwards and Lester Quinones.

Other important rotation points:

Kyle Lowry shared the floor with Maxey for the final five minutes of the first quarter. The veteran recorded five assists in his 10 first-half minutes.

KJ Martin played behind Caleb Martin as a backup power forward and scored six points, three rebounds and two steals. Nurse noted before the game that the Sixers have seen substantial improvement over the 23-year-old Martin as a shooter since last season. He didn’t make any three-pointers on Monday, but we’ll soon see if that progress translates into games.

Ricky Council IV showed off his explosive athleticism with 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting and six rebounds. A highlight is always possible when he charges forward on the open floor.

Like KJ Martin, Council hopes strong preseason work will earn rotation time early in the season.

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