Philadelphia 76ers

"I've had a few ruin my nights before. It's not fun... So if it's their ring night, they got to take the first loss." — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the 76ers opening at the Garden on the Knicks' ring night. Chemistry? "Not where it needs to be yet, but we getting there."

Karl-Anthony Towns may draw a power forward, not a center, in the 76ers' Oct. 20 opener at the Knicks: Nick Nurse is weighing putting his center on Josh Hart. The upside: more switching on screens. The risk: can Towns pass, rebound, post up and shoot over a power forward?

Joel Embiid is "ready to go" for the 76ers' opener, Nick Nurse said: "Some of those things weren't going on a year ago." Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall did not practice. Wade wore a practice jersey anyway. "Shouldn't make any judgments by those jerseys," Nurse said.

"I feel good. You know, just taking it day by day," said Anfernee Simons, who has missed 76ers practices over the past week. With no preseason game reps, he expects to "find my way" over the first 20 games. Asked if he'll play in the opener: "I can't confirm or deny that."

Labaron Philon Jr. and Anfernee Simons can both play on or off the ball in the 76ers' bench unit, Simons said, and he can run the offense "if LP's running the point for a long time and he needs a break." The rookie debuts at the Garden on the defending champions' ring night.

Dean Wade turned his ankle "a little bit" in the 76ers' Oct. 16 game, LeBron James said, "but he'll be great." On Joel Embiid, who wasn't healthy with Team USA, James said: "this summer, he's been the most healthy he's been a long time... he's been in all the practices."

The 76ers' Joel Embiid blamed his preseason falls on trips and pushes: "I'm just trying to do a better job to stay on my feet... But I feel okay." Asked if his third-quarter dunk meant he's back, he said "not really": "I thought I would never dunk again."

Jabari Walker, LeBron James and Dean Wade have played center in 76ers lineups with no true big. James said clean rebounding is the key and "we haven't logged enough minutes with it to know good or bad." Wade turned his ankle Oct. 16; James said "he'll be great."

Dean Wade rolled his ankle late in the first half of the 76ers' preseason game, but Nick Nurse called it "not major concern," saying they were "just cautious because preseason game." Nurse hopes to add "about 3 or 4 players" by Oct. 20: "I don't know if we will or not."

Joel Embiid played 29 minutes in the 76ers' preseason game, and Nick Nurse liked it: "I think that's pretty hard playing 29 minutes for him, which is— I like to see." He said Embiid shook off rust from the first game, pointing to his 8 defensive rebounds.

"Is it Tyrese and Joel and Jaylen and Labaron or whatever?" Nick Nurse doesn't yet know which 76ers combinations of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Labaron Philon Jr. work. Asked if Brown will lead second-unit lineups: "Possibly. I don't know yet."

Opening at Madison Square Garden on the Knicks' ring night, the 76ers' Justin Edwards isn't letting go of last season: "I'm pretty sure we all remember what they did to us last year. So that's... going to be something that's going to motivate us going into that game."

Joel Embiid has been healthy and a full participant all camp, Tyrese Maxey said at 76ers practice, after "going through some stuff" last preseason. That lets them install more packages: "Changes everything. Changes everything, man." The starters have practised almost every day.

VJ Edgecombe has been playing with the 76ers' starting unit in camp scrimmages. Asked at practice what is clicking, he pointed to the group's unselfishness: "We just playing unselfish basketball and everyone's just moving, spacing... playing with no egos."

Dominick Barlow is getting "real decent time off" for soreness, and Nick Nurse said at 76ers practice there is no date for his return: "There is no timeline. He's got, you know, he just has some soreness that he's dealing with."

Anfernee Simons did half-court work at 76ers practice, no scrimmaging. On playing Oct. 16, Nick Nurse said "there's certainly some hope." He wants Simons back by Oct. 20, and Adem Bona too, "if we can." Healthy, Simons is his bench guard; if not, Labaron Philon Jr. plays.

Jabari Walker and Dean Wade are where Nick Nurse will start at backup center with Ariel Hukporti injured, the 76ers coach said at practice. Walker has earned it: "I think Jabari's played outstanding, actually."

Tyrese Maxey should get more looks created by teammates and off-ball actions this season, Nick Nurse said at 76ers practice. The payoff he wants: "it should help him just be able to have a little more energy to rebound more, play more defense, things like that."

Dean Wade said the 76ers are getting players back, without naming who: "hopefully get some reps and kind of get comfortable with each other." Injuries had Wade and Jabari Walker playing center; Walker says a surer shot lets him "space the floor a lot better."

Joel Embiid looks slim and is getting up and down the floor running, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said at Philadelphia 76ers practice, calling him the team's motor. Caldwell-Pope has yet to share the court with him: "I haven't played with him yet."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope says he's on the 76ers' second unit at practice, alongside Jabari Walker: "we play a lot together." His job: "play defense and shoot the ball," and he expects open shots next to LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

LeBron James says Nick Nurse's push for quick 76ers passes, even after made baskets, suits VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown: "You got VJ, you got Tyrese, you got JB, we're able to punch gaps... The guys are not going to really be able to stay in front of them."

"You're just kind of trying to get to that number, 16, 18 minutes." Nick Nurse on LeBron James, in what appeared to be his first game: first half only, shorter stints than normal. Joel Embiid played about 24 minutes; he "just needs to get some rust off," Nurse said.

Nick Nurse expects most 76ers available for the next preseason game but wouldn't commit after a rough, physical practice. Veterans will still play, usually first halves, because sitting out means "all of a sudden it's going 100 miles an hour in game 1."

Losing Ariel Hukporti is "a blow for, for the team, especially this early on," Nick Nurse said at 76ers practice. His small-ball center group: Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow, Dean Wade and Labaron Philon Jr. He'll "probably go with that crew unless something else emerges."

Ariel Hukporti went down injured against the Knicks and Nick Nurse gave no status or timeline. Jaylen Brown: "I hope it's nothing too severe. I guess they're going to get some second imaging." A reporter raised the Achilles; the 76ers haven't confirmed it.

Jaylen Brown will be moved "in all the places he can score from," including the post, 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. "Going to need to." Nurse called him a methodical driver built on balance and strength. Brown on pace: "During the first 3 quarters, we should be up and down."

Jabari Walker is getting minutes for the 76ers as a big man who spreads the floor with his shooting, and Jaylen Brown backed the look after the Knicks game: "He's been hitting shots. He's been rebounding defensively and offensively."

Anfernee Simons hasn't been worked into the 76ers' lineup, and Nick Nurse gave no timeline. Nurse on scoring: "Simons will provide some of that as well once we get him in there." Floated in the postgame room: Jaylen Brown with VJ Edgecombe or Simons alongside the second unit.

Labaron Philon Jr., the 76ers' rookie point guard, played 25 minutes against the Knicks. Nick Nurse said New York was "pinning him on the side a little bit" and the staff will work on giving him a countermove. Philon called matching up with Jalen Brunson surreal.

At 76ers practice, Jabari Walker said Joel Embiid has been talking trash in camp, unlike Walker's first year, when Embiid was dealing with injuries: "Joel been competitive and blocking shots and doing what he does. So I'm not worried about him at all."

Joel Embiid "hasn't missed a practice" in Philadelphia 76ers camp, LeBron James said, and is "just so much more healthier" than at the 2024 Olympics. The bigger tell: the staff has had to sit Embiid out at times even when he wanted to keep going.

Joel Embiid says he feels good compared to a year ago, after a block and a left-handed driving dunk in a 76ers scrimmage. He joked: "that's probably the last dunk of my career." He may get fewer touches, but more space: "So what are you going to do with that space?"

Labaron Philon Jr. says Joel Embiid has been fully practicing in 76ers camp. Philon says his college system is translating: "I've been telling guys where to go," connecting with big men Ariel Hukporti, Adem Bona and Embiid.

Justin Edwards, on a deeper 76ers roster, ties his chances to who sits: "I'm gonna take advantage of my role when the other guys are off." On Joel Embiid at practice: "He looks really good. He's competitive. He's still Joel."

Nick Nurse said LeBron James stops sets in practice to show teammates the exact angles: "This is the angle we need." Ariel Hukporti, asked about competing with Adem Bona for minutes: "whoever gets in, gets in, getting that job done." They faced off as teens: Germany vs. Turkey.

From 76ers practice: Adem Bona isn't practicing; Nick Nurse wants him ready for some preseason games after an evaluation in the coming days. Joel Embiid and LeBron James have done everything for three days, managing their own scrimmage reps: "the smart way to play it right now."

Nurse called Anfernee Simons "maybe a prototypical off-the-bench... scoring guy." He sees LeBron James as "a great offense creator. And I don't necessarily mean scorer." Base offense: "let's get the ball up the floor, let's attack in transition, let's hit the paint a lot."

From 76ers practice: Jaylen Brown said he, Joel Embiid and LeBron James are still sorting out who gets the mid-post spots and when to go — "we're only 3 days in, so it may take a little bit of time." He also expects the projected starting five to be "broken up" plenty.

Jaylen Brown on summer work with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey: Maxey's speed, James reading from the elbow, Brown "getting to my spots, to the elbows, using my mid-range ability." Camp has opened on defense; Nick Nurse is "defensive-minded first," Brown said.

Jaylen Brown asked for patience before the Blue and White scrimmage: "it takes time to build that chemistry... trust the process." Some defensive terms he used in Boston mean different coverages here: "I gotta like download my brain, different algorithm."

From 76ers practice, Sept. 30: Dean Wade says no plays are installed yet, only base concepts. "We don't have any plays, like nothing." His job: "shoot the ball when I'm open and play defense." With the turnovers their defense can force, "we should be unbelievable in transition."