NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers continued the preseason on Thursday when they paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets. After sitting in the opener, the Sixers were able to see the unofficial debut of LeBron James. The 23-year man stepped onto the floor in a Sixers uniform and had some great moments.
James finished with 10 points, made the only official shot he took, and was 8-for-8 from the foul line. He dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds in 18 first half minutes. The Sixers did fall to the Nets 114-108 as they dropped to 1-1 in the exhibition schedule with two preseason games remaining.
Jaylen Brown had 18 points, Tyrese Maxey had 14 points, and VJ Edgecombe had 11 points and five rebounds. Jabari Walker added eight points and seven
rebounds, Dean Wade had seven points and four rebounds, and Joel Embiid had six, three rebounds, and three assists.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: A
There were a lot of off ball reps for Maxey in this one and he thrived in those sets. His speed is just something that changes things for this team offensively. He knocked down two 3s in the opening quarter just by moving without the basketball and finding open spaces in the defense. He had a terrific showing in the first half he played and the Sixers should continue to explore these reps off the ball.
VJ Edgecombe: A
If there is somebody who will benefit from James, it’s Edgecombe. He was able to get so many easy looks in this one just by moving without the basketball and screening for James at the top of the key. He was then able to slip it and find easy looks against this Nets defense.
Jaylen Brown: A
It was a quiet start for Brown following the strong preseason opener, but this is a feeling out period at the moment. The Sixers are looking to build chemistry and cohesion so Philadelphia will be looking to make it work at the moment. Either way, Brown had a couple of tough buckets in the second half and was able to find success by getting to the line and forcing the issue. When he is like this, it’s another aspect for this group.
LeBron James: A
The IQ of James is truly just something to behold. Every time he touched the ball, he was in control of everything. He was barking out orders from the top of the key, he was instructing his teammates where to go and the two-man game between himself and Embiid was impressive to watch. He was a maestro with the basketball and made life so much easier for his teammates with his playmaking. As far as his offense is concerned, he was able to force the issue and get to the line while also getting a tough bucket to fall.
Joel Embiid: C-minus
It was a mixed bag for Embiid in the early going. The big fella was able to work the pick-and-roll with James and he got himself and easy look out of it, but he also had seven turnovers in the first half, eight for the game, so ball security was an issue and he had some tough moments defensively. He also missed a bunny in transition and picked up a tech after being animated that he didn’t receive a foul call on his fifth turnover. There were some good moments with his rebounding and passing, but one could tell he was definitely out of rhythm.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: C
There are a lot of good things that Caldwell-Pope brought to the floor in this one. He was active on the defensive end and he spaced the floor well enough for the offense to flow. He missed an open look from beyond the arc, but his one bucket was a tough one off the dribble which is something the Sixers will take.
Dean Wade: A
The presence of Wade makes life easy for this group due to the fact that he doesn’t need the ball to succeed. He posted up in the corner and knocked down a 3 after James fired a pass to him and that is a skill the Sixers will rely on with a team filled with ball dominant players.
Labaron Philon Jr.: C-plus
The rookie got some first half run and immediately knocked down a wing triple. He had a solid initial run as he attacked the glass and made an impact on the floor. Overall, the shot was off a bit for him, but he was able to get things rolling for the Sixers as he ran the offense well.
Jabari Walker: A
The Sixers can always count on Walker to enter and play with a ton of aggression and energy. He attacked the glass, was able to finish at the basket thanks to the vision of James and he moved well without the basketball. There is a lot to love about Walker’s game and what he brings every night.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: LeBron James makes preseason debut, Sixers fall to Nets
