PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough challenge placed in front of them on Sunday when they welcomed the Detroit Pistons into the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Sixers, on the second night of a back-to-back, were missing Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Jabari Walker, among others as they looked to knock off a tough Pistons squad.
It appeared it was going to be a long night as the Pistons dominated the glass and were all over the place defensively as they built a 21-point lead late in the first half. When considering the offensive struggles and the talent on the sidelines, it appeared that Philadelphia wasn't going to have enough, but the Sixers valiantly fought back in this one and pulled to within five in the third. The Pistons, though, eventually
earned a 106-93 win to hand the Sixers their first loss. Cade Cunningham had 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for Detroit while Duncan Robinson had 21.
LeBron James returned from a 1-game absence and had 18 points and five assists for the Sixers while Tyrese Maxey had 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Jaylen Brown added 16 points, Dean Wade added seven and five rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had seven points, Adem Bona had six points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks off the bench.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: B
It was a tough start for Maxey as he missed his first six shots and had a tough time really getting into any type of rhythm as Detroit built its lead. With that being said, Maxey played solid defense on Pistons star Cade Cunningham. He forced him into tough shots and was able to come up with some big plays in terms of steals and helping Philadelphia get out and run. Overall, it wasn’t the usual Maxey night in terms of his offense. He had a tough time really finding any open looks against this Detroit defense and had a tough time getting the Sixers into a rhythm. The overall numbers will look good, but they were some hard-earned points.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: B
The only Sixer who had any rhythm in the early going was KCP. Getting the start for the injured Edgecombe, Caldwell-Pope provided some early offense as he knocked down a 3 to get the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia and was able to put the ball on the floor and finish at the basket. He gave the Sixers some strong production on both ends before leaving early in the fourth quarter when he was grabbing his right arm. He returned and continued to be tough for Philadelphia.
Jaylen Brown: C
It was a tough night for Brown. He had success getting into the paint, was getting to his spots, and attacked the mismatches when Detroit got caught in switches, but he just struggled to convert on his looks in this one. When considering his overall talent, everybody expects Brown to make the shots he was able to generate, but it was just one of those nights. He put his head down, drove into the teeth of the defense, and was able to get to the free-throw line, and that slowed the game down. Unfortunately, he was inefficient from the line and the Sixers weren’t able to make inroads on the lead. An overall tough night for him.
Dean Wade: B
Again, Wade’s stats are never going to stand out, but what he brings is invaluable. He is somebody who can take on a number of different matchups defensively and he did a solid job in this one whether he was switched onto Cunningham in the pick-and-roll or if he had to get in the paint against John Collins and others. He was in the right spots all night and was a positive player.
LeBron James: C
Playing center, it was a tough start for James. There are moments when one realizes that for as great as James is, he is still 41 and he doesn’t jump as high or move as fast as he once did. The Pistons were dominant on the glass led by Collins and former Sixers big man Paul Reed as James was not able to keep them off the boards. He also struggled at the free throw line and had some tough turnovers. To his credit, James did lead the comeback. He had a stretch late in the second and early in the third where he made a huge difference. He was able to get the Sixers out in transition and was able to get out and run and had some success in the paint. He himself just had a tough game on both ends.
Adem Bona: A-plus
The Sixers got off to a miserable start on the glass and Bona entered and changed everything for Philadelphia. He played with so much energy and was able to make a difference on the glass, protect the rim, and he even threw down a lob. The work Bona gave in this one was a huge plus. He threw down a huge dunk in the third and then got into it with Collins as he showed off a lot of edge in this one. When considering the struggles to start the season, Bona being able to be a big plus in this one is hugely encouraging.
Anfernee Simons: C-minus
Simons hopped off the bench and gave Philadelphia a lift. He knocked down a 3 while coming off a screen and then used his speed to be able to get into the paint and get off a bucket before the first quarter buzzer to give the Sixers some much needed offense. After the fast start, though, Simons cooled off he struggled offensively.
Labaron Philon Jr.: B
The rookie scored the first bucket of his career when he got a floater in the paint in transition. It was good to see him get that out of the way as he continues with his maiden season. He knocked down a big triple in the third as he continues to figure things out on the offensive end.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: LeBron James returns, but Sixers fall to Pistons
