Philadelphia 76ers · 13 notes
"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.
Rookie Kingston Flemings on his Hawks role: defend, pressure the ball and "get downhill, get CJ, Nickeil the ball" — creating for CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. His summer: workouts with LeBron James, who was "already in there working out" at 5 a.m.
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 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."
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."
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.
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.
Tyronn Lue wants Rui Hachimura rebounding more: "with our team and how small we are, we have to take advantage of him being a good rebounder." Lue noted Hachimura got fewer chances beside LeBron James. Asked about starters, he named none: fit with the first unit decides.