The Sixers moved a step closer to meaningful basketball Friday night.
They also stayed winless in the preseason, falling to a 128-98 loss to the Magic in their first exhibition game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
VJ Edgecombe sat because of left hip soreness. He took part in the Sixers’ morning shootaround and is considered day-to-day, according to a team official.
Other absences included Joel Embiid (left knee), Paul George (left knee), Trendon Watford (right hamstring) and Jared McCain (right thumb). Quentin Grimes was inactive two days after his first practice of the season.
The Sixers will hold their annual Blue-White scrimmage Sunday and finish their four-game preseason next Friday vs. the Timberwolves. Here are observations on the team’s loss to Orlando:
Maxey, Barlow shine in 1st quarter
Tyrese Maxey and Dominick Barlow were early standouts.
The Sixers’ first basket came on a Maxey transition three-pointer. To no one’s surprise, Maxey came out aggressively. He fired up nine shots in under seven minutes and played with tons of speed and confidence. Maxey poured in 17 first-quarter points and watched the rest of the game.
Barlow scored the Sixers’ next bucket on a put-back layup. He did strong work on the offensive boards in his third straight start and had 12 points and nine rebounds over 29 minutes. Barlow has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and good athletic tools, and he’s rebounded the way those on-paper traits would suggest.
Notably, the Sixers plan to be a guard-heavy team and know they must improve their rebounding. Barlow’s boosted his case for minutes with his preseason showing on the glass. Well done for a 22-year-old on a two-way contract.
Pros and cons for Bona
Not for the first time, Adem Bona had a rough start on the foul front. He committed two personals in under two minutes, including on a Wendell Carter Jr. and-one jumper.
Of course, the other side of Bona’s ball-hungry defensive style is that he’s often rewarded with rejections. His bounce and rim-protecting instincts popped as usual. Bona swatted Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black layup attempts in the first half.
Andre Drummond continued to play behind Bona. The highlights of Drummond’s night were a pair of corner three-pointers. Drummond made three long-range jumpers and missed 17 last season. He’s 18 for 140 (12.9 percent) in his career.
Challenges for rookies off the bench
Hunter Sallis received first-quarter minutes and got an and-one runner to drop against fellow rookie guard Jace Richardson. The Wake Forest product tallied seven points and three assists in 34 minutes.
The Sixers used a five-man bench in the first half of Sallis, Drummond, Kennedy Chandler, Jabari Walker and Johni Broome. Emoni Bates and Malcolm Hill checked in after halftime.
Broome (six points, three steals) played at both power forward and center. He had some tough moments defensively against players like Banchero and Carter. Banchero tried to drive baseline past Broome and throw down a powerful slam. Broome stopped him with a clear-cut foul.
The 23-year-old lefty’s physicality and shot blocking were strengths in college. It’s an open question how he’ll adapt to NBA-level size, quickness and leaping.
Chandler was the Sixers’ lead ball handler for much of the game and had a 16-point, five assist, four-steal night. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has given him significant minutes in all three of the team’s preseason contests.
“He’s played very well,” Nurse said following the Sixers’ practice Thursday. “He’s got pretty good feel for running and organizing the team. He’s also got some juice to get by people and get to the basket. And he’s also a very good shooter.
“He didn’t shoot as much from three in those games as he’s been doing in practice. He’s a legit threat from three. … I’ve been impressed with his knowledge of the game, the way he’s picked things up and the way he’s transferred that to keeping the team fairly organized.”
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