We still don’t know much about the 76ers’ talent level.
With that said, their role players need to give more consistent effort. And the Sixers must do a better job of getting Kelly Oubre Jr. involved when understaffed.
Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 113-104 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Sixers still a mystery
Sixers fans who watched the NBA Abu Dhabi Games are hoping to get a sneak peek at the 2025-26 squad. But for the most part, they saw a lot of reserve role players, end-of-the-benchers, and guys on camp deals face the Knicks.
That was the result of the Sixers playing both games without five of their top eight players. Another Sixer — Kyle Lowry — also sat out the matchups.
Two of the team’s three maximum-salary players — Joel Embiid and Paul George — didn’t compete due to left knee injury management. Quentin Grimes, another perceived starter, didn’t make a trip due to contract negotiations. Jared McCain missed the trip to have ulnar collateral ligament surgery in his right thumb. Free-agent acquisition Trendon Watford missed the games with right hamstring tightness.
Yet, the big questions surrounding the Sixers are how will Embiid and George’s health, as well as Grimes’ new role, be addressed in the future?
Grimes was the No. 1 scoring option shortly after being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks via a February trade, while Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey were all sidelined during the latter part of last season.
This season, he’ll be at best the fourth option behind the trio.
Better effort needed
With the Sixers relying on Maxey, Embiid, and George to provide the bulk of scoring, the best ways for role players to make an impact this season is by playing hard, hitting open shots, and doing the intangibles.
However, through the two exhibition games, the effort of the role players has been inconsistent. At times, they played with energy only to be a step too slow on the next possession. That led to a lot of easy first-half buckets by the Knicks on Saturday.
The Sixers also made just 3 of 35 three-pointers on Thursday before doing better by making 12 of 28 on Saturday.
More involvement from Oubre
The best part about Oubre’s game is his ability to make an impact without having plays called for him. He has a knack for cutting to the rim and scoring off of offensive rebounds. But his teammates need to make him a priority on the nights Embiid and/or George don’t play.
Way too often in Abu Dhabi, Oubre didn’t get the ball despite having a mismatch or being wide open.
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That led to him rushing or taking poor shots when he finally got an opportunity. He finished with nine points on 5-for-13 shooting — including going 2 of 5 on three-pointers — to go with five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.