The Philadelphia 76ers will begin this year’s quest for an NBA Championship with an exhibition game against the New Zealand Breakers, visiting from the Australian National Basketball Association. The fans will get their first look at the 2024-25 Sixers after a thrilling offseason.
76ers Game Information
Who: New Zealand Breakers at Philadelphia 76ers
When: 7:00 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Latest on the 76ers
After another early exit from the playoffs at the end of last season, the Sixers needed to make some changes. From the time the team was eliminated by the New York Knicks back on May 2 by a score of 118-115, the fans and team started to look at what would be the best way to get the Sixers closer to a title.
Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, Paul George and Caleb Martin. Welcome Jared McCain and Adam Bona, the team’s two draft picks from June. Were Daryl Morey and Elton Brand done yet? Nope. Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson were also brought in. The team, having already two established stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, added what was arguably the biggest name on the free agent market, Paul George, to not take over and be the system but to help bring a title to the city of Philadelphia.
Rookies to the forefront
While the team will certainly have its fill of veteran talent, they’re bringing in three rookies who could make a difference for the squad. Jared McCain comes in, highly regarded as a shooter from Duke, with lower expectations than one might think a first-round pick would garner.
But, as the team has a good veteran depth, McCain should see some quality minutes and plenty of opportunity to shoot the ball. The 20 year old is not afraid to shoot, averaging just under six attempts per game last season with Duke, and connecting on 41.4% of them. His energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn and work hard will be appreciated by the fans.
Adam Bona is a second round pick out of UCLA, and while he won’t be lighting up the scoreboard, the 6’10” center will provide plenty of energy, excitement, and defense in the time he may see on the floor. Maybe, a younger more talented version of Paul Reed.
The third rookie that could wind up being a steal for the Sixers is Justin Edwards out of Kentucky. Edwards is a local kid, having grown up playing basketball in the city. While he was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, that didn’t translate to his season at Kentucky. Once considered a surefire top five selection, Edwards went undrafted and signed with the hometown Sixers.
While he’s now back home in the city, with family around him and a great learning environment in the Sixers organization, Edwards could wind up being an absolute theft if he can get comfortable and play to the level that he displayed just two years ago. The Sixers have the star power they’ve craved for a while, but their future is looking bright with the addition of this year’s rookie crop.
What to expect tonight
The 76ers may very well be without their stars in this exhibition. It doesn’t seem like the team will be putting their starters in for long stretches. Even still, there are enough new parts to get excited for tonight.
Getting the new pieces on the court is obviously huge, but there are probably going to be a lot more moments of younger players like McCain, Bona, and Edwards to go along with some other veterans looking to get into game shape as the Sixers home opener is just a few weeks away.
