Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: 3 things to watch for in first preseason game vs. Memphis Grizzlies

By Pete Sawan

CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: Ben Simmons
CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 25: Ben Simmons /
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As the Philadelphia 76ers look ahead to tomorrow’s preseason matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, what should the team look out for?

Ah, it’s finally here! The Philadelphia 76ers will finally play their first preseason game tomorrow night against the Memphis Grizzlies. This will be the first time that fans get to see the new guys suit up for the Sixers. On top of that, there will likely be ample minutes for the fringe players.

Now, this won’t be a very entertaining game, but it’s a start. For the Sixers, there will likely be a ton of moving parts. For instance, Dario Saric and Amir Johnson will not play in this game. This could open the floor a bit for some experimentation. At the end of the day, head coach Brett Brown will get to exercise his creative side a bit.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s what to look for tomorrow night against Memphis.

1. Ben Simmons/ Markelle Fultz

Now, this first one is fairly obvious. Ben Simmons spent all of last season recovering from a foot injury. For the most part, NBA fans forgot about him. In a sense, the Joel Embiid revolution may have had something to do with it. Nevertheless, this will be Simmons’ first NBA preseason game.

Obviously, don’t expect him to play the entire game. Hell, he probably won’t play the entire first half. But, it will be the first time we see Simmons play in a Sixers uniform. On top of that, since he will take on the “point guard” duties, it should be noted how important this first game is. Clearly, Simmons sees it this way:

Also, let’s not forget about Markelle Fultz. He will play alongside Simmons as the off-guard. But, that doesn’t mean he won’t have the opportunity to run the offense. The beauty of Brown’s offense is that it can be run by anyone who has some semblance of ball-handling ability. That’s not to say that it’s simple, but it doesn’t necessarily depend solely on a traditional point guard. Fultz will get his touches.

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Ultimately, the key to this first game will be seeing how much these two gel. It certainly could go either way. Hopefully, this game will be a small step for Sixers fans and a giant leap for Process-kind.

2. Jahlil Okafor

Next, we have a player who receives tons of slander from this fan base: Jahlil Okafor. Now, Jah will likely see a good amount of playing time in this game. You’ve got Amir Johnson and Dario Saric out. In addition, Joel Embiid was ruled out, likely as a precautionary measure. This should easily open the door for Okafor to excel.

He will likely split reps with Richaun Holmes at the five. Now, he may not play in the entire game either. That’s why the team brought in Kris Humphries and Emeka Okafor. These camp bodies will carry the majority of the workload. However, Jah still needs to show up, because he likely won’t get many opportunities to start come regular season.

3. Furkan Korkmaz

Finally, we have one of the newest pieces to this roster: Furkan Korkmaz. He will likely get a ton of reps Wednesday night, as Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will not play. Korkmaz is an interesting case, to say the least.

Initially, most fans saw him as a project player. Many expected him to spend a good amount of time with the Delaware 87ers honing his craft. But, this game could give him an opportunity to earn an everyday rotation spot with the team. Yes, it will likely be a struggle, considering the depth at the wing spot, but you never know.

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Expect Furkan Korkmaz to see time at both the two and the three. Given the fact that the Sixers have tons of veterans at that spot, including starters like J.J. Redick and Robert Covington, Korkmaz could see a ton of minutes. Hopefully, he makes the most of this opportunity, setting him up for a key role down the line.