PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers continued the preseason on Friday when they played host to the Orlando Magic, but they would play with a majority of their rotation sidelined. Joel Embiid, Paul George, and VJ Edgecombe were among the numerous Sixers sitting on the sidelines in this one.
In the end, the Sixers fell to the Magic 128-98 and are now 0-3 in the preseason. Tyrese Maxey played only the first quarter and finished with 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting and 3-for-6 from deep in what was a productive night for him. He also had two assists as Philadelphia was able to keep pushing the pace with him leading the way.
Dominick Barlow added 12 points and nine rebounds, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 12 points and five rebounds, Adem Bona added six points, six rebounds, and three blocks, and Kennedy Chandler added 16 points and five assists.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: A
What a start for Maxey in this one. He looked like he was in mid-season form for Philadelphia as he was aggressively attacking the basket and finishing with a dazzling array of floaters, layups, and stepbacks. He was also knocking down the 3-ball which is a good sign for him after a bit of a struggle in Abu Dhabi. His night ended after just 12 minutes. The Sixers saw enough.
Justin Edwards: B
Still struggling with his shot, Edwards was able to do some positive things in this one. There were plenty of times when he was able to get into the paint and make the right reads with his passing to get teammates some open looks and keep the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia. He also made some defensive plays to force turnovers and get out and run. The shot has to be figured out, but the Sixers have to like Edwards finding ways to make an impact.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: B
The Sixers will need somebody to break down defenses on the nights they’re short-handed. That is where Oubre steps in. There were certainly some wild drives, but Oubre was mostly able to get into the teeth of his Magic defense and make things happen. Again, as long as he plays within himself, Oubre can make a big difference on both ends. His night was over after the first half.
Dominick Barlow: A
The Sixers have been looking for the newcomers to be active on the glass and Barlow was all over the boards to start this one. He brings a lot of athleticism to the table and he has great instincts. He was a handful for the Magic bigs. Overall, there were so many positives for Barlow in this one from his rebounding work, his understanding of where to be on the offensive end, and his size. He is making a serious case to be in the opening night rotation.
Adem Bona: A-minus
A big issue for Bona continues to be the fouls. He picked up two quick ones in the opening minutes which is a shame because he had some impressive blocks at the rim, showing off his rim protection ability on the defensive end. He had a big bucket off a putback which showed off his touch around the basket, but his biggest impact was defensively in this one.
Andre Drummond: B-plus
The veteran hopped off the bench and immediately had a putback before stepping out and knocking down a corner triple. There were some tough moments defensively as Orlando was able to get some easy buckets, but for the most part, Drummond was good in this one. He knocked down another 3 in the second half which is encouraging as he expands his game.
Jabari Walker: B-minus
Walker took a hit in his first stint from Magic big man Goga Bitadze off a screen and didn’t do much in his first four minutes. He did make an impact in the second half on the glass and he finally put up a 3-ball which he drilled. This is a performance Walker can build off heading into the final preseason game.
Hunter Sallis: C-plus
If there is one thing Sallis can do well, it’s get into the paint. He did a solid job of that in this one. He made some things happen on the offensive end with a tough bucket through contact for an And-1 and he also had a tough fallaway jumper in the paint. He has a way to go, but the rookie has some game.
Kennedy Chandler: B
For an undersized guard, Chandler knows how to get his shot off. He was impressive with his offensive ability in this one. The Sixers have to wonder if he can eventually do enough to earn a spot in the NBA.
Johni Broome
The rookie has a nice touch around the basket. He was able to find an open spot in the paint, make the catch in traffic, and finish. There is some legitimate skill there and the Sixers have to tap into that.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers drop home preseason matchup with visiting Magic
