Instant Observations: Joel Embiid Struggles in Season Debut, 76ers Fall to Knicks in NBA Cup Matchup

The Philadelphia 76ers opened up group play in the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup with a 111-99 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.

Joel Embiid made his season debut, finishing with a measly 13 points, three rebounds and five assists. Paul George finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jared McCain scored 23 points off the bench. Tyrese Maxey (right hamstring strain) was the lone player out for the Sixers.

The Knicks were led by OG Anunoby, who finished with 24 points and six rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns totaled 21 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. without Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery) and Precious Achiuwa (left hamstring strain).

The Sixers next take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Here are some instant observations from the loss to the Knicks.

Likes:

– George has been underwhelming offensively since returning to the floor after missing time with a left knee bone bruise. He had his best game of the season, leading the Sixers on both ends of the floor. He effectively spaced the floor, knocking down 7 of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Considering Embiid’s rust and Maxey missing this contest with a hamstring injury, the Sixers needed George to carry the load offensively. For the first time this season, the Sixers received the type of offensive performance they expected when inking George to a four-year, $211.5 million contract this past offseason. His performance was made all the more impressive when considering the matchup against a tough Knicks defense.

The nine-time All-Star also showcased his defensive versatility against the Knicks. He played a large role in limiting Jalen Brunson to one of his worst games of the season. The Sixers’ perimeter defense between George and Caleb Martin has the potential to be something special. The two forwards combined to record seven steals, effectively disrupting the Knicks’ offense.

– With each passing game, McCain continues to impress and make a name for himself at the NBA level. He is one of the Sixers’ best pure sharpshooters, something that was his go-to skill coming out of college. While he can knock down 3-pointers at a high level, his strength and finishing ability have surprised many so far this season.

McCain’s jumper was not falling against New York, but he made up for it with a relentless ability to attack the basket. He nearly dunked on Anunoby, leading to a foul call and a pair of points from the free-throw line. McCain found success as a driver, attacking off the dribble and finishing through contact.

https://t.co/bvSeNWTykq pic.twitter.com/UDigJUTF9B

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2024

McCain at times was the engine of the Sixers’ offense. The 20-year old scored or assisted on the Sixers’ final nine points of the third quarter. His jumper was not falling for much of the night, but McCain continued to fire them up. He was rewarded for his confidence as the shots began to fall in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get the Sixers a win. Overall, McCain went from being on the fringe of the rotation at the start of the season to having a solidified spot as one of the first players off the bench. There is no reason why he should not see at least 20 minutes on the floor per game.

Dislikes:

– Embiid, making his season debut, was clearly out of rhythm against the Knicks. He looked hesitant and lacked aggression with the ball in his hands. His first points of the game came on a pair of free throws with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter. The big fella had no juice offensively throughout the night. He was unable either to take his man off the dribble or establish himself and punish the Knicks in the paint. The results were far too many jumpers, especially on a night where his shot was way off. While Embiid is clearly going to have to shake off some rust, the Sixers simply need a better effort offensively from Embiid in order to start stringing together some wins. Unfortunately, the Sixers do not have much breathing room considering their 2-7 start to the season.

While Embiid did not make any impact as a scorer, he found other ways to make his presence felt. The Sixers used Embiid as a screener, such when they ran a Chicago action to get McCain an open 3-pointer.

big fella ➡️ the rook. pic.twitter.com/EOJ7Gw9Cwl

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2024

Irregardless of what Embiid does as a scorer, having him on the floor is a net positive for the Sixers. Players like McCain are going to feast on the open looks playing next to Embiid provides.

– Guerschon Yabusele was perhaps due for some regression back to the mean. He came into this game shooting 43.2% from 3-point range. The French native had his worst shooting game of the season, knocking down just one of his seven shot attempts. Hopefully this poor shooting night is something he will quickly recover from and not a sign of things to come.

With the way the Sixers’ roster is constructed, they will need to rely a lot on Yabusele to play a mixture of small-ball center and stretch four minutes. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters before the game he expects Yabusele to play more minutes at power forward with Embiid back on the floor. Yabusele’s floor spacing ability will be critical to his chances of making a positive impact as a stretch four.

– The Sixers will be in rough shape filling out their point guard rotation until Maxey returns from his hamstring injury. Kyle Lowry has played well this season, but the 19-year veteran is only capable of so much. Behind him Nurse has turned to Jeff Dowtin Jr., and the results have been mixed. Dowtin played 23 minutes in the win over the Charlotte Hornets, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds and one steal. However, his production sank against the Knicks. He went scoreless, finishing with one rebound, one assist and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench.