By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
It's been a longer summer of waiting, but tonight the Philadelphia 76ers will finally take the floor for game action. The Sixers will play host to the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at the Wells Fargo Center and the atmosphere is going to be electric. This Sixers team will have a much different look than last year with free agent additions and rookie debuts highlighting game one of the teams' preseason slate.
Joel Embiid and Dario Saric will not be playing while Amir Johnson is questionable. Let's take a look at six things to watch for in tonight's preseason opener, which will air on The Comcast Network at 7:00 p.m.:
Ben Simmons: This one goes without saying. After fracturing his foot in training camp last year, Ben Simmons sat out the entirety of the 2016-17 season. Now 1000 percent, Simmons will take the roll of being the Sixers' primary-ball handler and fans got to see a sneak peak of this during the teams' scrimmage at the Palestra over the weekend. Simmons' court vision is filthy, finding open teammates on the perimeter and in the paint. He can take over a game too. Sure, it was just a scrimmage, but the former LSU product scored 14 of his 23 points in Sunday's scrimmage in the fourth quarter. Tonight, like last year's Summer League, it'll be interesting to see Simmons' comfort with the mid-range game. He looked hesitant to shoot it last year and just looked extremely off on Sunday. He's still very young with a ton of time to improve, so tonight should be a fun glimpse of a guy who could very well develop into a dominant NBA player.
Markelle Fultz: This year's No. 1 pick has flown under the radar after injuring his ankle early in Summer League action, but we got to see him play in Sunday's scrimmage both on and off the ball with Ben Simmons. Tonight will be an important one for Fultz for a number of reasons. Many believe the star out of Washington needs to bulk up a bit to be an effective NBA player, so it will be interesting to watch how he drives into the lane for a layup or if he'll be more passive and settle for mid-range jumpers. Over the last few days, there's been a lot of talk about Fultz altering his shot and head coach Brett Brown said that while he's impressed that Fultz is looking for ways to improve, his jump shot didn't need a whole lot of work to begin with. Tonight, we'll see if Markelle made any adjustments to his new form or just reverts back to his normal shot.
Furkan Korkmaz: Last week, you wouldn't imagine Korkmaz's name to be on this list, but he's earned a spot on it after a spectacular performance in Sunday's scrimmage. During the Summer League, Korkmaz got his first taste of NBA action and looked very out of place, both offensively and defensively. On Sunday during the Blue vs. White scrimmage, Korkmaz looked like a completely different player, looking much more comfortable offensively with some visible defensive improvement as well. Korkmaz, selected late in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft, scored 18 points in scrimmage, with the majority of the baskets coming on catch-and-shoot three's.
“Holy [bleep], he just came out of nowhere,” Redick said after the scrimmage. “It’s funny, because, during the course of practice, some of those guys aren’t getting as many reps, and today we all sort of played the same amount, and he played great.
Despite Korkmaz's strong play, there's not a defined role for him and he's expected to spend a chunk of time in Delaware with the Sixers' G-League affiliate.
Jahlil Okafor: In Jahlil Okafor's rookie season, he flashed signs of greatness on offense. Defense was never his specialty. He missed the last part of his rookie season with a meniscus tear and it lingered throughout the 2016-17 season. Okafor started the season as the Sixers' back-up center but ended up behind Richaun Holmes on the depth chart by season's end due to inconsistent play and continuing knee issues. Things have changed though. This offseason, Okafor became vegan, slimmed down and is no longer experiencing effects of his meniscus issue. He told reporters during media day that last season his knee was on his mind, but now that he's healthy and is taking better care of his body, he feels much more comfortable and can play care-free basketball without fear of injury. Jah looked good in Sunday's scrimmage, driving into the post for a few layups while also not looking completely out of place on defense. As he gets into his first game action tonight for a while, he'll need to show improvements on defense if he plans to earn the spot as the Sixers' back-up going into Opening Night against Washington. Okafor definitely deserves credit for remaining so professional during the process of being on the trade market and hopefully the critics will light a fire in him and we'll see the player that was so dominant in college at the NBA level.
JJ Redick - By far the biggest offseason addition was the signing of veteran guard JJ Redick to a one-year, $23 million contract. With a guy like Redick on the team, the Sixers not only gain the perimeter shooting threat they've been looking for, but also a phenomenal leader for the young players.
"When I found out JJ was signing with us, I was just happy," Ben Simmons said in a recent Sixers video online. "It's another vet to be a leader and a great player."
Redick showed off his silky-smooth shooting touch in Sunday's scrimmage, but he had a hard time getting the ball otherwise, telling reporters afterwards that he's still getting used to his role on the team.
“I’m not a guy who has the ball in his hands a ton,” said Redick, who spent the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. “I’m not a ball-dominant player. So I can’t just go to a new situation and have it be the same as it was my previous place.
The preseason will be a good adjusting period for Redick and his young peers, as they'll all work to find the best places to get the veteran sharpshooter the ball.
“We’re not even close to where we could be,” Simmons said of playing with Redick. “It’s exciting, though. I’m learning a lot from him. Keep-it-simple things. The way he comes off a pick, where he wants the ball."
