Takeaways from the Sixers Home Opener Loss Against the Milwaukee Bucks

The 76ers opened their season last night in Philadelphia against the Milwaukee Bucks, but things didn't go as planned. They had tons of injuries with Jack O’Lantern grins, gaps where there should have been, and—in the coming days—NBA All-Stars. Joel Embiid did not play, and neither did Paul George. It was a rough night for this team. They played well with the pieces they had in place but still suffered a loss. The Bucks took the victory with a score of 124-109. Here are the top takeaways from this game. 

1. Tyrese Maxey is the Number One Option 

Tyrese Maxey stepped up in last night's game. Maxey had some trouble, but he did manage to pull it together. He struggled with efficiency, and he only got to the line four times due to the lack of calls. Maxey will continue to work on his floater game instead of getting to the rim and trying a shot blocker. This is what he is fantastic at. He needs to make adjustments instead of just doing the playthrough all the time. He’s a work in progress, but that said, he is pulling his weight for the team. 

2. The Lack of Size 

The 76ers are Giants, and despite this, one of their players was missing. It was hugely felt on the court. They did not have the larger bodies that they needed. With Embiid out for this game, KJ Martin received the start. At six-foot-six, he had to make the defenders work. He got into foul trouble pretty quickly. Following that, head coach, Nick Nurse put in Caleb Martin to wreak havoc on the court. 

3. The impact of Caleb Martin 

Martin was fantastic on Wednesday night. In his 76ers debut, he grabbed nine rebounds with five coming on the offensive end. There were several instances of him being an explosive player. He was a big part of Philadelphia pulling 17 offensive rebounds and he was also on the floor diving for the loose balls. He has already had a big impact on the 76ers.