October 06, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jaylen Brown only needed 13 shots to score 22 points in his Sixers preseason debut.
PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers' preseason opener on Monday night was geared to be all about Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe, who are suddenly very close friends.
"I love VJ already. That’s one of my favorite people in the world, and we just met," Brown said after the game "VJ is going to be great, and I’m excited to help him continue to thrive. But his talent level is off the charts."
What did Edgecombe think of that comment?
"That's cute, Jaylen," Edgecombe said. "That's my dog. I love Jaylen, man. That’s someone I actually lean on for information. He’s super smart. He’s got that Cal Berkeley education, man. That’s someone I lean on. He’s a really great person. Yeah, that's my dog. Like [we're] actually really cool. Which is shocking because, what month is it? October. He just [joined the team] like two months ago. Yeah, it’s crazy."
A slew of highlight reels and clips of note from the first preseason game of the year, beginning with Brown and Edgecombe:
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse indicated before the game that his key players would appear for a half. Brown logged 17 minutes, casually scoring 22 points on 13 shots. He was extremely aggressive; Nurse's lineup was created to empower him to be that way with Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and Joel Embiid sidelined:
Jaylen Brown scored 22 points on 13 shots in 17 minutes in his Sixers preseason debut, aggressively hunting his own shot in a lineup centered around himself and VJ Edgecombe: pic.twitter.com/IJvQkulaKB
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
After the game, Brown highlighted his desire to play at the fastest pace possible.
"I think that’s something we’ve been harping but that’s also something that I feel like is advantageous for our group," Brown said. "You've got a lot of guys who have speed and who can beat guys off the bounce to create an advantage. We've got to continue to encourage to just throw it ahead and once you beat your guy, make the right play. It just creates more space and it makes us harder to guard. We've got so many talented players. We want to make sure that we keep that ball moving and hopping and then we’re playing with a certain pace. When the game slows down when it has to in the fourth quarter, that’s fine. But the first three quarters, we should be up and down.”
MORE: After one exhibition, Sixers could lose Ariel Hukporti to season-ending injury
Edgecombe has made enormous strides as a ball-handler and passer since he finished his time at Baylor. Just 18 months ago, it would have been unfathomable that Edgecombe was successfully running point at the NBA level. But he was effectively the Sixers' backup point guard last season and started there on Monday, collecting seven assists in one half of action.
VJ Edgecombe started at point guard in the Sixers' preseason opener and collected seven assists: pic.twitter.com/4gyxCLUtTV
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
"He's made a step forward. I think just in general, it just feels like he's better than he was a year ago," Nurse said. "I think that his handle is getting him through some tighter gaps down the lane. Once he punches through, he's going to be in the air. So that's important, I think, for him getting to the basket, which I think he's really good at. We just need him to do it more often."
MORE: Will Labaron Philon Jr. be traded before deadline?
Ever since he landed in Philadelphia, the Sixers have been telling Walker to keep shooting threes, and to do so with confidence. An early-season slump made it harder for him to keep that up last season; he had a few standout showings but did not attract attention on the perimeter.
On Monday night, though, Walker's three-point release looked noticeably quicker. He made three of his five long-range tries and registered a double-double off the bench:
Jabari Walker was the Sixers' best reserve in Monday's preseason opener, showing off a three-point release meaningfully quicker than it was a year ago.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
11 points (3-5 3P)
11 rebounds pic.twitter.com/0mVI4U9DSh
After the game, Walker was visibly excited discussing his jumper.
"Man, can't really even explain how much work has gone into it. But a lot of mental work has went into it as well, just the confidence to shoot it. My teammates have seen me do it a lot of times, and now it's just about me understanding that it's the best shot for our team sometimes, and I'm a good shooter. I deserve to shoot that," Walker said. "So I think I just kind of took the pressure off myself this offseason. I said, ‘I'm going to go in here and just be confident, let the work show,’ and I continue doing that... It is [gratifying]. But it's tricky because you don't want that success to make you comfortable. So it's just another day for me, and I'll be in the gym tomorrow trying to figure out ways to get better. But it's cool to see that it's paying off that early. Now I’ve got to take it to another level."
MORE: Brown stars, Ariel Hukporti suffers ominous injury in Sixers' preseason opener
A batch of extra clips and reels:
Labaron Philon Jr. shot 2-for-9 from the field in his first preseason game, but Sixers head coach Nick Nurse liked the rookie's performance on Monday. On his second basket, Philon's ability to reset a possession and create a shot on his own was evident: pic.twitter.com/ZAAdnsE5K7
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
In addition to collecting six assists, Sixers two-way guard Caleb Love knocked down three triples in Monday's preseason opener: pic.twitter.com/jBFd7Sje3R
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
The Sixers must focus on their spacing in lineups centered around Jaylen Brown, whose best work comes in the middle of the floor. This is a good place to start, resulting in a Caleb Love three-pointer: pic.twitter.com/0aLvMWPFYC
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
Good luck stopping a downhill VJ Edgecombe without a back-line rim protector. An interesting look at the benefits of going five-out in a small-ball lineup: pic.twitter.com/VJgFt9G0gZ
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
Jaylen Brown draws two defenders, Dean Wade makes a smart cut and Ariel Hukporti makes a good passing read: pic.twitter.com/QfGYgP3FpK
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 6, 2026
