Five observations from the 76ers' preseason game vs. Miami Heat
Justtin Anderson has a chance to contend with Jahlil Okafor as team's most improved player.
KANSAS CITY – Key takeaways from the 76ers' 119-95 win over the Miami Heat Friday at the Sprint Center.
It appears that Joel Embiid and Hassan Whiteside are developing into Eastern Conference archrivals – at least that's what it looked like afterwards. The two centers were civil on the court and even shared a smile after Embiid was called for a foul. After the play, Embiid made eye contact with Whiteside, who was on the bench, and they both chuckled. However, they went at each other hard on Twitter following the game.
J.J. Redick showed why the Sixers were willing to give him $23 million this season. The shooting guard made 5 of 6 three-pointers en route to scoring a co-game-high 19 points in 20 minutes, 2 seconds. This was far from an isolated thing. Redick made 12 of 14 three-pointers in the preseason.
Maybe Ben Simmons is right about being able to get to the rim whenever he wants. The Sixers point guard was hard to stop from doing that versus the Heat. He finished with a co-team-high 19 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
It's too early to throw dirt on Nik Stauskas. The reserve shooting guard had his best outing on the preseason Friday night. He scored 11 points on 5-foot-7 shooting. One of his highlights was an explosive dunk. Stauskas had been struggling mightily before facing the Heat.
Justin Anderson has a chance to contend with Jahlil Okafor for the team's most improved player. The reserve swingman has been working hard in the offseason, shedding weight and improving his outside shot. He gave the Heat a glimpse Friday, making 2 of 3 three-pointers and finishing with eight points and two steals in 15:20.