BrandonBrownOfficial

5 takeaways from 76ers/Bulls 1. 👑 LeBron James responds. After a forgettable 8-PT homecoming to Cleveland for LeBron, he responded in Chicago with a season-high 22 points. Right from the opening tip, you could tell LeBron was going to be in attack mode to start this game. The first play of the contest was an immediate post-up on Buzelis. He came up short, but then found his rhythm in the second quarter where he scored 13 points and was getting it done inside and out. Today was a nice change of approach, as we got to see our first glimpse of scoring-mode 76ers LeBron. He played with a little more edge and anger today. Amidst his Sixers scoring-high however, his play of the game came down the stretch in the clutch, when he found Maxey for an opposite wing triple after losing control of the ball going up. A ridiculous pass. Predictably, much noise was made following the Cavs dud, but LeBron did what he has always done his entire career — bounce back. 2. 💪 Jaylen Brown was the steadying force. Today, more than ever before, JB felt like the guy that had all the answers to the offensive test. Every time the 76ers needed a bucket, it seemed like he was the one who was right there ready to go. He knocked down a huge corner triple to halt the Bulls’ 4th Q run. He consistently got to his patented midrange game all game, and was surgical with his decision making. Probably my favorite Brown performance of the season to this point. 3. 📊 Embiid’s complicated bounce back. Joel is in the midst of the worst shooting start to a season he’s ever had. To be fair, he also just doesn’t seem to be moving that great. The combination of the two has led to a wide range of outcomes and results. There are moments where he’s punishing mismatches, forcing double-teams, and making the right reads. But, there are also moments where he’s getting knocked off his spot, forcing passes into traffic, and having unsuccessful grifting attempts that create easy offense for the opponent. Nonetheless, Joel is gifted and talented enough to still make a huge impact on winning when he’s out there, despite the current limitations in efficiently and mobility. 18-10-5-2 is nothing to sneeze at on a team with this much firepower, and we’ll continue to monitor his shooting, availability, and overall movement. 4. 🤫 Maxey kills quietly. The Tyrese experience has been a joy this season. I still marvel at his ability to so easily put together great games without seemingly breaking a sweat. It didn’t even feel like he had a moment today, yet you look up and he’s at 27-4-7. I’ve said it before, but these are all the signs of a superstar. He’s becoming such a sure thing and a given. The others trust him with the ball and his ball security is off the charts for a guy who’s on the ball as much as him. All in all, Maxey has been the go-to offensive engine on a team with elite scoring talent, and he continues to prove why that’s the case. 5. ✅ Jabari Walker needs to be the backup center. In what was a season-high 19 minutes, Jabari Walker had a near double-double off the bench (11/9). With Bona out with a neck injury, we finally got to see Walker in an extended-minutes bench role, something I have been waiting for all season. He didn’t disappoint. He has shades of Montrezl Harrell in his game. It starts with his hands and inside finishing. He catches and finishes in tight windows. He’s mobile and he’s always active. He creates numerous 2nd chance opportunities for an offense that severely lacks offensive rebounding. He can also spread the floor. The 76ers don’t have a perfect option behind Embiid in the short-term, but Walker is the best option they currently have. Nurse said he’s not ready to play Walker over Bona, but I hope a performance like tonight can bring him closer to changing his mind.