When the story of the Philadelphia 76ers' Opening Night showdown against the New York Knicks is placed in the annals of basketball history, it will unquestionably go down as a marquee night for Philly's finest.
LeBron James got to ruin the team he almost joined in free agency's ring night. Nick Nurse – and everyone else – got revenge for how last season's playoffs shook out. And at 1-0, the 76ers are already being called the best team in the Eastern Conference.
But what if the 76ers are actually just getting warmed up, with plenty of room to keep growing and getting better? Well, that's how Jaylen Brown felt after his first game with the 76ers, a sign that this team really does have a chance to do something special when everything is said and done.
Article Continues Below“I think it was just OK. We got a lot of room for growth, room for improvement…” Brown said via ESPN's Kris Rhim. “We're not even at the tip of the iceberg in terms of hitting chemistry… So it's a good sign that we can win while still being at that early stage.”
While the 76ers' offense and defense both did enough to take down the reigning and defending champs, humbling Jalen Brunson by his own admission, their 3-point shot didn't fall at nearly a high enough clip to feel good about it, with only Anfernee Simmons hitting more than three triples as the team's total percentage sat at 28%. Fortunately, even James noted the 76ers have the shooters to be successful, and when they start hitting, things have the potential to get downright scary.