The Process 2.0: Photos from the Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage
The Sixers debuted a new look with point forward and former first-overall pick Ben Simmons leading the way.
Simmons dishes out a no-look pass during the Sixers' pre-preseason Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage at the Palestra, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017.
Bobby Chen/BillyPennThe Process is over. Or perhaps it’s just beginning. Armed with consecutive first-overall picks in point forward Ben Simmons and guard Markelle Fultz, the new-look Sixers debuted new faces and new lineups as the team seeks its first playoff berth since the 2012-2013 season.
The Simmons-led Blue Team lost in overtime of the three-quarter scrimmage, 124-122. But the Sixers took home a win: no injuries.
Below is a look at new Sixers from the college game (Fultz), the international stage (Furkan Korkmaz), and veteran free agency (J.J. Reddick and Amir Johnson, along with the newly brought-on Emeka Okafor and Kris Humphries).
Point forward Ben Simmons slams home a dunk in the Sixers' intrasquad pre-preseason tilt at the Palestra. Simmons, who redshirted his first season with the team and who has not played competitive basketball since declaring for the 2016 draft from LSU, showed off almost everything but an outside shot. There were his trademark no-look passes. There were steals leading to coast-to-coast dunks. There were ambidextrous layups and finishes. There were dreamshakes in the post.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Simmons' fellow backcourt facilitator and first-overall pick Markelle Fultz will look to be the Sixers' second top pick in the last five years to actually play his first season. (Of his predecessors Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Ben Simmons, only Okafor played his rookie year.)
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
A challenge the Sixers face this season is reconciling the roles of Simmons and Fultz, both ball-dominant in-the-paint players who are used to being the primary facilator. After playing opposite each other for two quarters, Fultz joined Simmons on Blue Team for a glimpse into whether they can play next to each other. "They sure can coexist," head coach Brett Brown said. "I know that they really want to make it work."
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Simmons goes against power forward Dario Saric in the paint. The point forward will play primary facilitator and guard fours like Saric, Coach Brett Brown said at a preseason meeting with the media. General sentiment from Brown: dude is a monster. "He put it into another gear," Brown said of Simmons' scrimmage performance. "His breakaway speed, his ability to get to the rim with his size, or find others, is elite."
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
The Sixers' 2016 breakout star Joel Embiid – self-dubbed "The Process" – greets fans at the Palestra prior to the Blue-White scrimmage. Embiid, who was held out of the latter part of last season and most of this summer after knee surgery, returned to five-on-five practice last week.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Rookie guard Furkan Korkmaz drives past Sixers starting wing Robert Covington for a layup. The 20-year-old Korkmaz comes to the Sixers fresh from the 2017 EuroBasket, where he represented Turkey as a key bench contributor. Korkmaz, a 2016 first-round draft pick, rejoins his former Anadolu Efes teammate Dario Saric on the Sixers, bringing outside shooting as well deceptive athleticism and length, according to Coach Brett Brown. Also: see below for veteran JJ Reddick's impressions on Korkmaz's Blue-White performance.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
New to the team is veteran JJ Reddick. The perimeter sniper and career 42 percent 3-point shooter boosts a Sixers shooting unit that shot 34 percent from long range and represented the bottom of the league's offensive efficiency rating.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Veteran Amir Johnson scores on a layup. The stretch-four joins the Sixers from a Boston Celtics team that made the Eastern Conference finals, bringing the Sixers both rim protection and floor spacing.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
The Sixers' 2015 top pick Jahlil Okafor looks to be the odd man out in a crowded frontcourt of Embiid, Simmons, Saric, and Johnson. The classic back-to-the-basket style Okafor, who dropped weight this offseason to shift to a more mobile play style, showed off an outside shot and a three-pointer during the Blue-White scrimmage. It is unclear what role he will have on this 2017-2018 Sixers squad.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Newly signed Sixers Jacob Pullen (left), Emeka Okafor (center), and Kris Humphries (right).
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Sixers fans in Simmons jerseys wait in line for the Blue-White scrimmage at the Palestra.
Bobby Chen/BillyPenn
Review: Wawa Shore Tea is the drink everyone at your beach party will agree on
The biggest flaw might be that it’s too easy to drink.
When Philly had a championship-winning Black baseball team: Remembering the Philadelphia Stars
The franchise took top honors in the 1934 Negro National League season.
Comcast as key to Philly economy; Who’s behind the Sixers arena?; LCB workers got dibs on bourbon | Sunday roundup
Spring Garden is getting a 2-mile 'greenway' 🚴♀️
What to know about David Adelman, the billionaire leading the push to build a Sixers arena in Center City
A developer from Montgomery County, Adelman already handles one of the largest real estate portfolios in Philly.
UC Townhomes residents: We won’t give up without a fight
As the deadline to vacate the West Philly affordable housing complex nears, activists vow to continue pressing for a better plan.
The Ultimate Made in America Philly Weekend Giveaway
Presented by Visit Philadelphia and Billy Penn
Divine Lorraine is a Mint House hotel; MOVE victim remains returned; Vogue’s error-filled Philly guide | Morning roundup
Doing the weather with a Beyoncé twist ⛈️
Divine Lorraine is now officially a Mint House hotel, but tenants feel pushed aside
The historic North Broad landmark's full transition to hotel is supposed to take a year to complete. Meanwhile, apartments are still advertised as available.
Dear Vogue: If you’re going to highlight Philly, please do the work and get it right
There were at least five factual errors in the fashion mag’s recent feature about the city.
Debate over new Rittenhouse benches; Philly’s bad property assessments; Phillies add ‘Thor’ to lineup | Morning roundup
Who knew 65,000 people wanted a hoagie NFT? 🥖
The Phillies just upped their fun level with a zen-loving pitcher known as ‘Thor’
Who wants to join Noah Syndergaard’s book club?
The latest info on abortion rights in Pennsylvania, and who’s trying to take them away
Abortions are still legal in the commonwealth, but a lot depends on the November election.
Rittenhouse Square has 160 new benches with a built-in center bar. Is it an accessibility feature, or hostile architecture?
The nonprofit that maintains the park says there’s been a lot of positive feedback, but people experiencing homelessness feel targeted.
Sixers arena targets bus station; Rec centers as biz incubators; Pa. Supreme Court upholds mail voting | Morning roundup
$25 million in Ida flood relief 🌊
Pennsylvania officials need to track the use of algorithms, which already make important decisions about schools, funding, and criminal justice | Opinion
Rampant use of artificial intelligence can create new problems, with baked-in biases that can grow if unchecked.
Unused space at Philly rec centers will be offered to local entrepreneurs, who’ll get free rent in return for mentorship
Applications are now open to participate in the program, which also offers a grant to outfit the space.
Monkeypox vaccine tracking; How to get a recycling bin; When most carjackings happen | Morning roundup
Immersive exhibits are landing in Old City 🖼️
South Street police are getting an award for their response to the June shooting that injured 14 people, raising questions on the corridor
A friends group representing local civic associations wants to show appreciation for the officers who patrol the strip.
Preserving Philly’s history; Dead and dying mall tour; School worker hiring blitz | Morning roundup
Gardner Minshew's perfect off-season 🚍
A tour of dead and dying malls around Philadelphia, monuments to a bygone age
Some are dated and quaint. Others have undergone aesthetic “upgrades” that do little to stop their decline.