3 Players to Watch in Sixers' Preseason Battle vs. Celtics

The Sixers will face the Celtics for a preseason battle on Wednesday night. Here are three players to keep an eye on.

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are hit with another opportunity to prepare for next season as they are set to take on the Boston Celtics for another preseason battle.

When the Sixers kicked off their preseason run on Sunday, they paid a visit to Boston for their first set of action following a week-long training session in Colorado. 

Rolling out a Joel Embiid, James Harden-less lineup, the Sixers fared well with Tyrese Maxey running the show and trailed by just two points heading into the half while facing Boston’s key rotations.

The game slipped away from Philadelphia in the fourth quarter as the recently re-signed Payton Pritchard put on a masterclass for the Celtics. Scoring 16 points in 12 minutes, Pritchard led the Celtics on a 33-26 run to close out the matchup with a 114-106 win.

Philadelphia will get another crack at the Celtics on Wednesday, this time in front of their home fans. Once again, the Sixers will be down a few players, as Embiid, Harden, and the injured Furkan Korkmaz have been ruled out for the night.

With another opportunity for players to showcase themselves as the rotations get sorted out for the regular season, here are a few key names to keep an eye out for in Wednesday’s matchup.

3 Key Players to Watch vs. Celtics

Jaden Springer during 76ers' 2023 media day.  / USA Today

1. Jaden Springer

Aside from the unsurprising 24-point outing from Tyrese Maxey, Jaden Springer was likely the most impressive player on the floor for Philadelphia the other night. While a lot of that has to do with the fact that Springer brings a lot of unknowns to the table, it shouldn’t take away from his performance.

In 23 minutes of action, Springer put up seven shots from the field, knocking down all but two of them. He launched two threes, knocking them both down. Springer led the Sixers’ bench in scoring with 14 points. The young guard was active, getting his hands on the ball and playing aggressive defense.

Springer was credited a lot last season for the intensity he brought to the floor during practice, but most of his gameplay came in the G League. If Springer wants a spot in the Sixers’ rotation next season, he needs to show consistency in the preseason. We’ll see how he follows up on Sunday’s showing on Wednesday night.

Filip Petrusev during the Sixers' Summer League run in 2022.  / USA Today

2. Filip Petrusev

Taken in the same NBA Draft as Springer, Filip Petrusev got off to a similar start with his professional career. Although Springer has 18 more NBA games under his belt, Petrusev has been working on his game overseas over the last two years while competing with the Sixers in the Summer League.

For the most part, Petrusev’s Summer League showings were overshadowed by his peers. He didn’t generate a ton of noise for his preseason debut on Sunday either, but in a way, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Petrusev was quietly solid against the Celtics in the opener. He stuck to the bench for the first three-quarters of the matchup before getting the nod to close out the game, playing in the entire fourth quarter. During his 12-minute shift, Petrusev made all three of his shots, which came in the paint, scoring six points. He also tacked on two assists. Defensively, he came down with three rebounds.

This offseason, the Sixers loaded up on depth at the center position. While they lost Montrezl Harrell to a knee injury, Petrusev will still battle against the two young veterans, Mo Bamba and Paul Reed. Neither of those guys stood out for the right reasons on Sunday night, which is a plus for Petrusev. It will be an uphill battle to crack a spot in the rotation, but Petrusev is off to an interesting start.

Kelly Oubre Jr. during Sixers' 2023 media day.  / USA Today

3. Kelly Oubre

So far, Kelly Oubre has said all of the right things since throwing on a Sixers uniform. Now, it’s time for the words to translate into on-court production. You’ve probably heard by now that Sunday’s performance was the typical “Kelly Oubre experience.”

He did some great things while also making some questionable decisions on the court. At this point in his career, Oubre has proven what he can bring to the table, but only on a team with low expectations. With the Charlotte Hornets last season, Oubre put up some impressive numbers, averaging 20 points per game in an average of 32 minutes of action.

It’s difficult to imagine Oubre will collect 30 minutes of playing time on a nightly basis. Nobody expects him to come to the Sixers and mirror that same production he had in Charlotte. In Philly, Oubre is taking on a complementary role. After a six-point performance in 13 minutes off the bench on Sunday, Oubre will be a player to watch as he’s a prospect that could be key in Philly’s everyday rotation this season.