76ers: Which Frontcourt Players Changed Stock in 2023 Preseason?

Stock up, stock down: How did Philadelphia 76ers frontcourt players affect their stock during the 2023 NBA Preseason?

Coming back from a 17-point deficit, the Philadelphia 76ers closed out their preseason with a victory against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday. With that game wrapped up, Philadelphia is now preparing for its regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Following four games worth of action, the Sixers got a good look at their squad in a limited capacity. While the preseason serves a different purpose for players on the roster, the meaningless schedule of games can offer a sneak peek at possible improvements and declines.

Some players improved their stock during the preseason, while others didn’t meet expectations. In addition, some seasoned veterans didn’t have much to prove, as they already had enough success during the regular season, leaving their stocks unchanged.

Below, we’ll take a look at the performances of members of the 76ers’ front court. 

Stock Up, Stock Down

Joel Embiid during the 2023 NBA Playoffs in the second round.  / USA Today

Joel Embiid

Unfortunately, viewers only got a chance to see Embiid in action for one of the four games. As Embiid got a rest night in the opening matchups against the Boston Celtics, he was expected to make his 2023 preseason debut last Monday against the Brooklyn Nets. Feeling under the weather, Embiid held off until the team’s season finale against the Atlanta Hawks.

To no surprise, Embiid was rusty, and his shooting touch was off. He shot an inefficient 3-12 from the field in 33 minutes of action. However, Embiid feasted at the free throw line, scoring 14 of his 21 points from the charity stripe. He also had five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks. The fact of the matter is that you don’t need to see Embiid during the preseason, as he established himself as an NBA MVP last season. Is a slight decline coming? Or is Embiid going to be right back in MVP contention? Only the regular season will tell you that much.

Verdict: Stock Unchanged

Mo Bamba wearing his Sixers uniform at media day.  / USA Today

Mo Bamba

In an ideal world, the Sixers get quality minutes out of Mo Bamba as Joel Embiid’s primary backup, moving Paul Reed to the power forward position, where he would split time with the veteran PJ Tucker. Bamba’s preseason made it hard to justify throwing him in the rotation to begin the regular season.

By game three, Bamba wasn’t making an appearance until the late stages of the matchup. In the preseason finale, Bamba picked up a DNP. Experience played into Bamba’s favor during training camp, but his preseason struggles called for Nick Nurse to explore the unknown in a player like Filip Petrusev, who will make his NBA debut after spending a couple of years as an overseas stash.

Verdict: Stock Down

76ers forward Tobias Harris preparing for a matchup / USA Today

Tobias Harris

The veteran sharpshooter looks forward to playing in a new system for the first time in a few years. Under Doc Rivers, Harris had a very specific role when the team was healthy, but he constantly had to adjust. In a sense, Harris was limited while playing under Doc Rivers.

Harris hopes to gain more of a prominent role under Nick Nurse in 2023-2024. His preseason showing was similar to years past. In an average of 26 minutes of action, Harris put up 13 points per game. He lacked efficiency from the field, draining just 39.6 of his shots, and knocking down only 26.7 percent of his threes. For a player like Harris, preseason is just an opportunity to get into the swing of a long season. He didn’t have much to prove. But if you were looking for a different player — for better or for worse — you didn’t find that.

Verdict: Stock Unchanged

Filip Petrusev wearing his Sixers jersey at 2023 NBA media day.  / USA Today

Filip Petrusev

Two Summer League runs with the 76ers didn’t help Petrusev’s case of becoming an everyday rotational player at the NBA level. Even overseas, Petrusev had underwhelming stretches at times. In an odd way, the low expectations surrounding Petrusev helped him.

The Serbian second-round pick didn’t need to go above and beyond to stand out. He simply needed to blend in, playing a complementary role, and he did just that. While Petrusev picked up late minutes in the first preseason outing, the combination of his decent showing and Bamba’s struggles helped the former Gonzaga standout earn more favorable minutes in the rotation over the next two games. While Petrusev didn’t get to play in every preseason outing ahead of his rookie effort, he left a decent impression.

Verdict: Stock Up

Paul Reed during pregame warmups.  / USA Today

Paul Reed

“Bball Paul” has a reputation for wanting to do a little bit of everything always. Doc Rivers wanted to see him do the opposite, strictly hammering down a specific role with little margin for error. Nurse took a much different approach, showing signs of wanting to expand Reed’s role. At first, the veteran center looked like he was pressing. Once he took a step back and re-evaluated his approach, and let the game come to him, Reed started to figure it out. 

Across four games, with three appearances as a starter, Reed averaged 21 minutes on the floor. He put up 9.8 points per game, making half of his attempts from the floor. The stretch-five experiment wasn’t great, but Reed showed a little more range with a decent jump shot. As always, his value in the rebounding department was on full display. 

Verdict: Stock Up

PJ Tucker during the Sixers' 2023 second-round playoff series.  / USA Today

PJ Tucker

Following his first season in Philadelphia, Tucker faced criticism from the fan base for his lack of scoring during the regular season. When the playoffs rolled around, he changed the narrative a bit as he showed his true value to the team, bringing veteran toughness on the defensive end of the floor and showing a willingness to get in the ears of his teammates and lead vocally.

The preseason went just about as you would expect for Tucker. He did some running around and didn’t post much on the scoring front, considering he took just two shots per game in three outings. He’s been in the league since 2006. The preseason serves one purpose for Tucker, which is to allow him to get some live conditioning in. Many don’t even worry about what Tucker brings to the table in the regular season, so there surely isn’t much being made about his production in the preseason. 

Verdict: Stock Unchanged