Jaylen Brown made a strong first impression in his Philadelphia 76ers debut, scoring 22 points in a 120-97 preseason victory over the New York Knicks. After the game, Brown focused on getting valuable game reps, building chemistry with his new teammates and establishing the right approach for the season.
“It felt good to get out and play against somebody else,” Brown said after playing 17 minutes. “Just getting some game reps, getting some conditioning, you know, against some other bodies. We’ve been beating each other up in practice, in training camp.”
Brown was particularly enthusiastic about playing alongside VJ Edgecombe, who finished with 12 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 20 minutes.
“I love VJ already. Like, it’s one of my favorite people in the world and we just met,” Brown said. “VJ is going to be great and I’m excited to help him continue to thrive, but his talent level is off the charts.”
Brown also explained why he believes the two can complement each other on the court.
“I think we kind of see the game similarly,” he said. “We try to get the spots that we want to get to and we have some similar viewpoint. So even when we talking to each other we like on the same page.”
The veteran forward also praised Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who joined Philadelphia during the offseason and scored seven points against New York.
“I played against KCP for a long time in different uniforms and every single one he’s been a dog,” Brown said. “Guards takes the tough matchups, guards the best players. He’s guarded me a lot of times.”
Brown added that Caldwell-Pope’s ability to make open shots and connect different parts of a team should be valuable for Philadelphia.
“Then his shots when he’s open and also just is a great connector for your team,” Brown said. “So, I’m looking forward to being on the same side of him this year and we look forward to his leadership.”
Brown also outlined the style he wants the 76ers to play, emphasizing pace and ball movement.
“We got a lot of guys who have speed and can beat guys off the bounce, create an advantage,” he said. “We got to continue to encourage to just throw it ahead.”
“Once you beat your guy, make the right play, and just it creates more space. It makes us harder to guard. We got so many talented players.”
Brown said Philadelphia should maintain that tempo early in games, even if the pace naturally slows late.
“During the first three quarters, we should be up and down,” he said. “We want to make sure that we keep that ball moving and hopping and we playing with a certain pace.”
The new 76ers star also praised Jabari Walker, who recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
“I love Jabar. Jabari’s been great. He’s been awesome. He’s been doing his job,” Brown said. “He’s been hitting shots. He’s been rebounding defensively and offensively.”
Brown finished his first Philadelphia appearance by making clear what he wants to accomplish with his new team.
“I’m happy to be here and it’s an honor,” Brown said. “I just get out there and I put my best foot forward. I’m going to leave it all out on the floor and I’m here to win.”
“Just building a winning environment, you know, is great. So I’m looking forward to doing that here. But I’m happy to be here.”
