For the third time in their first four games, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against an Eastern Conference contender, hosting the Detroit Pistons Sunday night. Without Joel Embiid (right plantar fasciitis management) and VJ Edgecombe (abdomen), the Sixers hoped LeBron James' return would be enough to keep their undefeated start alive.
However, Philadelphia's remaining stars largely failed to deliver, and the Sixers suffered their first loss of the season, 106-93.
Here's what stood out.
Without Embiid and Edgecombe, Nick Nurse turned to Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup. There weren't many other options, but that didn't make the Sixers any less undersized, particularly against a Pistons team that has made physicality a major part of its identity.
Even without Jalen Duren, Detroit had little trouble asserting itself on the glass, outrebounding Philadelphia 54-37, including allowing 15 offensive boards that led to 24 second-chance points.
There's a pretty significant difference between deploying LeBron as the team's defensive center with Embiid roaming behind him and asking James and Wade to function as an actual NBA frontcourt. The Sixers found that out the hard way Sunday night.
Philadelphia wasn't just losing the battle on the boards because of its size, either. The Pistons were quicker to loose balls, more aggressive establishing position and generally more willing to do the dirty work. Detroit dictated the physicality of the game, and the Sixers had few answers.
Adem Bona, to his credit, responded well after Nurse opted against starting him, providing some much-needed energy off the bench. He finished with 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards, and three blocks, showing the kind of activity Philadelphia desperately needed.
Unfortunately, Bona's performance was also a reminder of why Nurse has been reluctant to rely on him. His athleticism and activity can make a difference, but his inconsistent decision-making and struggles securing rebounds continue to limit his effectiveness.
Even with those issues, Bona was the Sixers' only available traditional center, and there is still value in having someone on the floor who approaches screening, cutting and rebounding like an actual big man.
The Sixers entered the season with questionable frontcourt depth, and that situation has only become more concerning. Between Embiid's uncertain availability and the team's lack of reliable alternatives, it's becoming increasingly difficult to imagine Philadelphia making it through the season without addressing the position.
Since his preseason debut, LeBron has looked fairly passive, aside from a critical second half against the Cavaliers that notably turned the tide of that game. He was considerably more aggressive to start against Detroit, but struggled to score and missed several early opportunities at the line.
Despite living in a world of extremes, it's possible to acknowledge that James remains an impressive talent, especially for his age, while also recognizing that he's simply not as quick as he once was.
He's no longer consistently beating defenders off the dribble and is instead relying more heavily on his remaining strength to muscle his way into scoring opportunities. That doesn't mean he can't still be effective, but it does change what the Sixers can reasonably expect from him offensively.
James finished with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting, along with five assists, but those numbers don't tell the full story. His efficiency was respectable, yet he struggled to consistently create separation and put pressure on Detroit's defense, particularly when Philadelphia needed someone to take control early.
Brown, meanwhile, had arguably his most frustrating offensive performance of the young season, finishing with 16 points on just 5-of-20 shooting.
There will be nights when shots simply don't fall, but Brown's struggles were particularly damaging given the circumstances. Without Embiid and Edgecombe, Philadelphia needed its remaining stars to shoulder more of the offensive responsibility, and Brown simply wasn't able to provide enough.
Integrating Brown into the offense was always going to be a process, particularly alongside players as ball-dominant as Maxey, LeBron and Embiid. But Sunday wasn't simply a matter of chemistry. Brown had opportunities to make an impact and struggled to capitalize on them.
In theory, LeBron, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown should be enough star power to secure a win, but the names don't matter when they're not playing like stars, which in this game was the case for LeBron and Brown.
Maxey, at least, made a serious attempt to keep Philadelphia alive, finishing with 29 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter. The Sixers managed to cut what had been a 21-point deficit to just four, but by that point, they had already spent far too much of the night trying to recover from their own mistakes.
Detroit eventually responded, with Duncan Robinson helping put the game away as the Pistons handed Philadelphia its first loss of the season.
The Sixers (3-1) will have two days off before traveling to Indiana to face the Pacers on Wednesday. Philadelphia will then return home Friday for a rematch against the New York Knicks, who the Sixers defeated in their season opener.
Tipoff against Indiana is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
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