Philadelphia 76ers forward preaches patience after opening night loss, says they’re still learning

The Philadelphia 76ers failed to open the 2022-23 season with a victory. They played the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, losing the game 126-117.

P.J. Tucker, one of the newest members of the team, is not worried about the loss though. The 12-year veteran understands that the team will need more time to get used to playing together.

“Nobody wins a championship the first game of the season. We got a new team, everybody is still learning, we’re still figuring out. The thing is just learning from our mistakes."

Tucker spent 33 minutes on the floor, scoring six points along with four rebounds. While his stats weren't impressive, the 76ers know that the 6-foot-5 forward brings a lot more to the table than just scoring.

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Embiid-Harden duo will be crucial to 76ers' chances

Joel Embiid and James Harden both had great performances in the season opener. Last season, Harden appeared in only 21 regular-season games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.

Embiid and Harden now have the chance for a fresh start. The shooting guard took a $14 million pay cut in the summer. This allowed the Sixers to sign important players in the offseason, including Tucker.

Embiid and Harden combined for 61 points in the season opener.

The former MVP led the Philadelphia 76ers in scoring with 35 points. He was efficient, too, going 9 for 14 from the field, including 5 of 9 from the 3-point range. He also converted all of his 12 free throws.

Joel Embiid had a double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds. He also had five assists. The 7-foot center had six turnovers, but there is no doubt that the rust will wear off as the season moves along.

Harden and Embiid are crucial to the team's success. As long as they continue to play well, the Philadelphia 76ers could make a deep playoff run come April. As Tucker pointed out, the first game of the season is not that important, and the team will bounce back.

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What's next for Philadelphia 76ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. This will be the first game of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks are considered to be one of the best teams in the East.

The 76ers had too many turnovers and too many lapses on the defensive end of the floor against the Celtics. Guarding Antetokounmpo will not be easy, but Joel Embiid and his team will have to improve their defense for the next matchup.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks play against the 76ers on Thursday night.

With a lot of new players on the roster, the 76ers will need some more time to gel. Their first two games of the season are quite difficult and it won't be surprising if they start the campaign down 0-2.

However, the 76ers are likely to finish in the top half of the standings after 82 games. Their roster is incredibly talented and could end up going all the way to the NBA Finals.