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3 takeaways from Fultz, Simmons, and Embiid's debut together

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Rabid fans from Philadelphia flooded Washington D.C. to catch a sneak peak at the next generation of 76ers. The young stars, for the most part, did not disappoint.

The Wizards hung on for a 120-115 victory in their season opener, but the tantalizing trio of a healthy Joel Embiid and two incoming No. 1 picks, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, pushed them right to the limit.

Here's how those three budding Sixers stars performed.

Embiid is a superstar

Embiid began the night by pump faking Marcin Gortat out of his soul before attempting an ambitious dunk that nearly ended Jason Smith's career.

His gargantuan 7-foot-3 figure took flight from outside the paint and crushed a helpless Smith waiting under the basket. Embiid leaped like he was trying to prove to the world that his fragile body was finally healthy. He smashed through coach Brett Brown's restrictive work limit for 27 minutes of dominance.

Embiid finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists in the loss. He missed all four of his threes but was unstoppable in the post. He would either out-muscle defenders to get to the rim, or effortlessly splash fadeaway jumpers. He even blocked John Wall at the basket - hardly an easy feat on a night where Wall was determined to rip down the rim.

He shared the floor with an All-NBA talent in Wall, and a borderline All-Star in Bradley Beal, yet it was Embiid's star that shone the brightest. He was an omnipotent force that fundamentally changed the game on both ends of the floor. Durability is the only thing holding him back.

Simmons is already an impact player

Simmons looked like a seasoned pro in his delayed professional debut following a redshirt season.

The Aussie forward served as the primary playmaker for Philadelphia while playing everywhere from small forward to center. Simmons was able to consistently create open looks by driving into the paint to launch his patented baby right hook or to find open shooters on kickouts.

He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in 35 minutes.

Keep in mind that Simmons was mostly shadowed by a premium defender in Otto Porter, one of the rare forwards with the requisite mobility and length to match the hyperathletic Simmons who stands at 6-foot-9, 240 pounds. And yet Simmons was rarely bothered as he steadily went about being a point forward in the mold of a young LeBron James.

Fultz looks rusty

Blame it on the bum shoulder, but Fultz was mostly lacking in his professional debut.

The No. 1 pick in 2017 came off the bench to score a respectable 10 points in 18 minutes, but he was a whopping minus-18 while leading a Sixers bench unit that consistently bled points. Journeyman guard Jerryd Bayless ended up closing the game over him.

He was abused on defense and could not hit from outside the paint as his jumper continues to look awkward and broken, but Fultz at least managed to stay involved by contributing around the margins. He made some sneaky cuts, found a rolling Embiid for a dunk, and showed a strong determination to attack the basket.

But ultimately, until his shoulder heals, these troubling performances will continue for Fultz. Not being able to launch the jumper is forcing Fultz to only shoot in the paint, and defenses are already cluing in. Beal and Wall both recorded highlight blocks against him in his debut.

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