76ers’ Preseason Loss Raises Defensive, Roster Concerns

The 76ers’ preseason has raised concerns that a star-studded offense may have to carry a team whose defense and ball security have looked shaky. Their talent and spacing could make the offense difficult to defend, while Joel Embiid remains a major scoring threat when healthy. But recent sluggish play, turnovers and a blowout loss have fueled questions about whether Philadelphia can get stops and execute when its offense stalls. Worries about center depth may be eased by injured players expected to return, and the team has time to address its problems before the season begins.