BROOKLYN, NY — The Philadelphia 76ers put on a clinic in disruptive defense in their first 2023 preseason victory. Going against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers showed as clearly as possible how great defense fuels great offense.

De'Anthony Melton tallied four steals and a block and Kelly Oubre Jr. notched a pair of blocks and a pair of steals. The Nets committed 26 turnovers, feeding the Sixers a buffet of fast breaks that they used to build an insurmountable lead. Nick Nurse has preached the virtues of making defensive plays that lead to fast breaks.

“Nick definitely emphasized just, you know, causing disruption out there no matter what it is. Bodies on bodies,” Melton said.

The Sixers are ready to play defense differently under Nurse, even though it will take time and require constant learning and re-learning to test out new tactics. Flying around the perimeter to cover up open spots and sinking in on drivers to force turnovers look like pillars of Nurse's defense. For quick, long, athletic players, particularly on the wing, it's a scheme that does wonders.

“That was everything,” Oubre said about forcing turnovers. “Defense leading to easy offense. And then, once the game kind of settled down, they kind of made some adjustments, but we stayed solid. That's what we need to do. We need to be physical and go out there every night keeping the consistent energy.”

Oubre said that defense is “the bread and butter” of his game. Nurse complemented how Oubre got into the right places to make plays, which he believes is his next step to becoming an impactful defender.

“He made plays and didn't give up much, right? I think he's made some progress on just being a little bit more solid [and] at the same time still making the plays,” Nurse said. “Which is, you know, it's a trick, right? Like, a lot of people can gamble, gamble, gamble and make plays but then get beat, beat, beat, too, and give it all back. So, just trying to get him to stay aggressive but to be more solid — and he was tonight.”

Oubre credited Maxey and Melton for igniting the Sixers' energy by “being in the passing lanes, pressuring the guards. They set the tone, so we followed suit.” When Joel Embiid finally takes the court, Philly will have an imposing rim protector that will make them even harder to score on.

The Sixers' ability to maintain defensive intensity without becoming burnt out over the course of the season will be worth watching for. In the meantime, Philly is harnessing a strong identity predicated on stops and quick-hitting buckets heading into the season.