CAMDEN, N.J. — Rookie center Filip Petrusev has a tough road to making his mark with the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid and Paul Reed occupy the center spots. His path to playing time will be crowded, even with Nick Nurse being willing to play two-big lineups. Still, the fact that he's here shows the belief the Sixers have in him.

The Sixers drafted Petrusev with the 50th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and have waited for him to make the trip from Europe to join the team. After looking pretty decent on the floor during the Summer League and preseason, he secured a spot on the 15-man roster. The 23-year-old said that Embiid and other Sixers veterans like Patrick Beverley have been helpful as he makes the transition to the NBA.

“I mean, he's been good, like all the other vets,” Petrusev said of Embiid. “He's obviously the MVP, so he does his own thing. But yeah, he'll let me know something if he sees it. I'm really blessed with these vets we have. PatBev, P.J. [Tucker], Tobias [Harris], they've been great to all of us young guys, I think. So it's been really great with all of them.”

Beverley, in particular, helped Petrusev feel welcomed with the Sixers in their preseason finale. He gave the rookie center a congratulatory shove when he drained a three and stood up for him after being on the receiving end of a hard foul from Ben Simmons.

Learning from Embiid can help the young Petrusev find his footing. He mentioned that he got the chance to play with Nikola Jokic during his time with the Serbian national team in 2022. Last year, he said that it's hard to comprehend how dominant a superstar like the Denver Nuggets center is without playing against him. Now, with Embiid, he is again witnessing first-hand what one of the best basketball players in the world can truly do.

“I didn't know how strong he was, really,” Petrusev said. “I mean, it's one thing on the TV. And I was also able to play with Jokic last summer. Got to experience that as well. But this is a different level of physicality that he has that I wasn't aware of. And then just seeing how on top of that, skilled he is. You can always pick up something from him every day.”

Head coach Nick Nurse is another person Petrusev will learn from. Nurse's tendency to stop practices to instruct and teach his team reminds Petrusev of European coaches. He complimented his coach on his ability to clearly articulate what he's looking for from each player. So far, the beginning of Petrusev's NBA career has been what he hoped for.

“It's been a blessing for me, really,” Filip Petrusev said. “Just try to enjoy every day. Try to take advantage of every opportunity I get every single day — not just in the preseason games but in the practices and the workouts. It's been great so far.”