The Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night looking to get on track amid a tough 2-12 start to the season. The Sixers have had a tough time finding their footing amid a slew of injuries and some drama to have to battle through.

The Sixers will see a familiar face in Nets guard Ben Simmons who spent the first four seasons of his playing career in Philadelphia where he was an All-Star three times and won Rookie of the Year in 2018.

As Simmons looks to lead the Nets into Philadelphia, he gave his keys to stopping the Sixers as he kept it simple: “Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey”.

It makes sense when you look at Philadelphia’s roster at the moment. This is a talented roster, but the guys who will lead the way are Embiid and Maxey. The Nets will be looking to slow those two down and earn a win on the road on Friday.

“Obviously, Joel is, you know, a massive inside presence, so try to slow him down the best we can,” Simmons told reporters. “On top of that, just staying physical, being aggressive, you know, picking up full court, just typically things we do.”

Even with Paul George sidelined for Friday’s contest due to a left knee bone bruise, the Sixers still have Embiid and Maxey. That is the big key heading into this matchup for both Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

“I mean, they got two All-Stars, one MVP, like they still got great pieces,” Simmons added. “So you don’t, you’re not gonna overlook them. That’s a dangerous team, still.”

The Sixers and the Nets will tip off at 7 p.m. EST on Friday in the NBA Cup.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Ben Simmons gives keys to slowing Sixers’ Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey