Few seasons within the Philadelphia 76ers’ lengthy historical past can match the distress of 2024-25.
Final season opened with goals of ending a more-than-four-decade championship drought, hopes sparked by the summer season acquisition of free agent wing Paul George to pair with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and rising celebrity guard Tyrese Maxey.
However Embiid was restricted to 19 video games on account of lingering left knee points, Paul George managed simply 41 with the fewest factors per sport since his second yr within the league and Philadelphia endured a desultory 24-58 season that was largely spent banking on lottery luck.
The 76ers received it, preserving their top-six protected decide in June and utilizing it on No. 3 choice VJ Edgecombe, who’s off to a powerful begin that has scouts, executives and league insiders buzzing about the way forward for Philly’s younger backcourt.
“These guys give them the power to maneuver on from the Embiid and George period,” a Western Convention govt instructed ESPN.
It hasn’t mattered that each Embiid and George have barely performed, or that the crew has endured loads of different accidents past its two veteran stars. No, the 76ers aren’t projected to contend for a high seed within the Japanese Convention, however their respectable 9-8 begin heading into Friday’s NBA Cup group stage finale has created newfound optimism about the place this franchise is headed.
This week, ESPN spoke with scouts, coaches and executives across the league about Philly’s possibilities within the wide-open East, the way forward for its electrical guard duo and the way a lot followers ought to anticipate from Embiid and George this season.
The brand new period has arrived
Earlier this month, as second-year ahead Justin Edwards sat on the podium after the 76ers pulled out a victory over the rival Boston Celtics, he was requested a query about Maxey’s efficiency within the 102-100 win that got here with out Embiid or George.
“That is the franchise,” Edwards stated of the 25-year-old All-Star guard.
On one hand, it was a throwaway line in a November information convention. However what was most notable about Edwards’ remark, moderately than being met with confusion or any raised eyebrows by media members, was that it was accepted as reality:
For the primary time in a decade, the 76ers will not be solely Embiid’s franchise.
“It simply appears like there may be extra vitality,” an East govt stated. “They will not be ok, however it’s not simply ready round for Paul and Joel [to get healthy] prefer it’s been up to now.”
Philadelphia has historically seemed misplaced with out Embiid. In seven of his first eight full seasons, the 76ers had been greater than 10 factors per 100 possessions worse with Embiid on the bench.
However to start this season, coach Nick Nurse has established a transparent id, one which has gone from Philadelphia’s universe revolving round Embiid to as an alternative being centered on Maxey. That shift has led to 32.2 factors per sport from their level guard, behind solely Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic. Maxey’s breakneck velocity and shifty scoring techniques have made the 76ers extremely enjoyable to look at and have allowed them to stay aggressive with out Embiid in methods they had been by no means capable of up to now.
“He is a professional first- or second-team All-NBA participant now,” an East scout stated of Maxey’s elite first month. “Even with Embiid’s damage points, they may nonetheless be within the dialog for a top-six spot within the East, as a result of Maxey is admittedly that good.”
Embiid and his well being stay main elements
For all the joy round Philly’s younger guards, Embiid will play a key position in how excessive the 76ers can climb within the East.
With Embiid sidelined, the 76ers — already one of many smaller rosters within the league — have solely Andre Drummond as a real huge man, and so they’ve struggled to wall off the paint defensively over the previous couple of weeks with Embiid sidelined by his present bout with proper knee soreness.
“They don’t seem to be ok defensively [without him],” a second East scout stated. That is why I’ve a tough time believing in them.”
Whereas Embiid’s mobility points have been obvious even when he has performed this season, he stays arguably the perfect taking pictures huge within the league and a spotlight of opposing defenses. Following an abysmal season debut in Boston — he went 1-for-9 with 4 factors in a win in Boston — Embiid went on to have 5 consecutive video games with a minimum of 20 factors, taking pictures 50% from the sector and 37.5% from 3.
“They’ve to determine tips on how to maximize Joel,” a second East govt stated. “I do not assume he can come again and appear like he used to. They must attempt to use him in a strategic manner, the place he can have some worth to them, however you possibly can’t construct the offense round him.”
Groups clearly nonetheless respect Embiid as a scorer. And his gravity and talent to function in dribble handoff actions with guards Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain will make life simpler throughout the board for Philly’s offense.
The query is whether or not Embiid’s mobility will enhance sufficient for him to be an efficient defender. Within the early going, every time Embiid has ventured exterior the paint, he has change into a goal to assault off the dribble. “He mainly runs from one free throw line to the opposite,” an East assistant coach stated.
Embiid’s rebounding can be down, one other signal of his lack of explosiveness inside.
Sources I spoke to expressed confidence that Embiid would proceed to construct belief in his troublesome left knee. However Embiid has now missed greater than two weeks with soreness in his proper knee. That underscores the delicate state of his physique; there is a cause Nurse and the 76ers have created a method of play that does not depend upon Embiid’s availability. It is merely not clear how repeatedly he might be on the courtroom.
“You take a look at the place the league is heading, with the tempo and the velocity the sport is being performed,” the second East scout stated. ‘He was having hassle maintaining with it when he was wholesome, not to mention now.”
How does George slot in?
It is a related state of affairs for George, who returned final week and has performed simply three video games as he recovers from offseason knee surgical procedure.
George and Embiid taking part in to their present contracts — they’re set to mix for greater than $100 million over every of the following three seasons — ought to now not be thought-about. But when each are repeatedly obtainable and supply high quality play, it would give a large uptick to this crew’s possibilities of making noise in a wide-open convention. Philadelphia took a committee method at energy ahead in George’s absence, beginning two-way gamers Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, together with minimal signing Trendon Watford, throughout the 12 video games George missed.
Every has proven flashes in elevated minutes as a part of a noticeable infusion of youth and athleticism throughout the roster, however George’s scoring and floor-spacing will present the larger enhance to Maxey and the 76ers offense.
“Constructing round [Maxey and Edgecombe], and having them take that step ahead, that can assist Paul, too,” the second East govt stated, “as a result of he’ll purchase into serving to Maxey succeed.”
Hampered by stretches of poor taking pictures luck, George shot 43% total and 35% from 3-point vary however ought to once more profit from loads of clear appears with the quantity of offensive firepower round him on this roster. A bounce-back season for the nine-time All-Star would do wonders for a 76ers crew that, by way of 17 video games, has been overly reliant on Maxey (40.4 minutes per sport) and Edgecombe (37.3).
“He generally is a floor-spacing [power forward],” the primary East scout stated of George’s position in his sixteenth season. “Higher to not have him dealing with the ball as a lot anymore. You may run some pick-and-rolls with him because the screener to make the most of his taking pictures and talent to assault mismatches.
“Will he settle for that position? I will be curious to see.”
Simply how good is Edgecombe?
Two separate strokes of luck involving the defending champs helped create this 76ers backcourt tandem. Maxey landed in Philly due to Mike Muscala’s game-winning 3 within the NBA bubble in 2020, which ensured Philadelphia would retain its draft decide. 5 years later, the 76ers misplaced sufficient all through the 2024-25 season to cease the Thunder from taking the decide.
That latter has translated into a super associate for Maxey, as Edgecombe has showcased explosive playmaking expertise on offense with a number of jaw-dropping defensive highlights all through his first month within the NBA.
“I did not assume VJ can be pretty much as good as he is been,” the primary East scout stated. “Sure, there’s imperfections, but when they hold pushing him — as a result of he can do plenty of various things — he might be a particular participant.”
Edgecombe’s begin has led to some high-level comparisons from scouts. Two names introduced up repeatedly had been Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell and former All-Star Victor Oladipo, significantly when he was at his peak with the Indiana Pacers.
“He is smaller than I assumed,” one other East scout stated, echoing what just a few others stated concerning the 6-foot-4 Edgecombe, which is a part of the Mitchell (6-2) and Oladipo (6-3) comparisons. “However I believe he might be an All-Star-caliber participant, and taking that step will come all the way down to him proving he could make pictures and being a high quality defender.”
One other scout in contrast Edgecombe’s match alongside Maxey to the one the Golden State Warriors loved with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. And whereas they cautioned to not anticipate the identical path because the one blazed by the 2 future Corridor of Famers with 4 championships collectively, the concept of an explosive lead scorer subsequent to an elite two-way sidekick is a enjoyable place for the 76ers to start out.
“These guys are fairly good collectively,” a West scout stated. “They work effectively collectively as a result of they’ll each do a little bit of every little thing.”
Given final season’s catastrophe — at the same time as late as January, crew sources had been insisting they did not see a practical path for Philadelphia to maintain that top-six protected decide — getting a participant with that sort of ceiling is an immense change of fortune.
Predictably, Edgecombe has tailed off. He’s taking pictures 35% total and 32% from 3-point vary in November after his blistering first 5 video games, a nod to groups scheming for him and the acclimation course of to the pains of an 82-game season. (He is additionally the most recent notable participant across the league to take care of a calf pressure.)
However what’s simple is the 76ers appear to have discovered a keeper in Edgecombe.
What lies forward for the remainder of this season?
The 76ers got here into the 2024-25 season overtly speaking about load-managing their strategy to a championship. One yr later, Embiid opened media day declaring he did not know the place his physique was going to be every day, and that he’d merely take issues as they arrive.
So Philadelphia sitting at 9-8 — even after Tuesday’s bludgeoning by the Orlando Magic — with an offense simply exterior the highest 10 and a constructive web score regardless of Embiid and George combining for 9 video games, needs to be thought-about a profitable begin. “I am impressed by what Nick [Nurse] has performed,” an East assistant coach stated. “He is getting these guys to play onerous.”
The place do issues go from right here?
What’s apparent is that Philadelphia is not going to be shifting away from its guard-centric offense. Edgecombe has instantly change into a fan favourite, and he and Maxey have imbued the franchise with a wanted dose of pleasure after what the group trudged by way of final season.
And there is each cause to assume a 76ers crew with a wholesome Maxey, Embiid and George, plus the guard depth, belongs on the high of the play-in image, if not a top-six playoff seed.
“The best way these guys have been taking part in collectively has helped Nick’s case on pushing for [this style of play],” a 3rd East scout stated. “Individuals can see the imaginative and prescient. … Everybody loves Maxey, and now everyone seems to be loopy about VJ, you see these guys on the ground and also you see the vibes and the followers and so they make all people round them higher.”
That ceiling, although, is just not the place this group anticipated it to be a yr in the past when it prolonged Embiid and signed George.
The crew’s total dimension is a matter even when everyone seems to be wholesome, which might be a season-long query mark. The 76ers have already been concerned in 13 clutch-time video games (inside 5 factors inside the ultimate 5 minutes), second solely to the Dallas Mavericks. Maxey is a wonderful nearer, however that many tight video games is an indication the 76ers will not be reeling off many straightforward wins.
Nonetheless, ESPN’s Basketball Energy Index presently initiatives Philadelphia to win 46 video games and safe the East’s No. 8 seed. The 76ers can be completely satisfied to have an opportunity to see what a wholesome model of this crew would appear like within the playoffs, significantly after final yr’s misery-filled marketing campaign.
