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Few seasons within the Philadelphia 76ers’ lengthy historical past can match the distress of 2024-25.
Final season opened with desires of ending a more-than-four-decade championship drought, hopes sparked by the summer time 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 as a result of lingering left knee points, Paul George managed simply 41 with the fewest factors per recreation since his second 12 months within the league and Philadelphia endured a desultory 24-58 season that was largely spent banking on lottery luck.
The 76ers received it, protecting their top-six protected choose in June and utilizing it on No. 3 choice VJ Edgecombe, who’s off to a formidable begin that has scouts, executives and league insiders buzzing about the way forward for Philly’s younger backcourt.
“These guys give them the flexibility 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 group 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 Jap 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 probabilities within the wide-open East, the way forward for its electrical guard duo and the way a lot followers ought to count on 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 mentioned 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, quite 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 should not solely Embiid’s franchise.
“It simply appears to be like like there’s extra power,” an East govt mentioned. “They might not be ok, however it’s not simply ready round for Paul and Joel [to get healthy] prefer it’s been prior to now.”
Philadelphia has historically regarded 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 identification, 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 recreation from their level guard, behind solely Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic. Maxey’s breakneck pace and shifty scoring ways 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 in a position to prior to now.
“He is a reliable first- or second-team All-NBA participant now,” an East scout mentioned of Maxey’s elite first month. “Even with Embiid’s harm points, they might nonetheless be within the dialog for a top-six spot within the East, as a result of Maxey is actually that good.”
Embiid and his well being stay main elements
For all the thrill 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 massive man, they usually’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 are not ok defensively [without him],” a second East scout mentioned. 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 very best capturing massive 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, capturing 50% from the sphere and 37.5% from 3.
“They’ve to determine the right way to maximize Joel,” a second East govt mentioned. “I do not suppose he can come again and seem like he used to. They should attempt to use him in a strategic approach, the place he can have some worth to them, however you’ll be able to’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, each time Embiid has ventured outdoors 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 mentioned.
Embiid’s rebounding can also 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 motive Nurse and the 76ers have created a mode of play that does not rely upon Embiid’s availability. It is merely not clear how recurrently he can be on the court docket.
“You have a look at the place the league is heading, with the tempo and the pace the sport is being performed,” the second East scout mentioned. ‘He was having bother maintaining with it when he was wholesome, not to mention now.”
How does George slot in?
It is a related scenario for George, who returned final week and has performed simply three video games as he recovers from offseason knee surgical procedure.
George and Embiid enjoying to their present contracts — they’re set to mix for greater than $100 million over every of the subsequent three seasons — ought to now not be thought of. But when each are recurrently out there and supply high quality play, it would give an enormous uptick to this group’s possibilities of making noise in a wide-open convention. Philadelphia took a committee strategy 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 mentioned, “as a result of he’ll purchase into serving to Maxey succeed.”
Hampered by stretches of poor capturing luck, George shot 43% total and 35% from 3-point vary however ought to once more profit from loads of clear appears to be like 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 group that, by means of 17 video games, has been overly reliant on Maxey (40.4 minutes per recreation) and Edgecombe (37.3).
“He is usually a floor-spacing [power forward],” the primary East scout mentioned of George’s position in his sixteenth season. “Higher to not have him dealing with the ball as a lot anymore. You possibly can run some pick-and-rolls with him because the screener to benefit from his capturing 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 because of Mike Muscala’s game-winning 3 within the NBA bubble in 2020, which ensured Philadelphia would retain its draft choose. 5 years later, the 76ers misplaced sufficient all through the 2024-25 season to cease the Thunder from taking the choose.
That latter has translated into a super accomplice for Maxey, as Edgecombe has showcased explosive playmaking abilities on offense with a number of jaw-dropping defensive highlights all through his first month within the NBA.
“I did not suppose VJ can be nearly as good as he is been,” the primary East scout mentioned. “Sure, there’s imperfections, but when they hold pushing him — as a result of he can do a lot of various things — he can 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 believed,” one other East scout mentioned, echoing what a couple of others mentioned in regards to the 6-foot-4 Edgecombe, which is a part of the Mitchell (6-2) and Oladipo (6-3) comparisons. “However I believe he may be an All-Star-caliber participant, and taking that step will come right 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 count on 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 begin.
“These guys are fairly good collectively,” a West scout mentioned. “They work effectively collectively as a result of they will each do a little bit of every thing.”
Given final season’s catastrophe — at the same time as late as January, group sources had been insisting they did not see a sensible path for Philadelphia to maintain that top-six protected choose — getting a participant with that type of ceiling is an immense change of fortune.
Predictably, Edgecombe has tailed off. He’s capturing 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 trials of an 82-game season. (He is additionally the newest notable participant across the league to cope with a calf pressure.)
However what’s plain 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 method to a championship. One 12 months 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 outdoors the highest 10 and a optimistic web score regardless of Embiid and George combining for 9 video games, must be thought of a profitable begin. “I am impressed by what Nick [Nurse] has performed,” an East assistant coach mentioned. “He is getting these guys to play arduous.”
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 means of final season.
And there is each motive to suppose a 76ers group 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 way in which these guys have been enjoying collectively has helped Nick’s case on pushing for [this style of play],” a 3rd East scout mentioned. “Folks 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 they usually make all people round them higher.”
That ceiling, although, isn’t the place this group anticipated it to be a 12 months in the past when it prolonged Embiid and signed George.
The group’s total measurement is a matter even when everyone seems to be wholesome, which can 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 superb 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 at the moment initiatives Philadelphia to win 46 video games and safe the East’s No. 8 seed. The 76ers can be glad to have an opportunity to see what a wholesome model of this group would seem like within the playoffs, significantly after final 12 months’s misery-filled marketing campaign.
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