RSS 76ers Team Notes

[Philadelphia 76ers]

3 takeaways from Sixers’ preseason finale vs. T-Wolves

Let’s get the qualifiers out of the way before we begin: yes, it was the preseason, and yes, the Timberwolves played mostly deep reserves.

Still, there were plenty of encouraging signs ahead of the Sixers’ regular season opener next Wednesday in Boston.

Here are three big takeaways.

Processing​

Joel Embiid played basketball for the first time since February. He said postgame he felt good. Everything else is gravy.

And here is the gravy: Embiid probably looked better Friday night than he did at almost any point during the 2024-25 season. Even from a mental standpoint, he appeared to be playing free and happy. No, it wasn’t Game 7-level intensity, but it was something.

Embiid’s mere presence does so much for this basketball team. Everyone plays better because of his gravity and two-way play. What’s maybe been most noticeable from being around the team is how Embiid’s attitude and energy have seemed to give the team a jolt. Last year was miserable for Embiid and, therefore, miserable for the Sixers. He’s come into this year seeming at peace. He’s smiling and engaging with his teammates more.

It’s made all the difference for him and the team.

“I don’t really want to think about the past,” Embiid said. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically. … First of all, I’m just happy to touch a basketball — to be able to play basketball and do what I love. When you don’t get that, it’s tough.”

“I think the biggest thing I felt was his joy,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Just like how happy he was to be back out there and how happy I was for him to be there.“

He finished the night with 14 points, eight assists (more on that in a bit), seven rebounds and three steals in under 19 minutes of action. He looked like himself. More importantly, it seems like he feels like himself.

We even got a little Tr-oel to close the night. In case you missed it, The Ringer left Embiid off its top-100 player list. It’s absurd. We can all acknowledge it’s absurd.

Embiid had fun with it.

“According to a lot of your peers, I’m not even a top-100 basketball player in this league,” Embiid deadpanned. “So I guess I’ve got to just fit in and see where I can help the team win basketball games.”

Yep.

Are we sure he’s a rookie?​

Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office have made mistakes, but their draft record here has been strong.

With the opportunity to draft as high as No. 3 — something Morey has never gotten to do — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see VJ Edgecombe turn out to be a fantastic pick. Through training camp and three preseason games, the 20-year-old has done nothing to suggest otherwise.

On Friday, he was everywhere. He collected five steals and was a threat to run in transition on seemingly every play. Yet he still was active on the glass with six rebounds (four offensive). All of that activity led to 26 points, the bulk of which came during an extremely entertaining stretch from the end of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth.

The points are great, but what makes Edgecombe so intriguing as a rookie is that he can already do so many little things. He comes to the league as a winning basketball player.

But wait, that’s not all.

Edgecombe has also been running the point, both with Tyrese Maxey on the floor and off. In college, Edgecombe played mostly off the ball, with draft experts wondering how much success he’d have at the next level as an on-ball player.

Suffice to say, he’s already quelling those concerns.

“I think we thought, ‘OK, maybe he can play on the ball some,’” Nick Nurse said, “and were talking about, ‘let’s do it in summer league,’ but where we’re at, I think he’s way ahead of where we thought he might be being able to do that. And again, I think it gives those guys some pressure relief — Tyrese not having to bring the ball up all the time. …

“And the other thing — VJ does a heck of a job of organizing them. Like that’s a hard part of being the point guard or bringing the ball up. He’s calling the plays and moving people around, getting us in our sets and stuff, which again, is great to see. He’s got a good feel for the game.”

One of the more encouraging trends for the Sixers in recent years is bringing in hard-working players with great attitudes and maturity. It started with Maxey. Guys like Jared McCain and (starting power forward?) Adem Bona also fit that mold.

Edgecombe fits right in.

“I just watch basketball all day,” Edgecombe said. “I’m not even watching like a Netflix show or nothing. I just need to go on YouTube to watch basketball or just finding basketball to watch, watching games.”

Great guard play = Great offense​

The Sixers have featured some dynamic guards in the Embiid era. Ben Simmons, James Harden and Maxey stand out in that regard. But never has this franchise assembled a backcourt group like the current one. The quartet of Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain and Quentin Grimes has a chance to be legitimately special.

While much has been made of Nurse’s more equal-opportunity offense, the biggest reason it all could work is the team’s guard play. The ability to play fast and play more of a drive-and-kick style fits in nicely with the current NBA. The Sixers have an intriguing combination of offensive playmakers and dynamic athletes to make it all work.

“I think guys are getting off the ball and trying to make plays for others,” Maxey said.

As mentioned, Embiid had eight assists. If you’ll recall, before suffering a torn meniscus in January of 2024, the reigning MVP at the time was playing at a ridiculously high level. In 39 games, he averaged 34.7 points (more than a point per minute), but even more impressively, he averaged 5.6 assists. Nurse made tweaks to the offense then as well to make up for the absence of Harden.

Again, they weren’t facing a real NBA team Friday, but the ball was moving and they were creating shots. Those are things that should translate, even against good teams.

“The way I’ve always wanted to play is everybody’s touching the ball, keep the ball moving side to side — people getting off the ball and just playing together,” Embiid said. “It feels like so far [and tonight], that’s the way it was, everybody touching the ball. … That’s how I want to play. Keeps everybody happy and everybody involved. It’s fun playing that way.”

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...n-finale-vs-t-wolves-joel-embiid-vj-edgecombe

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Where Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George landed in Top 100 NBA rankings

With the start of the 2025-26 NBA season just around the corner, every major media website is publishing their list of the top 100 NBA players. ESPN dropped its rankings at the end of September, while CBS Sports, The Ringer and Bleacher Report published theirs this week.

Only three members of the Sixers made an appearance on any of those lists, and two of those three had a notable fall from grace.

Joel Embiid​

The Ringer: N/A
Bleacher Report: 26
CBS Sports: 26
ESPN: 47

Let’s start with the big fella, who was a consensus top-10 player heading into last season. After an injury-ravaged year in which he played only 19 games, he fell out of The Ringer’s top 100 entirely. (Don’t kink-shame The Ringer for its love of rage-baiting Philly fans.)

The uncertainty about Embiid’s health is what caused him to plummet across these rankings. If everyone knew that Embiid would play 60-plus games while looking anything like his pre-January 2024 self, he’d likely be at least in the top 15 leaguewide, if not higher. Embiid acknowledged at media day that he’s planning to “listen to the body” this year and that it’ll be “unpredictable at times,” although the skepticism about his outlook might be slightly overboard.

Embiid has practiced regularly and even played in the Sixers’ preseason finale. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said “the idea that he could come back before Paul George was not something I expected…but I think the Sixers could have him at the beginning of the season next week.”

If Embiid can stay relatively healthy this season, these rankings will look comically low in retrospect. The Process himself was already cracking jokes about his rankings after Friday’s game.

“According to a lot of your peers, I’m not even a top-100 basketball player in this league,” Embiid deadpanned to reporters. “So I guess I’ve got to just fit in & see where I can help the team win basketball games.”

Tyrese Maxey​

The Ringer: 33
Bleacher Report: 31
CBS Sports: 21
ESPN: 28

Tyrese Maxey was the lone member of the Sixers’ Big Three whose stock didn’t crater last season. Although his shooting efficiency plummeted in the absence of Embiid and Paul George, he wound up averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game despite commanding more defensive attention than either he or the Sixers anticipated heading into the year.

Brad Botkin of CBS Sports noted that Maxey is one of only six players to average at least 26 points and six assists across the past two seasons, joining Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson. If he can bump his shooting percentages back up this season, he’ll firmly establish himself as one of the NBA’s most incandescent young stars.

Head coach Nick Nurse has repeatedly stressed how he hopes to get Maxey more off the ball this season to leverage his speed. The additions of Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe to the Sixers’ backcourt over the past 18 months could unlock the best version of Maxey yet.

Paul George​

The Ringer: 71
Bleacher Report: 52
CBS Sports: 43
ESPN: 54

When the Sixers signed George to a four-year, $211.6 million max contract last offseason, we knew the end of that deal might age poorly. No one expected it to start as poorly as it did, though. He plummeted from a top-25-ish player at the start of last season to a fringe top-50 player this year. (The Ringer is far lower on him than the other three outlets, because of course it is.)

Injuries wrecked George’s debut campaign in Philadelphia, and his second season is off to an inauspicious start. He suffered a left knee injury during an offseason workout that required an arthroscopic procedure and likely won’t be ready for opening night. He just participated in 3-on-3s in practice Wednesday, which was his first live action of training camp/the preseason. He was able to do 5-on-5 live sessions the following day.

With that said… much like Embiid, it’s fair to wonder whether the pendulum of opinion about George has swung too far in the opposite direction. He was a massive disappointment last season, but he also tried to play through knee, finger and groin injuries before finally getting shut down at the beginning of March. If he stays healthier this year, who’s to say he can’t have a bounce-back season?

George was also overtaxed in his role last year with Embiid in and out of the lineup. If Embiid stays healthier, it’ll have a domino effect on the rest of the roster, and George could be one of the primary beneficiaries.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...nd-paul-george-landed-in-top-100-nba-rankings

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Watch highlights of Joel Embiid’s return in Sixers’ preseason finale vs. Timberwolves

Philadelphia 76ers center and former NBA MVP Joel Embiid returned to action in the Sixers’ preseason finale on Friday night. The Sixers won their final exhibition game 126-110 over the Minnesota Timberwolves, but most of the attention was on the result of Embiid’s return more so than the result of the game itself.

It is the first time Embiid has played since Feb. 22. The big fella was never able to play with really any consistency last season as he continued to deal with his knee. He was finally shut down for the last 26 games of the Sixers’ abysmal 2024-25 season.

But, on Friday night, with the Sixers hosting the Timberwolves in South Philadelphia to close their preseason, Embiid finally took the court again. It was also Embiid’s first preseason action since 2023.

So, how did it go?

Embiid finished with 14 points (5-for-10 field goals, 2-for-4 from long range) with seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 18:35 on the floor. He seemed to be playing a notch or two down on overall speed, which feels appropriate for his first game back in eight months, especially an exhibition one. Otherwise, the big man looked more comfortable moving than Sixers’ fans will have seen in what feels like forever. He didn’t seem to be trying to do too much, but looked an encouraging-level of agile and enduring on both sides of the floor.

Below, broken up by quarter, is nearly every play where Embiid was impactful — whether in ways that showed on the stat sheet or just ones that he was physically involved in, such as by blocking out and setting screens, whether the plays ultimately resulted in points or not.

Judge for yourself! How do you think Embiid’s preseason debut (and finale) went?

Joel Embiid returns for the Sixers (preseason) with 14 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL in 19 mins.

Clipped a bunch of plays I felt Embiid was "impactful" in — whether statistically or just physically, resulting in points or not — in the preseason finale. Let's start with Q1. pic.twitter.com/PwYWdbaDUa

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 18, 2025

Joel Embiid returns for the Sixers' preseason finale, video review continued!

Here's Q2. pic.twitter.com/uSg4KSaqgx

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 18, 2025

Joel Embiid returns for the Sixers' preseason finale, video review continued!

And here's Q3! (Embiid did not play in Q4). pic.twitter.com/jfwQLScIO3

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 18, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...video-preseason-injury-minnesota-timberwolves

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Liberty Ballers 2025 preseason roundtable

The start of the NBA season approaching means it’s time for my favorite bi-annual tradition: depressing my co-workers by asking them long-term questions about the state of the Philadelphia 76ers. As a team that quickly went from title contenders to ping-pong ball hopefuls, there’s a lot of ways this season can go. So, I’ve given the Liberty Ballers staff one of the hardest questions in the league: how the hell is this Sixers season going to go?

The books have set the Sixers win total to 42.5 Where do you set that number and how close do you think they get to that 42.5 number?

Sean Kennedy: I go slightly over, maybe 44 or 45 wins. There is a ton of talent on this Sixers squad that with any combination of guys staying healthy, they should be accumulating some wins. Now the lack of depth at the forward position is certainly an issue, as is the health situation of the team’s two highly-paid players in their 30s, so I won’t go too much above .500. But they should be competitive most nights, and I think it will be the inverse of last season, when they are the ones taking care of tanking teams as part of a playoff push rather than the opposite

Bryan Toporek: Given the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid and Paul George, I think that’s a fair number. If all breaks right for the Sixers this year, 50-plus wins is very much within their range of outcomes. But as we saw last year, a campaign in the mid-20s is also possible if disaster strikes again. The addition of VJ Edgecombe and a full season of Quentin Grimes should insulate them from the worst-case scenarios even if Embiid and George can’t stay healthy, so I’m going to cautiously lean toward a slight over here. Let’s say 44-38.

Drew Peltzman: I would not change that win total from 42.5. I strongly believe the Sixers will be fighting for the 5th or 6th seed in a weak Eastern Conference and better regular season approach will keep them competitive in games against stronger teams. I see them getting to 42 wins barring catastrophe, and closer to 50 wins with some good luck and health.

Erin Grugan: It’s where I’d place it if I was a sportsbook, honestly, because there’s just too many variables to really know much more than that. Last year was an absolute catastrophe and they still had 24 wins with more than a few close losses that could have seen them go closer to 30 wins. I think they are set up this season so that, even if Embiid and George couldn’t play at all, they still would be able to compete a little more than last season.

Tom West: I’m going to be slightly optimistic here and go a hair over 42.5 at 43 wins. It’s so hard to predict when Embiid’s health is such a huge swing factor and unknown, and we can’t exactly expect George to be available all the time either. If both can be active for even close to half the season, though, the Sixers hitting 43 wins should be within reach. I also have plenty of faith in Tyrese Maxey to be at his best again, continued growth and impact from a healthier Jared McCain, and Edgecombe to make enough difference to raise that win total around the .500 mark.

Harrison Grimm: The Sixers, by all accounts, might be the toughest team to predict — which makes sense given their win total sitting right around .500. There’s a version of the season where they easily surpass that mark, and another, just as realistic, where the wheels fall off (again) and they come up short.

As for what I actually think will happen, I’d take the slight over — I’m probably around the 45-win mark. The Sixers were horrendous for most of last season and still managed 24 wins. I’m assuming they won’t be that bad this year, especially with Maxey and real talent in the mix. To hit 45 wins, they’d need 21 more than last year — which, in my eyes, feels like a pretty achievable jump. Especially if Edgecombe looks like a top-three pick this season.

Even Paul George and Joel Embiid have tempered expectations for their availability, best guess — how often do we see them on the court this year?

SK: For some inexplicable reason, I’m somewhat optimistic about George’s chances to play around 55 games this season. Joel, I’ll be happy if he plays about the half the games. Anything more than that feels greedy, and I expect every game day morning will be a ‘How does his body feel today?’ situation.

BT: To absolutely no one’s surprise, the Sixers are being vague about whether Embiid or George will be ready for opening night. Embiid seems closer than George, although it wouldn’t shock me if both are available fairly early in the season. Embiid admitted that his body would be unpredictable at times this year, which he’s made peace with. I’d guess we get at least 45-50 games out of both guys this year. Anything beyond that is gravy.

DP: With Embiid’s strong training camp, I’m optimistic that he will play at least half the season at 41 games. George will play 50 games, with the caveat it could be significantly less than that if it becomes another lost season like last year.

EG: I can’t even to begin to make that sort of prediction after the last few years of this team.

TW: *Shrugs shoulders and begins typing…* It’s impossible to know, but I could see George hitting around 50-55 games, while Embiid playing around 40 is hopefully doable.

HG: That’s the million-dollar question. Embiid feels like the biggest dart throw between the two. As things stand, it seems like his health is trending in the right direction — but it’s almost a given he’ll miss time at some point. For Embiid, I think a reasonable estimate is around 40 games, or roughly half the regular season. Whether that’s due to setbacks or routine maintenance, that feels like a realistic number.

I’m cautiously more optimistic about George. While he’s struggled with availability in recent years, he’s still managed to play a solid number of games pretty consistently. Even last season, when he was never truly healthy, he still appeared in about half the schedule. With this roster in particular, the Sixers shouldn’t need to lean on him as heavily for creation, which gives me confidence he can stay on the floor more. To put a number on it, I’d say he plays around 60 games this season.

What would you like to see from them when we do get to?
SK: George, I’d like to see stretches where he looks like what we saw from him last January. It doesn’t have to be every game, but on nights when he feels like the team needs it, he can still summon that level of play. Embiid I want to see a more measured, dialed-back version of himself. Stop diving around and crashing into everybody. Make a ton of jumpers from the nail, hit open cutters, and alter shots in the paint by virtue of his sheer size. Even 85 percent of Joel Embiid is still one of the best players in the world; that’s all the Sixers need.

BT: I want to see both Embiid and George take a step back this season. They don’t need to shoulder the load on offense like they did earlier in their careers. The Sixers’ young backcourt can help reduce their burden, allowing them to limit their wear and tear and conserve more of their energy for defense. I don’t want to see the offense running through Embiid on every possession, even though he commands so much defensive attention whenever he touches the ball. Beyond that, I’d like to see some positive regression for George’s shooting percentages and Embiid to focus more on role-player things—setting solid screens, boxing out for rebounds, etc.

DP: Flow in the offense. I do not need to see either of them put up prolific stat sheets, I want to see them finding every area they can to help the young core succeed with them on the court. I believe the Embiid-centric model of offense is no longer sustainable for a full season, and he will have to find a way to mesh his post-dominance with a fast paced, guard heavy rotation. A prioritization for Embiid on the defensive end, with less of a burden on offense could do wonders for the team’s future outlook. Using his post shot creation as a last resort in a late shot-clock to catch the defense off guard could create better looks for him then consistently seeing double teams when the offense runs through him. By all means, if we see MVP Embiid, then let him cook, but I would like to see less pressure on him offensively, so it does not look like he is clashing with the offense the rest of the team is trying to run.

For George, I would like to see him healthy, and also playing in the flow of a faster offense. I would like to see him be the best role player in the league, acting as a composed foil to the speed of Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Edgecombe. George should operate almost as a super-cog in the offense, yet when needed, can tap into his bag. To sum it up, I would like to see the iso-creation from both guys take a step back for a more cohesive offense for all 82 games.

EG: Regardless of the amount of games, I just don’t want to see any Sixer out there when it’s clear they aren’t physically comfortable or healthy enough to play. I’d rather see them sit than attempt to force playing like it seemed was the case previously.

TW: From George, it has to be in-form three-point shooting. His elite, high-volume shooting talent in a variety of settings either on or off the ball was probably the most exciting offensive skill he brought to Philly, and we just didn’t get to see it last year through the missed time and underwhelming 35.8 percent three-point stroke he finished the season with. If he can at least be the PG of pre 2024-25 in that regard, that would be a real boost for the offense and give the Sixers’ young guards another off-ball threat to provide spacing and be a reliable outlet for them.

From Embiid, am I allowed to keep it simple and say good health and mobility? If Embiid is spry enough to utilize his incredible face-up and isolation play, to set up his elite mid-range game and use his powerful drives from the elbows — not to mention provide nimble rim protection at the other end of the floor — we all know how much that can carry this team to a whole new level. The way Embiid moved in preseason against Minnesota was an encouraging first step in his return to play. Hopefully that’s a sign of better things to come… and last.

HG: I’ll start with Embiid, who I actually hope to see less from — strange as that sounds. Let me explain. The Sixers are loaded with guards who can create for themselves and for others. In the past, Embiid has often operated as a one-man wrecking crew with a heavy dose of isolation plays. This season, I’d like to see him do less in that sense — which, in theory, should also reduce wear and tear on his body. Ideally, he leans more into being an offensive hub or connector between the guards and forwards, emphasizing playmaking while anchoring the defense as the last line at the rim.

As for George, it comes down to the fundamentals that made him such a valuable addition in the first place. We saw flashes of success when he handled the ball and set up Maxey for easy looks — I’d love to see more of that. He’ll need to be a willing shooter, both on catch-and-shoot attempts and off the dribble. Defensively, he’ll be crucial — the Sixers will rely on him to guard some of the league’s top forwards. There’s also been some chatter about him playing more at the four, which would make rebounding an important part of his role as well.

Josh Grieb: And that’s all for this section of the roundtable! Don’t worry, the staff has plenty more to say about the state of the team, so stay tuned for Part 2 Tuesday!

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-analysis/78884/liberty-ballers-2025-preseason-roundtable

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The NBA on NBC is back and has us feeling nostalgic

For many people, myself included, the NBA on NBC represents the first era of NBA basketball they were alive for. To be clear, while there was a stint from 1954-62 in which the NBA was on NBC, the 1990-2002 run is a run that an entire generation of NBA fans grew up with.

Of course, it has to help that the widely popular Chicago Bulls and their pair of three peats in the 90s were going on while NBC held broadcasting rights to the NBA. It’s a fun irony for Sixers fans that the NBA returns to NBC in the same season the team will honor the 25th anniversary of the 2000-01 Eastern Conference championship. For every Sixers fan, the infamous “Roundball Rock” tune from John Tesh brings back great memories of such a magical run, none bigger than the iconic “stepover” moment for Allen Iverson on Tyronn Lue. Here’s another irony for you. As the NBA returns to NBC, Lue is still working in Los Angeles, except now he’s coaching the Clippers instead of playing for the Lakers.

The 1990-2002 “NBA on NBC” era also represents an era of NBA basketball that many fans probably miss when you think about the way the league has changed since. This was before the days of player empowerment. In these times, players from all the teams Michael Jordan was killing weren’t on the first flight to Chicago when the July 1 free agent period started. While many of the “rivalries” the Bulls had in the 90s were one-sided, I think many fans would agree with me in saying that the competitive fires that existed in the NBA from 1990-2002 were much hotter than the ones that exist in the league today.

Let’s not forget the personalities that existed in the NBA at this time — and it wasn’t just Jordan and his teammates in the Windy City. Remember Shaquille O’Neal’s quote about the Sacramento Kings, calling them the Sacramento Queens? That’s right, the Lakers and Kings used to be a real rivalry in the NBA! Sadly for the Kings, they haven’t been very relevant since.

I also think about some great uniforms in the NBA during the 90s and early 2000s. The Orlando Magic, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz were some of my favorite threads in that era. Surely, many Sixers fans are looking forward to seeing the old 2000-01 black jerseys come back for a few games this season. The Minnesota Timberwolves have also announced they will be donning throwbacks from this era in which Kevin Garnett put the organization on the map.

What about the rivalries that existed in the NBA in between the two three peats for Chicago? There’s an entire documentary about the battles Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers had with Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks. There’s also one called “This Magic Moment” that highlights the mid-1990s Orlando Magic teams, one of which eliminated Chicago in the 1994-95 season in which Jordan returned to the Bulls during the year.

After the Bulls were broken up, we saw some new faces emerge in the NBA while NBC was still the league’s primary network partner. Unfortunately for Sixers fans, two of those faces were O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, who dispatched of Philadelphia in a gentleman’s sweep in the 2001 Finals. Tim Duncan would win the first of five NBA Championships with San Antonio in 1999, one that came with his dominant frontcourt mate, David Robinson.

After all of this nostalgia, some of you might be thinking, well, how much different really was the NBA then compared to now? In addition to the three peats from the Bulls, we saw the Lakers three peat in the early 2000s and the Spurs grow to become title contenders almost every year. So, yeah, from a parity standpoint, the NBA was still pretty top heavy, as it always has been. It just felt like the cultural vibes were a little bit different then. The uniforms were awesome. The bad blood between contenders was real. The emergence of new stars allowed for the league to continue to thrive after the Bulls won their final championship of the 90s. As another season begins, if you’re having some of those thoughts and are spending some time thinking back to what the NBA was like 25-35 years ago, you’re not alone.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...a-on-nbc-is-back-and-has-us-feeling-nostalgic

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Reacts Survey: How far will the Sixers go in 2025-26?

Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Philadelphia 76ers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Philadelphia 76ers will officially begin their 2025-26 regular season on Wednesday night when they take on the Boston Celtics on the road.

After last season, if you can even call it a season, it’s tough to really predict what will happen with this squad in the coming year. Joel Embiid is not on the injury report for the season opener, which is a great start, and the team has added impactful youthful talent like 2025 No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe. Key returning players like Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes and more will be joined by Paul George (knee) and Jared McCain (thumb) once those two return from their respective surgery recoveries. All in all, for right now at least, it looks like things should shape up to be at least a little better than last year for the Sixers.

There’s also the external factors such as the rest of the Eastern Conference being ravaged by injuries, leaving it quite open in terms of how the standings could ultimately shake up by the end of this campaign. In terms of both the East and for the Sixers specifically, the possibilities are endless — both positives and negatives.

What do you think is the most likely outcome for the Philadelphia 76ers’ 2025-26 season? Let us know!

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/gene...urvey-philadelphia-season-outcome-joel-embiid

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Celtics: Second Half Thread

When: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-discussion-threads/79305/sixers-celtics-second-half-thread

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Watch VJ Edgecombe score a Sixers’ record 34 points in his NBA debut

Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft VJ Edgecombe made his league debut on Wednesday night in the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opening win against the Boston Celtics.

And what a debut it was.

The rookie from Bimini made history, setting a new Sixers’ franchise record for most points scored in an NBA debut with 34. The record was previously held by Allen Iverson, who scored 30 in his debut back in 1996. Edgecombe’s 34 points were the third-most scored by an NBA player in his first game in the history of the game, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain (43 points, 1959) and Frank Selvy (35 points, 1954).

In the Sixers’ season-opening 117-116 win over the Celtics in Boston, Edgecombe shot 13-for-26 from the field and 5-for-13 from long range. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. Edgecombe’s 14 first-quarter points were the most scored by a player in their first NBA period as well, beating out LeBron James’ record from 2003.

So, let’s look at every field goal scored by the rookie in his historic debut, shall we?

In case you missed it somehow…

Here is every made field goal from VJ Edgecombe's 34-point NBA debut, setting a Sixers' franchise record! pic.twitter.com/rYlNOOeGms

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 23, 2025

What impressed you the most about Edgecombe’s debut? Let us know down in the comments!

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...e-nba-debut-franchise-record-highlights-video

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The Sixers showcased true grit in fourth quarter comeback against Celtics

The Sixers were going to lose in Boston. Fans had long been accustomed to that over the previous four decades whether that be in regular season matchups or in the playoffs. On Opening Night on Wednesday, the Sixers trailed the Celtics by 11 entering the fourth quarter. I had made peace with the loss, mentally, at that point, given that my expectations for this season weren’t super high to begin with and I was ready to combust with how good both VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey looked.

Something strange happened in that final quarter. The Sixers erased that 11-point deficit and gritted out a one-point win at the TD Garden. Sixers fans who had previously resigned themselves to a morale victory because of Edgecombe’s historic debut and Maxey’s bag of scoring tricks could sleep well knowing their squad toughened up and flat-out beat a team that has always given them fits.

I went from being in coping full-on loser mode on my couch saying, “Just cut it to single digits by the end of the third…” to watching the fourth quarter while pacing around my living room for that comeback W. It was glorious and refreshing.

Look, I know Boston was undermanned and down Jayson Tatum of all people, but they are well-coached, remain ruthless defensively and have championship pedigree down to the 2024 NBA Finals MVP being out there on Wednesday evening.

I loved the way the Sixers crashed the offensive glass while trailing. The Sixers’ shooters were fairly cold outside of the Edgecombe-Maxey turbo team, so fighting for every chance they could was essential to getting them back in this thing. Dominick Barlow, in his Sixers debut, grabbed five offensive rebounds on the night, including two in the fourth. One led to an assist from Barlow, who kicked it out to Edgecombe for a triple and another ended up as a put-back dunk from Barlow himself. Those are little things over the course of 48 minutes, but provided huge, huge dividends.

Maxey is obviously tailor-made to be a closer with his scoring touch as a lead ball-handler late in games and in the clutch, but Edgecombe showcased that he can be relied upon in those situations as well, leaving the team with multiple options to slam the door shut in opponents’ faces. The Sixers have a legitimate grinder at power forward now in Barlow who appears destined to become a fan-favorite and a pair of scoring guards that the franchise has never had. Before even getting into what Paul George or Joel Embiid could bring to the table this year if things work out well enough health wise, the Sixers have the pieces to be a plucky bunch, wearing teams with strength and finesse in equal parts.

Winning a season-opening game just feels so good, doesn’t it? How different is the narrative on Thursday if everyone is just solemnly talking about Edgecombe popping but thinking this season is already going south. Something special might not happen with the team come next April and May, let alone June, but if the Sixers can diversify their style, winning like this with clutch scoring and intestinal fortitude, the next few months should still be a blast and a sign of greater things to come in the ensuing years.

Is it Saturday night in South Philly yet?

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...it-in-fourth-quarter-comeback-against-celtics

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers unveil this season’s NBA Cup court

Every year now, as part of what was formerly called the In-Season Tournament and is now the NBA Cup, every NBA team plays a handful of games on courts that make us want to shield our eyes while watching from home. Today, the Sixers unveiled their new court design for NBA Cup play.

our @NBA Cup court. pic.twitter.com/oETe2g10cK

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 24, 2025

Among all the base colors for these courts, blue is one of the more palatable options, so we should be thankful for small favors. The year with the heavy red design and the navy stripe down the middle was rough. Honestly, I like the NBA Cup trophy features and the circle of stars in the middle of the court. Couldn’t they just leave it at adding those sorts of elements and eschew the heavy color drench in the future? I would be on board with that, but maybe I’m just the old man yelling at the cloud.

Fittingly, we will first see this ‘dressed-up’ version of the court on Halloween. The Sixers’ two home games during the NBA Cup group stage fall on Oct. 31 against Boston and Nov. 25 against Orlando. I can hear Kate Scott now, “Maxey pulls up from the trophy…swish!” As a reminder, Philadelphia’s two away games during the group stage are Nov. 14 in Detroit and Nov. 28 in Brooklyn.

The road to Las Vegas will be paved on boards of blue. How do you all feel about the NBA Cup court design? Are you feeling (the) blue? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-news/79455/sixers-unveil-this-seasons-nba-cup-court

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Reacts Results: Fans expect top-six seed finish in Eastern Conference

Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Philadelphia 76ers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Philadelphia 76ers will host their home opener on Saturday evening, beginning their season with a 1-0 record after defeating the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Before that game even tipped off, however, we wanted to take the temperature of Sixers’ fans. In our first Sixers Reacts Survey this season, we asked readers what they thought the most likely outcome of the 2025-26 campaign would be for the Sixers.

The results are in, and they might surprise you.

With a dominating 59% of the vote, readers said the most likely outcome for the Sixers’ regular season would be a spot in the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Now, that might sound surprising or overly-optimistic. After all, this was a team that finished 13th in the East last season with a 24-58 record! (And it honestly felt even worse than that most of the time…) This season, however, could be a slightly different story.

In the season opener, 2025 No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe started his NBA career with a historic bang, Tyrese Maxey looked damn good alongside him and supporting teammates such as Dominick Barlow impressed beyond expectations. For a game in which Joel Embiid really struggled while Paul George and Jared McCain were sidelined, it went as well as can probably be asked for. Now, that’s just one game, but it seems like the Sixers are coming into this season with a bit more of a proactive plan of how to operate when Embiid and/or George are unavailable or simply aren’t playing dominantly. That bodes a bit better than last season.

Possibly even more impactful here, however, are the external factors working in the Sixers’ favor, mainly that other Eastern Conference teams are dealing with some major injuries this year. Just to name a few of the biggest ones, Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard (who was bought out by the Milwaukee Bucks) are all recovering from Achilles tears that are set to sideline them for the entire season (barring Tatum coming back this year, for whatever reason that’s being considered). Those in addition to others short and long term injuries throughout the East have the conference’s top seeds looking much more open to the taking than past seasons.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently (Oct. 24, 2025, 9 p.m. ET) has the Sixers at -230 odds to make the 2025-26 playoffs and with the sixth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +1200 (tied with the Detroit Pistons).

Twenty-eight percent of our fan survey votes point toward a Play-In Tournament appearance from the Sixers this season, which would mean a finish within seeds 7 through 10. Those votes broke down to 19% overall predicting the 76ers to win the pre-postseason tourney, and 9% expecting their campaign to end in the tournament.

That being said, 13% predict the Sixers’ campaign to end in the regular season — no Play-In, no playoffs. This would require the Sixers to finish 12th or worst in the East. A reminder that last year’s 24-win team finished 13th, so this might be a bit pessimistic of a view…

After the last few seasons, though, you can’t really blame Philadelphia fans for having some skepticism, can you?

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/gene...s-results-eastern-conference-philadelphia-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers host Hornets in home opener, both looking to start season 2-0

Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers will take the floor at the Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time in the 2025-26 regular season, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

The Sixers are — perhaps a bit surprisingly — 1-0 after taking down the Boston Celtics 117-116 at TD Garden earlier this week. It was a gutsy, come-from-behind fourth period win that featured a historic NBA debut from VJ Edgecombe. The 2025 No. 3 overall pick put up a franchise-record 34 points in his first game in the association. The previous Sixers’ record was held by Allen Iverson (30 points, 1996).

Backcourt-mate Tyrese Maxey was right there with Edgecombe making history, too. Maxey put up 40 points on Wednesday night, tying Hall of Famer Hal Greer’s 1969 franchise record for most points scored in a Sixers’ season opener.

Now, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. It was just one game of 82, and we all know how long of a season that can become. But, especially for a season that might not really be about this season, it was a fun start.

And now we move on to game No. 2. As of Friday evening’s injury report, Paul George (knee), Jared McCain (thumb) and Trendon Watford (hamstring) remain out for Philadelphia. Justin Edwards is probable with rib soreness. Joel Embiid, who was on a minutes restriction in the season opener and, frankly, just didn’t have a good first game, is notably not on the injury report.

For Charlotte, Josh Green (rib) and Grant Williams (knee) are both out for Saturday.

The Hornets come to South Philadelphia also 1-0 after comfortably winning their season-opener 136-117 over the visiting Brooklyn Nets. It was the result of a widespread effort from Charlotte, with nine of 10 players taking the floor scoring in the double-digits. Brandon Miller led the way with 25 points and seven assists and LaMelo Ball added 20 points and eight assists. The Hornets out-rebounded the Nets 50-38 and shot the lights out, shooting 53.3% from the field (on 90 attempts) and 47.2% from long range (on 36 attempts).

For the first time in their franchise’s history, the Hornets had two rookies in that opening-night starting lineup: 2025 No. 5 overall pick Kon Knueppel and No. 34 pick Ryan Kalkbrenner. Knueppel put up 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3PT) with five rebounds and an assist. Kalkbrenner put up 10 points (5-6 FG) and grabbed 11 boards, five on the offensive end.

So, both teams are coming into Saturday night with young talent looking to build on their debuts and their squads hoping to start their campaigns with a 2-0 record. It should be a good one in South Philadelphia.

The Sixers and Hornets tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Game Details​

When: Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ey-vj-edgecombe-kon-knueppel-ryan-kalkbrenner

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Andre Drummond’s reflective offseason had him ready to save the day

Shortly after the Sixers dispatched the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, backup center Andre Drummond emerged from the home locker room, wearing a T-shirt and his blue game shorts.

His 6-year-old son Deion trailed behind.

“C’mon, slowpoke,” Drummond said gently.

The two of them would appear to be as close as can be, as indicated by a 2021 video that shows the elder Drummond leaping into a backyard pool to save his son, then 2, after he had tumbled in.

So now they headed off in the direction of the weight room. The elder Drummond had to get his postgame lift in (presumably while Deion repaired to the room set aside by the team for players’ families), and never mind that it was growing late. Or that Andre had played the final 15:48, when the Sixers rallied from 10 down to win, 125-121.

That’s a long stretch for anyone, much less a 32-year-old in his 14th season. Or a guy whose stock in trade has always been rebounding. While with Detroit earlier in his career he led the league in offensive boards six times and in total rebounds four.

That’s a matter of positioning, guile and desire, not to mention strength. So the workouts are non-negotiable.

“It’s been a part of my regimen since early in my career, just lifting after games,” Drummond said after grabbing 13 boards to go with seven points. “It kind of just keeps my body going.”

The moral of the story is that little things add up, that seemingly minor acts might well determine the course of a season. Drummond understands that, and the Sixers can only hope that it is true in a larger sense, too.

They are 2-0, with a one-point victory over a Boston team missing Jayson Tatum and a four-point victory over a Charlotte club not expected to contend for the playoffs. Two games obviously represent a minute sample size, but consider this: They opened last season 0-2, en route to 1-7, 2-12, 3-14 and, by the end of the year, 24-58.

So while 2-0 might not mean everything, it’s entirely possible it means something.

They would like to believe they are better than they were a year ago — deeper, more versatile, better able to withstand the iffy health of Joel Embiid, currently on a minutes restriction, and Paul George, who has yet to make his season debut.

The rotation at present includes four guys who weren’t on the roster at the beginning of last season — starters VJ Edgecombe and Dominick Barlow and subs Quentin Grimes and Jabari Walker. Edgecombe, the prize rookie, has made a particular splash, and Grimes, acquired last February from Dallas, nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left Saturday.

Again, seems meaningful, even at this early date.

“And,” Drummond said, “I think we did the work. I think our offseason was really, really intense.”

He was one of the last guys to return to town this summer. And when he showed up for his first run with teammates, he was surprised to learn they were playing “prison ball,” as he called it.

“Like, we were calling no fouls,” he said. “We were just out there, hooping. … So just the energy in the gym was there from the beginning.”

It seems to have remained. Tyrese Maxey poured in 40 points in the opener, while Edgecombe added 34, most by a Sixer his first time out of the chute. And on Saturday, four guys notched 19 or more, topped by Maxey’s 28.

Afterward Maxey made sure to mention to Edgecombe that he had knocked down the clinching free throws with just over a second left, something the rookie had failed to do in the opener. (Wasn’t the first time the vet brought that up. He did so immediately after the Boston game, too.) Maxey also needled backup wing Justin Edwards about a double-dribble call against him Saturday, prompting howls of protest.

Meantime Charlotte coach Charles Lee said Drummond “changed the complexion of the game” with his boardwork. Drummond snagged six rebounds off the offensive glass, seven defensively and was a plus-12. Only Kelly Oubre Jr. (plus-18) was better.

“That’s one of those where you’re thrilled because he played so well and you got the result,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said, “and now you’re wondering why you didn’t use him earlier a little bit, to be honest.”

But with Embiid again limited to 20 minutes – a stint in which he scored 20 points – and the other rotational big, Adem Bona, ineffective in his 12 minutes, Nurse turned to the veteran.

“I just thought it was time to try to find some spark of energy,” he said. “And he certainly provided it.”

Nobody seemed surprised.

“That’s him, bro,” Edwards told a pack of reporters. “That’s Andre Drummond, man. Y’all should know that. It was huge for us.”

“Big minutes, big buckets, big stops,” Edgecombe said. “We all know what he can do.”

But Drummond wasn’t sure he was going to be allowed to do much of anything this season. He appeared in just 40 games in 2024-25, and had to work on his body and his mind over the summer.

Regarding the former, he said, “Changed the diet. Just ran more. Less cheat days.”

And evidence of the latter can be found in the new tattoo on the back of his right hand. “DON’T QUIT,” it says, in all capital letters.

“It’s a reminder to myself: No matter what happens, just never give up and just keep going,” he said, adding that ‘24-25 was “an interesting year.”

“It started making me second-guess – like, ‘Damn man, hopefully this is not it for me,’” he said. “You know, I’ve still got a lot left in the tank. So I felt like this is something to remind myself every time I have those moments of doubt.”

In truth, it’s still not clear what his role might be. He played just three minutes in Boston. But he has pledged to stay ready, and to serve as an example to the younger players. In particular he has counseled Edwards, who shot horribly in the preseason – 3-for-26 from the field, including 2-for-18 from the arc – after showing promise last winter.

Edwards swore his confidence didn’t take a hit, while at the same time admitting, “Not making shots, it’s more so like something where I battle within myself.” Whatever the case, he worked at his craft on the side and was ready when called upon in the second half Saturday, shooting 3-for-5 from downtown and scoring nine points in 12:29.

Might not mean anything. But then again, it could mean something. Certainly the Sixers are more than willing to grasp at such straws, to see what they can make of the smallest of building blocks. And all the better if they can push aside last season’s rubble in the process.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...nets-justin-edwards-vj-edgecombe-tyrese-maxey

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Joel Embiid to miss matchup vs. Magic due to injury management, Dominick Barlow to undergo procedure

It took two games for a Joel Embiid injury update, but this one doesn’t seem too serious.

The Sixers released their injury report ahead of their upcoming matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday, and Embiid appeared on it for the first time this season. He’s been ruled out for that game, with the listed reason being “injury management.” Dominick Barlow, who left the win over over the Hornets with an elbow laceration, has also been ruled out along with Paul George, Trendon Watford and Jared McCain.

Joel Embiid is OUT tomorrow on the front end of the Sixers’ back-to-back. Dominick Barlow (elbow) also out, in addition to George/Watford/McCain. pic.twitter.com/Q8xpzkLLoH

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 26, 2025

It’s not a surprise at all to see Embiid ruled out for a game that is the first leg of a back-to-back, but it’s a bit different to see him ruled out for the home game of that set. The Sixers will head down to Washington to take on the Wizards the following day. Embiid has almost always played the home game when faced with such a choice.

The most likely reason for the decision is for Embiid to get an extra day off between games. Having two days off between games instead one could make a difference in his ability to recover.

It’s also possible that the Sixers are picking the easier matchup as Embiid is trying to play himself into shape. No one would argue that Orlando’s group of bigs, led by Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., pose a much more physical and challenging matchup than the young group of the Wizards.

Or maybe Embiid’s knee isn’t feeling great after two games of action and he’ll miss both of these upcoming games. The injury management designation does throw cold water on that, but that’ll be a fear for Embiid until his body is able to prove otherwise. That answer is still a couple days away before that injury report is due for the Sixers, unless Nick Nurse sheds some light on Embiid’s status before Monday night’s game.

Update: 10/26/25, 6:59 p.m ET​

Not too long after the injury report was released, the Sixers gave an update that provided further detail on Dominick Barlow’s situation. He was ruled out of the home opener win vs Charlotte at halftime with an elbow laceration. The team has announced that he will go undergo a procedure for that elbow injury, and will be out at least the next two games.

Dominick Barlow will undergo a procedure tomorrow to fix a laceration on his right elbow he suffered vs. the Hornets, per Sixers. He’s out the next two games and will be reevaluated later this week.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) October 26, 2025

The timing is definitely a bummer for Barlow. This is a guy on a two-way contract who not only earned his way into a rotation, but into the Sixers’ starting lineup. It doesn’t sound like this injury and subsequent procedure is too big of a deal. The reevaluation coming later in the week is a fairly positive sign. Regardless, no one around this team right now wants to see a notification that says “medical update.”

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...iss-matchup-vs-magic-due-to-injury-management

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers host Magic looking to remain undefeated

We’d have to go back to the offseason of 2024 for the last time vibes were this high surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have won consecutive games in the final minute to open the season 2-0 for the first time in five years. Third overall pick VJ Edgecombe has had a historic start to his rookie season. Quentin Grimes seems happy following the tragically long and ultimately fruitless end to Restricted Free Agency Decision 2025. Even Andre Drummond looks rejuvenated and productive.

Naturally, then, we were due for a fly in the punch bowl. The Sixers released the injury report for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic, and Joel Embiid is out due to load management. Now, we were fully aware Joel is not going to play both ends of any back-to-backs this season, but seeing the first DNP of the season still hits a little bit regardless. Dominick Barlow having his elbow cut so badly that it requires a procedure and multiple games on the sidelines is also a Very Sixers Injury. Plus, it would be nice to see hints of a Paul George season debut, but it’s better than the team rushing him back to action before that knee is 100 percent, I suppose.

Let’s focus on the positives then. Tyrese Maxey looks to be back on an All-Star, maybe All-NBA, trajectory after a step back last season. Edgecombe followed up his epic 34-point debut with eight assists in the win over Charlotte. Both his playmaking and mid-range scoring game have looked much better than advertised in the scouting report. VJ definitely looks like a guy benefiting from the increased spacing of the NBA game. The Sixers look set in the backcourt for years to come, and we haven’t even seen Jared McCain yet this season.

On the opposing sideline, the Orlando Magic were every other podcaster’s “watch for them to maybe come out of the East” dark horse pick in the wake of the trade for Desmond Bane. They’ve started the season 1-2, with a win over Miami and losses to Atlanta and Chicago. Bane is currently third on the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game, behind the Franz Wagner-Paolo Banchero star duo. He’s only shooting 26.7 percent from three over the small sample size; once that normalizes to career numbers, the Magic could be looking at three players averaging around 20 points per game. Unlike the Sixers, the Magic enter tonight’s contest relatively healthy, with only Mo Wagner (torn ACL recovery) listed on the injury report.

Philadelphia is listed as 4.5-point underdogs for tonight’s game, per FanDuel, which makes sense, considering the Sixers are much more shorthanded and the Magic were projected to be the better team coming into the season. But the Sixers have shown a fighting mentality in the early going this season, and I’m excited to see what they have in store for us this evening. No matter what, it’s just nice to be looking forward to Sixers basketball again.

Game Details​

When: Monday, October 27, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ixers-host-magic-looking-to-remain-undefeated

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Watch 9 Sixers’ highlights vs. Magic that helped them stay undefeated

Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers are 3-0 after taking down the Orlando Magic in South Philadelphia 136-124 on Monday night. It was another fun, highlight-packed game for the Sixers, especially for Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe (surprise, surprise). The dynamic backcourt duo combined with great performances from Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona and others to take down Orlando — even with Joel Embiid, Paul George, Jared McCain and Dominck Barlow all sidelined.

If you’re looking for a full game recap, you can check that out here.

Here, we’re just going to watch some highlights. There were a lot to choose from on Monday — let’s look at some of the best plays that led the Sixers to victory.

1. This entire early first quarter sequence

Bona block Edgecombe layup Oubre block Maxey triple! pic.twitter.com/vMrwsrxTjH

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 27, 2025

Wow, that was nice. Bona gets up for the block and Edgecombe shows off some excellent body control for the smooth finish down the other end. Oubre slaps a block of his own on the following Magic possession and Maxey turns it into three points. *chef’s kiss*

2. Andre Drummond with the muscle, VJ Edgecombe with the smooth finish

Andre Drummond battles for the offensive board, VJ Edgecombe turns it into 3 points for the Sixers pic.twitter.com/mNXF1oteya

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 27, 2025

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t super excited when I saw Andre Drummond coming into the game against the Charlotte Hornets this past Saturday night. Man, was I an idiot? After a stellar performance that was vital to the Sixers’ comeback win that evening, Drummond was back out on the floor Monday evening battling for boards again. In this clip, he wins the fight over two members of the Magic squad to grab the offensive rebound

In the extended possession, Edgecombe then hits a perfect step-back, creating space to hit the three over Paolo Banchero.

3. VJ Edgecombe. A rookie, apparently.

VJ Edgecombe with the casual rookie-level finish*, of course!

* holy crap this kid is good. pic.twitter.com/N7gZdErtBg

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

This one speaks for itself, really. There’s not many NBA rookies able to hit this footwork and finish like Edgecombe can.

4. This backcourt is SPECIAL.

VJ EDGECOMBE. TYRESE MAXEY.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. pic.twitter.com/wx0TQpGU9F

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

Edgecombe hits a perfectly-timed leap to manage a huge trailing block on Banchero before Maxey somehow sinks an absolute circus shot finish down the offensive end. What a special backcourt this is already proving to be.

5. Adem Bona with back-to-back jams

How about back-to-back slams from Adem Bona?! pic.twitter.com/NePF3qs4le

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

Bona was a beast on defense on Monday night, popping up seemingly everywhere on that end of the floor and ending up with three blocks. On the offensive end, Bona had just seven points against the Magic, but he certainly had some fun ones. How about back-to-back dunks from the big man?

6. Kelly Oubre Jr. with a stellar night

Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to build on his excellent performance tonight — he's up to 21 points with time still left in Q3 pic.twitter.com/DIU0AUCXAI

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

You might think this is a “boring” highlight. Maybe it is. It’s not a high-flying dunk or a half-court shot, but Oubre didn’t need those on Monday night to be hugely impactful, and he deserves his kudos. All night, Oubre was driving into the arc to hit some silky smooth midrange jumpers or going right to the rim to finish (and often, drawing fouls in the process). Perhaps none of it was particularly flashy, especially when compared to some of the other plays we’re looking at here, but this was his best performance of the young season, for sure. Oubre finished the night with a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double.

7. Eric Gordon sinks one from Broad Street

ERIC GORDON FROM WAAAAAAY DOWNTOWN pic.twitter.com/HUBeNLeXBa

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

Self-explanatory. Eric Gordon had eight points in 11 minutes off the bench shooting 3-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-3 from long range, including this one from long long range.

8. Turning defense into offense

DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE pic.twitter.com/jewlV5ZH3s

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

With a Magic team bringing a decent size advantage into this contest due to the Sixers’ absences, it was vital that Philadelphia took advantage of turnovers and utilized speed in transition to snag points with Orlando trailing behind as often as possible.

It wasn’t the prettiest example here, but it doesn’t matter — it worked.

9. Tyrese Maxey. The Franchise.

TYRESE MAXEY WANTS THE SIXERS TO BE 3-0!

7 consecutive Sixers' points from Maxey brings his total tonight to 41! pic.twitter.com/7BU2VXntaz

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

Maxey really wanted to see the Sixers go 3-0, I guess. Late in the fourth with the battle between the Sixers and Magic raging closely, Maxey went on a 7-0 run all on his own to secure the win for Philadelphia, notching his second 40-point game of the young season in the process.

Which highlight was YOUR favorite? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...adelphia-sixers-vj-edgecombe-tyrese-maxey-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Trendon Watford will make Sixers debut tonight against Wizards

Even amidst the Philadelphia 76ers’ excitedly productive start to the 2025-26 regular season, some injury issues have persisted. As the Sixers now prepare for the second leg of a back-to-back tonight in the nation’s capital, they’ll get some much-needed fresh legs added to the rotation.

Trendon Watford will make his Philadelphia 76ers debut tonight against the Washington Wizards, League Sources tell The Athletic. The Sixers get some much needed depth up front available to them on a back to back

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 28, 2025

Watford appeared in 44 games last season for Brooklyn, averaging 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He signed a deal with the Sixers towards the beginning of free agency, and as the roster shook out, many expected him to start at the power forward spot for Philadelphia heading into the season. Then he suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and missed the team’s entire preseason and first three regular season games. We hadn’t heard any murmurs about Watford’s return being imminent, so his suddenly being fit to play is a nice surprise.

Although we all expected Joel Embiid to rejoin the lineup after sitting out last night’s win over Orlando for load management reasons, Dominick Barlow remains out due an elbow laceration. Watford will be a welcome addition to the frontcourt rotation, particularly considering everyone outside of Embiid played last night. Here’s the full injury report from the team:

Joel Embiid (injury management) and Trendon Watford (hamstring) both are OFF the injury report for tonight's Sixers vs. Wizards matchup.

Dominick Barlow (elbow), Paul George (knee) and Jared McCain (thumb) remain OUT. pic.twitter.com/SxLeEYPB9h

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 28, 2025

We’ll see if Watford gets thrown right into the starting lineup, or whether Nick Nurse eases him in for his season debut. The Sixers take on the Wizards at 7 p.m., who have started the season 1-2, most recently losing to Charlotte, 139-113, on Sunday. The vibes have been tremendous for Philadelphia to start the season, and Watford’s return should only add to the fun.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ill-make-sixers-debut-tonight-against-wizards

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Bona heroics, Maxey magic and more: 9 highlights from Sixers’ comeback over Wizards

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Wow, what a thriller.

The Philadelphia 76ers remain undefeated after coming back from a 19-point deficit on Tuesday night to take down the Washington Wizards 139-134 in overtime.

The odds were stacking against the Sixers with the Wizards shooting the lights out and the 76ers looking like… well, like they were on the second leg of a back-to-back, for sure. However, thanks to some heroic efforts, especially from Adem Bona, the Sixers were able to pry a victory from the jaws of defeat. They are now 4-0 to start the season.

If you’re looking for a full game recap, you can find that here. To vote for the Sixers Bell Ringer, head here.

If you want to see some highlights that helped turn this one around for Philadelphia, you’re in the right place. Let’s get watching.

1. Textbook two-man game from Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid

A beautiful bit of two-man game from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey pic.twitter.com/ULH5OvYOf0

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 28, 2025

Love to see these two getting to go to work on the floor together again! This is just a simple but beautifully-effective give-and-go between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Maxey makes a great cut after passing the ball off to Embiid and the big fella splits the defenders with the dime back to Maxey for the finish at the rim.

2. Tyrese Maxey’s first period shooting

Another great period from Tyrese Maxey, picking up where he left off last night with 12 points in Q1.

Here's his points from the floor in the opening frame vs. Wizards. pic.twitter.com/ofhcTxM4A1

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 28, 2025

Maxey picked right back up where he left off on Monday night, putting up a dozen on the Wizards in the opening frame Tuesday night. Maxey shot 4-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-3 from long range, with two rebounds, two assists and a block in the first period against the Wizards.

3. Adem Bona blocks, Kelly Oubre Jr. hits from beyond the arc

Bona with ANOTHER block, Oubre with the 3-point play down the other end. pic.twitter.com/nIm03GlwJY

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

We’re zooming ahead to the fourth period now as the Sixers finally shift into gear to try to overcome what was once a 19-point deficit. Bona starts this one off with a monster block — one of many from the end of this contest, more on that to come — and Kelly Oubre Jr. capitalizes. Oubre continues to have success with the midrange jumper and keeps drawing fouls in the process, which becomes absolutely massive when the Sixers are trying to mount comebacks with time running thin. He finished Tuesday night with his second consecutive double-double, putting up 17 points with 11 rebounds.

4. Quentin Grimes battles back

The Sixers have pulled within 3! pic.twitter.com/Cd9B6Qv69v

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

Tuesday night’s game was a bit of a mixed bag for Quentin Grimes, but he stepped up when it really mattered and this is the perfect example. In this late fourth-period sequence, Grimes hits a three and goes right to work on the full-court defense, stealing the ball away for the Sixers and ultimately allowing them to pull within three points in the final minute.

Grimes scored 12 points in the pivotal fourth period, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-3 from long range, with three rebounds, one assist, a steal and two blocks in the frame.

5. Adem Bona blocks again (does NOT goaltend!)

REVIEW CONFIRMS THAT IS A CLEAN BLOCK FOR ADEM BONA! pic.twitter.com/WobE9eThQd

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

We had to wait a bit for the confirmation on this one as it happened, but that is a clean block from Bona with just 23 seconds to play and the game tied! This was called a goaltend on the floor, momentarily giving the Wizards the 128-126 lead, but review eventually prevailed and Bona was credited with the clean block, keeping the game level and ultimately sending it to overtime at 126-126.

6. A little Tyrese Maxey magic keeps the Sixers’ hopes alive.

Maxey with some magic trying to keep the Sixers going here in overtime! pic.twitter.com/SHAauVXAlF

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

The Sixers weren’t able to score a single point in the first few minutes of overtime, so it was going to take a little Maxey magic to get things going. Not only does Maxey stay inbounds battling the Wizards defense along the baseline, but he also manages to actually finish the play with an insane reverse layup. Maxey would ultimately score nine points in overtime after getting started with this bucket.

7. Adem Bona slams home his only points of the game — the go-ahead bucket in overtime.

AND THE SIXERS TAKE THE LEAD IN OT! THEIR FIRST LEAD IN THIS GAME SINCE Q1! pic.twitter.com/iZ9PmmxmYC

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

Bona scored just two points in Tuesday’s game, but boy were they important. The Sixers trailed by one point with 28 seconds remaining in overtime. On this play, you can see Bona set the screen for Maxey way out at the logo before immediately trailing him all the way to the net, putting him in perfect position to get up and slam home a put-back dunk on the floater that Maxey left a little short. This was the Sixers’ first lead since the first period, and it was ultimately the one that mattered.

8. Adem Bona does it all, secures the win for Philadelphia.

ADEM BONA. BLOCKS. AGAIN.

THAT IS HIS 5TH BLOCK. pic.twitter.com/s4eI9mqTlD

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) October 29, 2025

There was really no more appropriate way for this one to end. After the put-back dunk to take the lead for the Sixers, Bona gets up to block CJ McCollum’s effort to re-tie the game and effectively seals the win for Philadelphia.

9. Oops! All Adem Bona!

Holy moly, Adem Bona.

From Q4 7:18 through OT, Bona put up FIVE MASSIVE BLOCKS and slammed home the go-ahead points in the Sixers' comeback victory. Let's relive it all. pic.twitter.com/eQWBUYOg5f

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 29, 2025

Some of these we already looked at individually above, and some we haven’t talked about here yet — they’re all worth watching again. From 7:15 left in the fourth period through the end of overtime, Bona put up a massive five blocks and scored the go-ahead points that led the Sixers’ to victory. Here’s all of those moments from his game-changing stint.

What was YOUR favorite highlight from the Sixers’ win over the Wizards? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-video-nba-adem-bona-tyrese-maxey-joel-embiid

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt is ushering in an era of joy

Everyone gets their heart broken. For most, it happens more than once. It can do serious damage, making us afraid to love again.

The last decade — hell, the last quarter century — has been filled with soul-crushing moments for the most diehard Sixers fans. From rookie injuries to guys forgetting how to shoot to playoff disappointments and everything in between, this basketball team has continually warmed your heart only to rip it out and stomp on it.

It’s only fitting that two players who basically fell into the franchise’s lap under the strangest of circumstances would be ushering in an era of joy.

The Sixers are one of four remaining undefeated teams in the NBA after an impressive 136-124 victory over the Orlando Magic Monday and a dramatic comeback overtime win the very next night against the Washington Wizards. They’re 4-0. After not winning their fourth game last season until after Thanksgiving, they reached that number before Halloween in 2025-26. The biggest reason: the stellar play of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Per ESPN, the 186 points Maxey and Edgecome combined for through the first three games is the most for a starting backcourt through three games since at least 1970-71, when starters first started to be tracked. The historical numbers took a bit of a hit after a “down” game for Edgecombe in D.C. Nevertheless, the future is bright.

The winning and the stats are great, but both guys also play the game with unbridled enthusiasm — a welcome departure from some of the more sour personalities the Sixers have employed in recent memory.

Sure, Maxey is slightly less smiley as a grizzled, 24-year-old veteran, but it’s obvious the 20-year-old Edgecombe’s energy has been infectious. And it seems to be trickling down the entire roster.

But don’t mistake the joy for weakness.

On the first play of the game Monday, Edgecombe took an elbow to the face. He was bleeding to the point where the officials had to stop the game for an infection control timeout. Edgecombe never came out — though he did admit after the game that his teeth still hurt.

With the Sixers threatening to run the Magic out of the gym in the second half, Desmond Bane decided to do a little tough guy routine after fouling Maxey. Maxey rose to his feet and immediately got in Bane’s face. Double technicals were called. Bane committed three fouls on that one possession. He later committed a bad foul on a Quentin Grimes’ three-point attempt. Moments later, he fouled out.

When keeping it real goes wrong.

Tuesday felt like it just wasn’t their night. It would’ve been understandable if the Sixers sort of packed it in after falling down by as many as 19 in the second half and the Wizards seemingly making everything. Not with this group. A clearly tired Maxey powered through, Grimes came up with several big plays, and second-year big man Adem Bona took the game over on defense.

You won’t be faster than them. You won’t outwork them. You can’t bully them, either. It’s fun to watch.

The new discourse adds to the fun:

What do the Sixers do when Joel Embiid, Paul George and Jared McCain are all healthy and playing regular minutes?

Oh my, how will the Sixers handle integrating a former MVP, a nine-time All-Star and a guy that would’ve won Rookie of the Year if not for injury to a super fun and talented team? This sounds catastrophic!

For what it’s worth, Embiid recorded a 25-point, seven-rebound, five-assist stat line in a little over 23 minutes. He was also a +9. It feels like he’ll figure it out. Maybe pump the brakes on a few of the hot takes.

What makes it even more enjoyable is how both Maxey and Edgecombe were acquired.

If Mike Muscala doesn’t hit a game-winning three against the Miami Heat in the NBA’s bubble, the Sixers’ 2020 first-round pick would’ve belonged to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, the Sixers had the 21st overall selection and Maxey somehow fell to them. The NCAA Tournament was canceled because of COVID. If not for that, Maxey might’ve improved his stock with a big game or two for Kentucky.

Daryl Morey took on expiring contracts during the 2023-24 season, hoping to clear cap space and make a big free agency splash in the offseason. He did just that, signing George to a max deal. The Sixers were all in on winning a championship with the Big 3 of Maxey, George and Embiid.

And we all know how that ended.

But without arguably the most miserable season in franchise history in 2024-25, the team wouldn’t have been in a position to take Edgecombe third overall out of Baylor. Things breaking the team’s way is a borderline uncomfortable feeling in Philadelphia.

Years after Sam Hinkie’s plot to tank and accumulate draft assets, hoping for superstars, the Sixers lucked into a star backcourt. Yes, Morey’s front office did well in scouting both players and selecting them, but as Hinkie relayed in his resignation manifesto, a modicum of luck is required.

The illusion of control is an opiate, though. Nonetheless, it is annoyingly necessary to get
comfortable with many grades of maybe. Sixers fans come up to me to say hello and many of them say the
same thing (almost instinctively) as we part, “Good luck.” My standard reply: ‘Thanks. We’ll need it.‘

There was something darkly fun about The Process. This is different, though. This is an established player in Maxey who is ascending before our eyes. This is a 20-year-old rookie more than living up to his draft hype in his draft year. All the while, a couple talented veterans — and a super intriguing second-year guard in McCain, who will bring plenty of joy of his own — are biding their time.

You don’t have to put big expectations on it or quantify it all four games into the season.

You’re allowed to simply enjoy it all, Sixers fans.

You’ve earned it.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...d-record-joel-embiid-paul-george-jared-mccain

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers exercise third-year option on Jared McCain, who is back practicing

In news that is not actually news because of how fait accompli the decision was, the Philadelphia 76ers have exercised the third-year option on 2024 NBA first-round pick Jared McCain. Here is the official release from Sixers Public Relations:

“Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has exercised the third-year contract option on Jared McCain for the 2026-27 season.

Originally selected with the 16th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, McCain, 21, appeared in 23 games (eight starts) during his rookie season. He averaged 15.3 points, leading all rookies in points per game last season, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 25.7 minutes, while shooting 38.3-percent from beyond the arc (fourth among rookies in 2024-25).

McCain made at least three three-pointers in eight consecutive games from Nov. 8-22, setting an NBA rookie record.

The Sacramento, CA native posted rookie career highs with 34 points and 10 assists on Nov. 13 against Cleveland, joining Allen Iverson as the only 76ers rookies to ever produce such numbers in a single game. The 34-point outburst came during a stretch in which he recorded 20-or-more points in seven consecutive games from Nov. 10-22, good for the fourth-longest streak by a 76ers rookie in franchise history (Joel Embiid, Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, Lee Shaffer, and Jerry Stackhouse). McCain’s eight 20-point gamest tied him for third and his two 30-point games tied for second amongst rookies last season, despite his season ending on Dec. 13, 2024.

The Duke product was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October/November last season and was also selected for the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars.”

McCain’s salary will stand at $4.42 million next season. As for the present, with everything going so incredibly well to start the regular season for the 4-0 Sixers, people were actually asking the preposterous question, “What are they going to do when Paul George and Jared McCain get back?” As if a team that has started Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards in the past week (no offense to those guys who have been solid in their roles) couldn’t find time for a nine-time All-Star who is still probably their best wing defender and the guy who was on a Rookie of the Year trajectory pre-injury who can shoot the lights out. Regardless, we might be finding out soon.

Nick Nurse did temper things a bit re: Jared McCain. It was not a heavy practice and McCain still hasn’t done much with contact. https://t.co/zQckKEssUf

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) October 30, 2025

Both McCain and George were practicing today, so while I wouldn’t expect them to take the court tomorrow against the Celtics, it does seem like their return will come in the foreseeable future. The vibes have been tremendous through four games for the Sixers, and adding back one of the only fun things about last year, that being the Jared McCain experience, should only keep the vibes train chugging full steam ahead.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...option-on-jared-mccain-who-is-back-practicing