RSS 76ers Team Notes

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Despite Big 3 intact, Philly falls to Hawks in double OT

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 7
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Dom Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

Your 10-8 Philadelphia 76ers welcomed Eastern Conference foe the Atlanta Hawks to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday night. The Sixers entered this contest sitting in eighth place in the East. This would be the first meeting of four between the two teams this season. The Sixers welcomed Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe back to the lineup, marking the first time this season the Sixers had their Big 3 of Tyrese Maxey, Embiid and Paul George on the floor.

tonight’s starting lineup:

@TyreseMaxey
@vj_edgecombe
@Yg_Trece
@Dominickbarlow_
@JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/ZsN3OkWpWY

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 30, 2025

Let’s get to the game.

The first quarter was hotly contested, which would become a theme for the first half as a whole. The Sixers and Hawks traded baskets and mini-runs throughout. Balanced scoring from Maxey, Embiid and Quentin Grimes paced the Sixers to an early 29-25 lead at the end of period one.

start us off, @JoelEmbiid! pic.twitter.com/aEWont4lUL

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 30, 2025

after Q1.@cryptocom pic.twitter.com/4EoNcLskvG

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 30, 2025

The Hawks punched back to win the second quarter by a 32-29 margin cutting the Sixers halftime lead to just one at 58-57. The Hawks were carried by stellar play from their rising star forward Jalen Johnson, who led all scorers with 16 first-half points. Eleven points off the bench courtesy of Mouhamed Gueye helped lead the way for the Hawks as well.

at the break. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/9bxmnhNSyV

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

McCain from the mid-range. pic.twitter.com/I73dVwPMFd

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 30, 2025

Both teams failed to get any notable separation from each other throughout the third. A sweet step-back three from Grimes at the horn of the third quarter gave the Sixers an 89-83 lead headed into the fourth quarter. Grimes scored 11 points in the period and would take a game-high 23 points into the final period.

Q4 up next. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/BujVqb1PBu

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

https://t.co/P7SXyYhHhP pic.twitter.com/NKFtq3BtKm

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

The Hawks jumped all over the Sixers to start the fourth. Atlanta started the period on an 18-4 run to take an eight-point lead at 101-93 with under six minutes to go. The Sixers appeared they would not be able to overcome that slow start. A George missed layup, a Grimes missed dunk, and a pair of missed George open corner three-pointers appeared to be the nail in the coffin for the Sixers. They were down 113-105 with just 43 seconds remaining in the contest when the comeback began with a Grimes three.

Sandwiched between two 1-of-2 trips from the line from Johnson and Dyson Daniels was an Embiid layup. Dominick Barlow was fouled with 12 seconds left and had an and-1 opportunity to cut the lead to just two points. Barlow missed the free throw, but Paul George was able to corral the rebound and fire it to Tyrese Maxey who drilled a long range three to tie the game at 115-115. OVERTIME!

pic.twitter.com/0PJdRPbPYq

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

https://t.co/uW3TaGZ7u5 pic.twitter.com/Jd9tfjMx9m

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

Big baskets by Grimes, Maxey and Jared McCain gave the Sixers the advantage for most of the overtime period. A missed pair of free throws from Maxey with 4.6 seconds on the clock with a two-point lead left the door cracked for the Hawks. Johnson drew a shooting foul on Barlow with 0.3 seconds left on the clock. Johnson knocked down the pair to tie the game at 126 apiece and force a second overtime.

JMAC! pic.twitter.com/RePsZ4juZD

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

around and in pic.twitter.com/0KkKDHG9xO

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

The Hawks took complete control as George and Embiid were unavailable due to minutes restriction. The Hawks would go onto win 142-134 behind a 41-point performance from Johnson.

final in double OT. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/CEI7Ut88NM

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025

Now for the Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 44 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 14-of-31 from field, 52 minutes played

Maxey just continues to stack monster performance after monster performance, carrying the Sixers on his back this season. Aside from missing a pair of free throws that would have iced the game at the end of the first overtime, Maxey was excellent. He was dominant scoring inside the arc with acrobatic layups and playing with tremendous pace. Maxey has been an ironman all season for the Sixers, ranking at the top of the NBA in minutes played.

Quentin Grimes: 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 8-of-15 from field, 4-of-8 from three, 47 minutes played

Grimes is making a strong Sixth Man of the Year case this season for the Sixers. He continues to display three-level scoring and sound man-to-man defense on the perimeter. Grimes efforts on the boards should not go unnoticed as well as he notched a double-digit rebounding performance.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...g-3-intact-philly-falls-to-hawks-in-double-ot

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Editor-in-chief mailbag: Another weird week for the Sixers … which felt normal?

A rash of injuries? Joel Embiid’s injury status flip-flopping? Super weird games?

It sure sounds like the Sixers are back!

We’re 19 games into the 2025-26 season and we have little clarity on this team. Embiid and Paul George are just now pushing the 30-minute threshold and have played a combined 12 games — and only one together. Outside of those two, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow, Andre Drummond and Trendon Watford have all dealt with injuries. Plus, Jared McCain is just now finding his form after returning from meniscus and thumb surgeries. Until they’re relatively healthy, it’s hard to evaluate much.

Ironically, Tyrese Maxey, the league-leader in minutes, has not missed a game. Quentin Grimes is the only other regular to play in every game.

They’re 10-9, which feels pretty appropriate. Unless Embiid and George play consistently, this is probably a .500, even with Maxey playing like an MVP candidate. Of course, someone like Edgecombe or McCain could ascend and change things a bit, but we’ll have to wait and see if they do.

For now, let’s get to some of your most pressing Sixers questions.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...r-weird-week-for-the-sixers-which-felt-normal

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Allen Iverson is an all-time great, but could he have been even greater?

We are early in a Sixers season in which we are again reexamining the career of Allen Iverson, again reconsidering his legacy. The team has chosen to trot out the uniforms worn by the Iverson-led 2000-01 NBA finalist on occasion, and a recent book and docuseries allow us to revisit the life and career of the most compelling figure to ever don those duds.

As a result, the same questions that have been asked before can be asked again. As headstrong as he was, could he have accomplished more by toeing the line? As stubborn as he was, could he have risen even higher by playing along on occasion? And as great as he was, could he have been even greater?

All of that is food for thought. And there are some indications in both his memoir “Misunderstood” (written with New York attorney Ray Beauchamp) and the three-part Prime Video docuseries “Allen Iv3rson” that The Answer has considered those questions himself.

As an example, here is a passage from late in the book, which like the doc came out in October:

Me being stubborn, I dug deeper. You don’t like my style? Gonna do it more – let the joints sag further. You don’t like my friends? I’m gonna hold those dudes closer. You think my family should be in jail? I’m gonna be there in court for them. You don’t like my partying? I’m gonna stay out later, party harder. It ain’t a strategy for life I recommend. It’s just how I did it. The loyalty, stubbornness, got me in trouble, got me criticized, and sometimes brought pain, but it wasn’t stopping me from racing for greatness and making my mark in the NBA.

(Emphasis mine.)

There is no argument about his talents, his role as a culture-changer or (for better or worse) his loyalty to those with whom he grew up in tidewater Virginia. But that sentence I bold-faced above at least hints at some reflection on the part of Iverson, who is now 50 – that a less-is-more approach might have served him even better, that meeting people halfway on occasion might have allowed him to soar even higher.

That was all crystallized in one of the signature moments of his career, the infamous press conference after the 2001-02 season in which he bristled at questions about his practice habits. Iverson mentions in the book’s preface that his emotions were jumbled going into that presser – that he was still coming to grips with the murder of his close friend Rahsaan Langford months earlier (“That shit broke me,” he writes), while at the same time believing he was in a good place with Sixers management, which quelled any rumors that he was about to be traded.

He adds later in the book that in his mind, the media focus was all wrong that day: What about the games? What about my friends and family? What about me, the human being?

Point taken, and it underscores why he and Beauchamp titled the book as they did. Misunderstood? Yeah, there’s no doubt some of that on the part of a media corps that is largely from an entirely different background than his.

At the same time, it seems fair to ask if Iverson ever fully understood his responsibilities as a franchise player. Yes, he played hard. But could he have played harder if he wasn’t such a “nightcrawler,” as Stephen A. Smith calls him in the docuseries? And yes, he was incredibly productive. But could he have done even more if he hadn’t butted heads so often with his coaches, Larry Brown in particular?

Put simply: Would we hold him in even greater regard if he had just taken care of his body and agreed to go along to get along?

Consider, if you will, the example of Ray Allen. Allen, known for his work habits, entered the NBA the same year as Iverson – 1996 – but played four seasons longer and made $30 million more in salary. He also won championship rings in Boston and Miami.

The question is not whether Allen is a greater player than Iverson. That debate was settled long ago. Rather, the question is whether Iverson could have followed a similar career arc. Would he have agreed to be a co-star in Boston, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce? A role player on the LeBron James-led Heat? Not likely. He was a solo act, a guy who did his best work when surrounded by the lunchpail-carriers who comprised the 2000-01 team. It was great for one season, but only one season.

The off-the-court stuff is no less fascinating, and best examined in the docuseries. He has always been loyal to his Virginia friends, which to some extent is laudable; how often have athletes been criticized for “not remembering their roots”? But the question that is raised is whether those friends have brought him down, while he has tried to raise them up. And the views of Iverson’s ex-wife Tawanna, as well as Stephen A., are telling.

“Allen will tell you I’m not fond of too many of his friends,” Tawanna says in the doc, adding that her ex-husband “felt pressure to take care of his friends” to the point that it “caused issues” for the couple. (They were married in 2001 and divorced in 2013, though the doc indicates that they have since reconciled.)

Smith covered Iverson as a beat writer for the Inquirer. And in the doc he comes off not as the grating presence he is on ESPN, but rather as thoughtful and incisive.

“I personally know of several friends that Allen Iverson lied for,” Smith tells the cameras, “and acted like he did stuff they did, just to cover for them.”

Iverson’s response?

“I’m gonna hang around who I choose to be around,” he says in the doc.

Iverson’s decade-plus stay in Philadelphia ended with a 2006 trade to Denver. He would drift from there to Detroit and Memphis before briefly returning to the Sixers in 2009. Then he played a short time in Turkey, and that was that. He has since made the Hall of Fame, had his number retired by the Sixers and seen a statue in his likeness erected outside the team’s practice facility, the ultimate irony.

All of that is well-deserved. He was a great, great player, and a fascinating figure. But as the book and the docuseries indicate, you can’t help but wonder if he left some meat on the bone, if there wasn’t more he could have accomplished. And you can’t help but wonder if deep down, he doesn’t wonder about that, too.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ime-great-but-could-he-have-been-even-greater

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Maxey vs. Daniels was a war of attrition

Dyson Daniels is an NBA player with a burgeoning resume, a cool nickname and worries so profound that he finds himself constantly looking over his shoulder.

That was evident Sunday night, when he represented the first line of the Atlanta Hawks’ defense against Tyrese Maxey. Daniels, 6-foot-7 and stringy, would assume his stance as Maxey, 6-foot-2 and speedy, advanced the ball upcourt, then begin glancing this way and that: Now where is the screen coming from? And sure enough, one of the Sixers’ big men, be it Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond or Adem Bona, or maybe even one of their guards, usually Jared McCain or Quentin Grimes, would arrive to set a pick on Daniels.

That is standard operating procedure for every team, especially when a perimeter scorer of Maxey’s talent faces a defender of Daniels’ pedigree. The idea is to put that defender and his teammates on the horns of a dilemma, to make them mull whether they should trap or hedge or, as is often the case, switch. This puts a lesser defender at Maxey’s mercy, allows him to do his best work.

And indeed the Hawks prefer to switch, coach Quin Snyder said before the game.

“But,” he added, “Dyson won’t, because he cares so much about the guy he’s guarding.”

Not that Snyder minds. Daniels, 22 and in his fourth season, has earned some degree of trust, having been named a first-team All-NBA defender for the first time in 2024-25, when he led the league in steals. (He’s tied for the lead this season.) Such is his larcenous knack that the native Australian, also the league’s Most Improved Player last year, has been dubbed “The Great Barrier Thief,” according to basketball-reference.com.

So yeah, he would rather work alone, more or less. And never mind how many of those dastardly screens come his way. As Daniels put it before Sunday’s game, “I would love to keep my matchup as much as I can. I like taking that challenge.”

It’s a considerable one, especially against a force of nature like Maxey, who put up 44 points Sunday. It was, however, a flawed masterpiece, one that saw the league’s third-leading scorer (at just over 32 points a night) miss 11 of his 13 three-point attempts but hit the one triple his club really needed, in the dying seconds of regulation. That tied a game the Sixers had trailed by eight with 49.8 seconds left and sent it to overtime, where Maxey was again great until he wasn’t. His two missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining left the door open for Atlanta, and the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson, who scored 41, connected twice at the line with less than a second left to knot matters once again.

Johnson went on to bury a pair of three-balls in the second OT, helping secure a 142-134 victory for Atlanta, which was without Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis.

Daniels’ exact contribution was difficult to quantify, as is usually the case with defenders facing a top scorer. The boxscore showed him with respectable totals of 17 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Of far greater importance was the manner in which he fought over as many of those screens as possible, attempting to stay in front of Maxey, attempting to make his life as difficult as he could.

And still Maxey scored 44. Because here’s the thing: Nobody actually stops anybody in the NBA. Not individually, anyway.

“Good offense beats good defense any time,” Daniels said. “People make tough shots. It’s just, how tough can you make the shots?”

Maxey, who because of his struggles from deep regularly attacked the rim as the game wore on, finished 14-for-31 from the floor. He was also 14-for-17 from the foul line, and saw his nine assists offset by six turnovers.

Afterward, he was only too happy to give his counterpart his flowers.

“Dyson’s really good,” he said. “He’s really good.”

Easy to see why. He’s rangy, with arms for days.

And, Grimes said, “He’s just solid. He just moves his feet really well, he’s got great hands and he gets his hands on a lot of steals, (in) a lot of passing lanes. He’s a great on-ball defender and team defender. Usually you see either one or the other.”

Funny thing, once you earn a reputation as a good defender.

“Some people go at you a little harder and try to prove a point,” Daniels said. “That’s fun. That’s what it’s about.”

And Snyder and Co. have reminded him that he has to be equal to the challenge – and reminded him in no uncertain terms, apparently.

“Some of the coaches,” Daniels said, “have been on my ass: People have been scoring too much, so time for me to pick it up.”

He did not face Maxey last season, as the Sixers star missed all three meetings with the Hawks because of injury. And Daniels, true to form, said before Sunday’s game that he relished the opportunity.

“Obviously very, very quick,” he said of Maxey. “Very talented. Can do it all. So it’s about trying to be physical with him, keeping him in front.”

That’s a possession-by-possession chore, and Daniels had some wins. In one second-quarter stretch, for example, he fought over Embiid screens on three straight Philadelphia trips, two of which ended with turnovers.

Through three quarters, Maxey was 4-for-12 from the floor and 1-for-7 from the arc while scoring 20 points. That wasn’t all the result of good defense, as Nick Nurse observed.

“It felt like he had a ton of great looks that he wasn’t hitting,” the Sixers coach said.

Maxey had another miss, as well as a turnover, in the first 2:42 of the fourth quarter, when the Sixers were outscored 13-0 and saw a six-point lead turn into a seven-point deficit.

But this would turn into a 58-minute joust, the irresistible force meeting the necessarily movable object. And goodness knows the Sixers erected the necessary obstacles to impede Daniels and aid Maxey.

“We try to make it easy for him to get a lane to the basket, get an iso, a stepback three, something like that,” Grimes said of his teammate.

In the last 5:35 of regulation Maxey barged to the bucket for three conventional three-point plays, then hit his clutch triple. He would add 12 points in the two overtimes.

Twenty-four points. In 15:35.

“He hung in there,” Nurse said. “I thought he did a heckuva job of navigating their length down the lane in the fourth and the overtime. Those are some long athletes.”

No wonder Daniels, like so many other defenders, was left looking over his shoulder. You just never know where the trouble’s coming from, or when it might arrive. But with a guy like Maxey, it always seems imminent. It’s just a matter of hanging on for dear life, and hoping for a miss or two. And in the end, that’s exactly what happened.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...awks-was-an-epic-battle-in-a-war-of-attrition

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Maxey magic subdues Wizards

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 8
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Dom Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers took care of business against the Wizards on Tuesday in a 121-101 victory.

The Sixers entered the game without the services of Joel Embiid (knee), Quentin Grimes (calf), Trendon Watford (adductor) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee). They would still have a favorable matchup considering the slew of Washington injuries.

Injury report ahead of tonight's game in Philadelphia.#ForTheDistrict | @ChasenBoscolo pic.twitter.com/54nWm7HU7d

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 2, 2025

Kyshawn George would end up playing, but it would not make a difference, as the Sixers needed just three quarters to put the Wizards away.

The Sixers dominated the second and third quarters, combining to outscore Washington 67-43. They had their second-best performance on the season from deep (17-of-40, 43%), and their second-highest steals mark on the season with 12.

The Sixers talent flexed its muscle over the undermanned Wizards, receiving strong play up and down the bench. A couple guys who did not make Bell Ringer nominees yet deserve recognition include Jabari Walker and VJ Edgecombe.

Walker aided the Sixers’ run in the second with back-to-back corner threes from almost exactly the same spot, followed up with a gritty offensive rebound drawing a foul.

Edgecombe electrified the crowd before halftime with this electric jam.

pic.twitter.com/JPDw9sH1jK

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

He would also help fuel the run in the third with some strong defense and hustle leading to easy points.

The rook has been everywhere to start the third. pic.twitter.com/ZUH7YEeOqm

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

The Sixers entered the fourth with a 24-point lead, earning well deserved and long overdue rest for Tyrese Maxey and the rest of the starters.

If only the Sixers could play Washington every night. For now, lets get to Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 35 points, 29 minutes, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 block

File this Maxey performance in his MVP campaign folder, as he effectively enforced himself as the best player on the court for every single minute he played. Even when the deep ball was not falling in the first half, he was using his speed and dribble to consistently get downhill and finish at the rim.

off the glass. pic.twitter.com/inYpAVh5B4

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 3, 2025

The Wizards had no one rostered who could defend Maxey tonight.

That point was exaggerated in the third quarter when Maxey’s shot began to fall, and he began tearing through the Wizards’ defense. He scored 20 of his 35 points in the third quarter, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep.

As we’ve seen so far from him this year, an aggressive defender is easy prey, opening up the drive and opportunities at the rim. Soft or disorganized defenses provide him easy three-point opportunities.

VJ Rese pic.twitter.com/yvSu2dEIRn

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 3, 2025

He has become automatic in transition over the years, so how about when a defender is playing him to his left side?

'Rese putting on a damn show pic.twitter.com/JO2kRcDZ4x

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

How about one going right for good measure?

And another one pic.twitter.com/wAqxXNUdbY

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

Washington had no answers, leading to Maxey’s best third quarter of the season, and him playing the least amount of minutes all season.

His defense also played a key role in putting the Wizards away in the third quarter, nabbing a couple lazy passes, one of which he converted with a dunk. He had a couple steals in the Sixers’ dominant second quarter.

Jared McCain: 14 points, 6-of-11 FG, 2-of-6 3PT, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

McCain’s performance against the Wizards marks his most efficient this season. He was pivotal in garnering a large lead in the second, looking like his old self in terms of shot-making and facilitating.

Strong first quarter from J-Mac and the Sixers are up 34-31. pic.twitter.com/GegopH5w0q

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

Additionally, he appears to be back to playing free and with less pressure following his slow start to the season. He was seen multiple times enjoying Maxey’s antics, sometimes in disbelief.

Dominick Barlow: 12 points, 4-of-6 FG, 2 steals, 1 rebound

Barlow’s impact does not show up in the box score, as he played shutdown defense all night against the undermanned Wizards. He continues to be a force during his time filling in for the injured Kelly Oubre Jr., fitting in perfectly with the fast and frequent offense the Sixers employed tonight. If one play encapsulates it all, let it be this one.

Barlow with the steal and the finish. Pirate-approved, apparently. pic.twitter.com/r0PhUTKmRi

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

May the Lower Merion pirate continue to bless us with more Barlow highlights.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...rds-tyrese-maxey-jared-mccain-dominick-barlow

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The 2025-26 Sixers are who we thought they were

Philadelphia did exactly what it should do against one of the NBA’s poverty franchises on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Sixers dispatched of the Washington Wizards 121-102 in a game they led by double digits at halftime and by 24 after three quarters. More importantly, the significant margin of victory allowed for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to get much-needed rest time as the two young guards played just 29 and 24 minutes, respectively. Additionally, Jared McCain looked pretty comfortable in 25 minutes off the bench and Jabari Walker gave Philly a double-double in a reserve role.

The Sixers are now 11-9 at the quarter turn of the 2025-26 season. When you look back on the first 25% of the campaign, you won’t find a ton of surprises. On the good nights, Philadelphia is a fun team that gets on the backs of its two young guards in Maxey and Edgecombe and usually gets enough from 2-3 of its role players to win. On the bad nights, those two guards tend to get worn down, McCain still looks like someone working his way back from a major knee injury and not immediately up to speed, and the collection of role players perform a lot like they did during last year’s debacle. When it comes to Joel Embiid and Paul George, the two are blending in far more than their salaries would indicate they should be, but at this stage in their careers — and given their injury histories — that should come as no surprise to anyone.

So, how should we feel about this team? Truthfully, the answer should be no different than how you felt before the season started. For what it’s worth, I’m not sure anyone thought Maxey would be THIS good out of the gate. The 25-year-old looks like an MVP candidate and if he ends up missing 30 games like he did last season, you can kiss this season goodbye. Edgecombe has slowed down a little bit in recent games — a recent calf injury didn’t help — but he has still been fun to watch and seems to have been undoubtedly the right pick at third overall in this past summer’s draft. Between the additions of Edgecombe, Walker, Dominick Barlow, McCain continuing to work his way back and another year of Adem Bona, the Sixers are at least younger this season, which gives them a bit more intrigue on a nightly basis even if they’re not going to contend this year.

But it’s that C word that is understandably what a lot of fans are going to cling to. For more than a decade now, Sixers fans have been fixated on figuring out ways to build a championship-caliber team around Embiid. Several executives and head coaches have tried with a slew of different supporting casts placed around the big man, but we still haven’t seen the Sixers reach the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001. From that standpoint, this looks like just another season in Sixers country.

Even with Maxey being as elite as he’s been, Philadelphia is just two games over .500 nearly two months into the season. The doubts surrounding any sort of significant bounce back in both the health and performance of Embiid and George have proved to be warranted as both guys have blended in so far to start the season more than they’ve stood out. Most of the aforementioned young role players are just that — they are nice complementary pieces that can round out a rotation on a team that already has ample high-end talent.

So if star-level performances aren’t going to come from Embiid and George, and it doesn’t seem like anyone’s holding their breath at this point there, can Maxey get enough help? Could the Sixers be launched into contention thanks to Maxey’s ascent to superstardom and allow their other two max players to sit in the backseat of the car and see where the ride takes them? There are a couple of paths for that to happen. Either Edgecombe needs to play above his age and become a No. 2 option on a contending team right away or McCain needs to look like he did before his knee injury last season at the very least.

Is anyone super confident in either of those things happening? Edgecombe may well become a superstar, but remember you draft in the top five because you had a bad season and you don’t have a lot on your roster to begin with. I’m not suggesting this current roster for the Sixers is anywhere close to as bad as last year’s, but I do think it should provide proper context for why Edgecombe probably isn’t ready to immediately be Robin to Maxey’s Batman. As far as McCain goes, sure, maybe by January or February he’s looking more like the version of himself we saw early last season. But this season sure has the makings of an acclimating one for McCain, who not only needs to get up to speed, but is doing so while trying to handle the rigors of a full 82-game schedule for the first time in his NBA career.

The problems we’ve laid out here are hard ones to fix. Philadelphia looks like a team that will hover around .500 most of the year, probably end up in the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, and the chances of a deep playoff run are slim. Questions will remain about how the franchise can support Maxey more, but it will be difficult to answer those questions for as long as Embiid and George’s contracts are weighing them down from a salary cap perspective.

So maybe Edgecombe or McCain can blossom enough for the final 62 games of the regular season to give the fanbase some more hope. Heck, perhaps we even get a tease along the way from Embiid or George. But this looks like a 45-win team at best right now, which isn’t going to get a lot of fans all that excited about the remainder of the season.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...se-maxey-joel-embiid-paul-george-vj-edgecombe

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Tyrese Maxey finally got some rest. Sixers need to make sure he gets more

The Washington Wizards came to town Tuesday night. They were fresh off a win Monday — their third win in 19 games, to be exact — against old friend Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Since Washington is a franchise more interested in ping-pong balls than victories, their injury list for a matchup against the Sixers was beefy. It was a ripe opportunity for the home team to get back on track, while perhaps also allowing their own lengthy list of injured players to get healthy.

Only two regulars had played in every game this season going into the matchup against the Wizards. One of them was Quentin Grimes, who was listed as probable, then questionable, before eventually being ruled out just before tip-off.

The other was Tyrese Maxey, who miraculously has not missed a game despite leading the NBA in minutes by a healthy margin. He was also coming off playing a season-high 52 minutes in a double overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks Sunday.

The stars finally aligned as the Sixers took down Washington in a laugher 121-102. The 25-year-old guard played 29 minutes, far below his average of over 40 a game and easily his lowest minutes total of the season, while sitting out the fourth quarter.

“Sure was,” Nick Nurse said when asked if it was good to get Maxey off his feet. “I think we had a good chance to kind of trim down everybody there a lot more than we probably anticipated, so good all around, but especially good for him.”

A lot has been made of Maxey’s minutes. As Joel Embiid, Paul George and a slew of other Sixers have missed time, it’s been on Maxey to carry a cumbersome load. The win Tuesday improved the team’s record to 11-9. It’s nothing to do cartwheels over, but the context matters.

Because of injuries and poor play, the Sixers were 5-15 at the 20-game mark last season. They didn’t win their 11th game in 2024-25 until Christmas Day. The biggest differences are the team’s emphasis on acquiring younger players and the MVP-caliber play of Maxey.

There’s an argument to be made that Nurse’s usage of Maxey has been necessary to keep the team above water. With that said, it feels like Nurse has had opportunities to give Maxey a bit more rest and has chosen not to. In any case, Tuesday represented a best-case scenario of securing an easy win while giving the star guard a respite.

And he helped make the drubbing possible by recording 35 points — 20 in the third quarter alone — six assists, four rebounds, four steals and a block in 29 minutes.

“I just wanted to be aggressive,” Maxey said, “give us a comfortable lead so we could be professional and try to finish that game out.”

The hope is Maxey’s Herculean efforts through the first quarter of the season won’t be in vain. He’s averaged 32.5 points per game, good for third in the NBA behind reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic. As mentioned, he’s played in every game while being asked to carry his team.

Something has to give if the Sixers hope to remain competitive and keep Maxey upright.

Will Embiid and George play consistently to lighten the burden? Will someone like VJ Edgecombe or Jared McCain ascend to relieve some pressure?

Both Edgecombe and McCain were solid Tuesday. Both guards have also missed time this season. Edgecombe appears fully recovered from the calf injury that cost him three games. McCain is looking more like himself after missing the first six games of the season while recovering from knee and thumb surgeries.

Maxey’s teammates know it’s up to them to keep their leader fresh.

“When we come out a lot of times it’s like, ‘Alright, let’s just get ‘Rese some rest, man,’” McCain said. “Even when he comes to the bench, he goes straight to sit down, give him time to breathe and rest. So, definitely a responsibility — me, VJ, all the guards take and something we’ve got to help him with.“

It’s important they do — the Sixers won’t play the Wizards again until 2026.

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

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers look to start win streak vs. equally depleted Warriors

It may only be from wins against the Nets and Wizards, but the Sixers have still won two of their last three games. It’s an improvement at least after the recent slump of losses and injury woes, and Tyrese Maxey even got to ease off from heavy minutes with only 28 in Tuesday’s win against Washington. That shouldn’t be the end of his increased rest either.

Next up, the Sixers are taking on the 11-11 Warriors, currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture in eighth place.

It’s going to be a shorthanded affair all around on Thursday. Joel Embiid is listed as doubtful, with both left and right knee injury recovery. Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) are still out as well, while Paul George (left knee injury recovery) and Quentin Grimes (right calf tightness) are both questionable.

No opponent is exactly easy for these Sixers right now, although they have caught a big break with Steph Curry being sidelined. It seems he’ll be putting up 25 points a night on phenomenal efficiency until he chooses not to — he’s averaged 27.9 points with a 64.1 true shooting percentage (both numbers are his highest in three years) through the 16 games he’s played so far. But he’s out for Thursday with a right quad contusion.

Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable with left knee soreness after leaving the Warriors’ last game on Tuesday (a 124-112 loss to the Thunder). If he’s active and PG plays, we could be in for a fun matchup there, and how well PG can body up and defend Butler’s physical drives will be key to slowing down Golden State’s offense in Curry’s absence.

Along with Butler, Trayce Jackson-Davis (right knee patellar tendonitis), Quinten Post (left ankle sprain), Al Horford (right sciatic nerve irritation) and Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle soreness) are all questionable. Hopefully for the Sixers, they can take advantage of the Warriors’ diminished size and frontcourt depth to make life easier for Andre Drummond and Adem Bona, and give the team’s guards more opportunities to have their way attacking the paint. How they handle Draymond Green anchoring the defense will be interesting to see.

The Warriors are always a smart, cohesive defensive team, and yet again rank seventh in that department this season. But they won’t be the same without Butler and Kuminga on the wings, and Horford and sophomore big man Post (who’s been having a strong season despite not hitting many of his threes yet) potentially sidelined.

There are plenty of former Sixers to keep track of in this contest, including Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry. The younger Curry brother just signed with the Warriors at the start of December and made his debut on Tuesday, scoring 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Melton is set to make his season debut on Thursday, after only getting to play six games for the Warriors last season.

Curry and Hield won’t be offering much resistance against the Sixers’ explosive backcourt, and Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jared McCain and (maybe) Grimes should find more opportunities to consistently attack the rim in this one.

The Warriors have been struggling on offense this year in general, currently sitting at just 23rd in offensive rating. With no Steph on Thursday, this should give the Sixers and the remarkably in-form Maxey a good chance to pull ahead. Nevertheless, the Warriors — from those mentioned, to others like Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski — will at least be ready to launch a healthy dose of threes without Curry (they rank second in attempts at 44.1 per game). The Sixers will still need to be switched on with their off-ball rotations and fight around screens to keep shooters in check.

Edgecombe may not have have been very efficient or productive as a scorer in his last two games since returning, but he’s been active and still flashing lots of exciting stuff. Hopefully for the Sixers his scoring can get going again vs. the Warriors’ weakened defense.

The rook has been everywhere to start the third. pic.twitter.com/ZUH7YEeOqm

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 3, 2025

The Sixers have a chance to take advantage of the Warriors’ own injuries and maybe grab their second straight win in this one. Especially as Maxey should be primed to continue his All-NBA First Team type form with the matchups he’ll have to face.

Game Details​

When: Thursday, December 4, 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...start-win-streak-vs-equally-depleted-warriors

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers barely survive epic late collapse to Warriors

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Dom Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

With both teams entering Thursday night with multiple starters and rotation players unavailable, the Sixers looked to deliver an early knockout blow on Golden State, jumping out to a 30-10 lead after the first quarter. Then, leading by 22 at halftime, Philadelphia began a truly horrendous second half of play.

A Warriors squad missing Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green (who exited the game in the second quarter) went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to close the gap, a period over which the Sixers went five and a half minutes without scoring. Golden State would later complete the comeback, fully erasing what was once a 24-point Philadelphia lead.

Down one in the final minute, the Sixers had three separate cracks at taking the lead, but couldn’t get it done. Finally, with eight seconds left, VJ Edgecombe stole the in-bounds pass and on the ensuing possession, collected an offensive rebound and converted the putback for the go-ahead points at 99-98. To cap off a truly wild Sixers win, the Warriors threw a full-length court pass with under a second left, and looked to have a lay-in at the buzzer, but Tyrese Maxey blocked it off the glass to preserve the victory. We may never see a final-second sequence like it again.

Let’s get to Bell Ringer.

VJ Edgecombe: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers

You couldn’t imagine two bigger plays on each end of the court with the game on the line. Edgecombe stayed right in Buddy Hield’s hip pocket on the out-of-bounds play, snagging the ball away and securing it with just enough time for Nick Nurse to call a timeout. Then, he stayed with the play on the offensive side, reading the ball beautifully and collecting it for his first career game-winner. We witnessed two incredible displays combining high basketball IQ and outstanding athleticism, all from an NBA rookie with fewer than 20 career games under his belt. Not that we were doubting it coming into Thursday night, but the Sixers got a keeper.

VJ EDGECOMBE. THE ROOKIE. A HERO. pic.twitter.com/6qWZ4Gfk0E

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 5, 2025

Tyrese Maxey: 35 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers

For a while, it looked like a somewhat familiar formula for Maxey and the Sixers. Tyrese dominated on the offensive end with a display of long-range bombs, stepback jumpers, and drives to the cup. Maxey had over 30 points after three quarters, and the Sixers could have just put the game to bed and maybe given their star point guard an early night in advance of tomorrow night’s back-to-back. Of course, everything absolutely went to pot and the Sixers watched everything fall to pieces, with even Maxey’s shot going cold down the stretch. Still, Tyrese didn’t take a single moment off, and as Edgecombe put the Sixers back in front and the Warriors chucked it downcourt, it was Maxey sprinting full speed to save the game with a block. Maybe only a few guys would have been fast enough to even make that play.

Just more back-to-back buckets from Tyrese Maxey. What else is new? pic.twitter.com/8LiflspfJ1

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 5, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...maxey-block-vj-edgecombe-game-winner-warriors

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The Sixers cannot forget Big Shot in the middle of their nostalgia tour

You will believe a rabbit can fly.

From 1998 to 2011, Hip-Hop, an aerial slam-dunking rabbit mascot, patrolled the court at the Sixers’ arena. No matter what bank held the naming rights of the joint at the time, Hip-Hop was king, entertaining a generation of Philadelphians from the early Allen Iverson into the franchise’s pre-Process malaise.

The promise of Phil E. Moose, a moose-themed Sixers mascot, never formally materialized after Hip-Hop was cast aside, perhaps on some perilous journey of self-discovery. Eventually, the Sixers revealed Franklin the Dog as the team’s new official mascot in 2015. At the end of the day, mascots are simply to hype up kids at sporting events, but in a city that has the greatest mascot of all time in the Phanatic and would one day be the birthplace of Gritty, we could probably do a little bit better than something as nondescript as a blue dog, right?

Anyway, Franklin’s been out there tossing errant half-court shots as the mascot for a decade now, but over the course of this early season, Hip-Hop has been revived as the Sixers also brought back their beloved black jerseys as a part of the team’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Eastern Conference Champions team. It’s been glorious. Fans, both online and in the arena, have been amped to see him, perhaps for the 5oth time for older fans or the first for younger ones.

x pic.twitter.com/hBPww26qDC

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 8, 2025

Great stuff. He’ll be back throughout this season, too.

Hip-Hop shouldn’t go away after all of this. He should remain a part-time mascot alongside Franklin’s everyday whacky responsibilities. If anything, the Sixers should bring back another mascot too to add to the mix. I’m talking about Big Shot.

What is Big Shot? I don’t freaking know, but what I do know is that he’s the only Sixers mascot to be a part of a championship team, the legendary 1983 squad. Big Shot went away in 1996 and, now, nearly three decades later, it is time to bring things full circle.

Big Shot is the missing link in the DNA from the Phillie Phanatic taking the sports mascot world by storm in the late 1970s to Gritty doing the same for the Flyers in 2018. Big Shot is a weird, amorphous creature and Philly to the core. In today’s irony-poised landscape, I have no doubt that Big Shot would be a social media sensation in addition to captivating fans in South Philadelphia.

Sixers, please. Do not wait any longer for Big Shot’s return. Let’s ride this nostalgia tour for all its worth.

Or maybe Big Shot can at least be an all-Philly mascot. Phillies games? Big Shot is riding ATVs with the Phanatic. Eagles parades? Big Shot is out there on parade floats. Flyers games? Big Shot is brawling with Gritty as Tom and Jerry-like rivals.

The Sixers aren’t going to win the championship this year, but they are a whole lot of fun to watch on TV and in person. Why not get a little weird with it while we’re at it?

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ddle-of-their-nostalgia-tour-hip-hop-franklin

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Paul George has season-best performance vs. Bucks

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 10
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Dom Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

The Philadelphia 76ers looked to carry over the momentum from Thursday night’s thriller against the Warriors into Friday’s matchup in Milwaukee. It took a team effort, but they pulled off the back-to-back sweep with a 116-101 victory over the Bucks.

The Sixers were without the services of Joel Embiid (rest) for the second night of the back-to-back, but Paul George returned to the court after missing Thursday’s contest.

It was the Bucks’ first complete game without Giannis Antetokounmpo since he suffered a calf strain early in their matchup against Detroit on Wednesday.

The Sixers’ talent advantage shone in the first half, allowing them to build a 20-point lead at the break.

Heading into the half, they were shooting 56% from the field, 48% from three-point range and 92% from the line.

Not bad at all considering it was Tyrese Maxey’s worst performance of the season.

Following another third quarter in which the Sixers were outscored, it looked like we may be seeing a repeat of the Warriors’ comeback just 24 hours prior.

Thanks to resilient efforts from key veterans and inspiring bench play, the Sixers collected their 13th win of the season, something they did not achieve until Dec. 30 last season.

Let’s not think about last season; instead, let’s think about Bell Ringer.

Paul George: 20 points, 30 minutes, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

On a night where Maxey did not have it going, George stepped up as the Sixers’ sole consistent source of offense throughout the entire game.

In the first half, he let the game come to him as the bench helped ignite the offense. He only missed two of his six shot attempts as the Sixers built up the massive lead.

The third quarter was when George’s effort became crucial, as many Sixers began to feel the fatigue of the back-to-back.

The Sixers were without a field goal for the first three minutes and twenty seconds of the half, yet George’s defense helped keep the Bucks at bay. He drew a charge on a driving Kyle Kuzma, had a textbook contest on a driving Kevin Porter Jr., and then, after the Sixers finally made a bucket, intercepted a pass from Ryan Rollins and hit a three a possession later.

In the fourth, the Sixers’ fatigue increased as their lead steadily decreased. With just over six minutes remaining, holding on to a 12-point lead, George decided it was time to give the Bucks a taste of Pacers PG.

PG going to work. pic.twitter.com/Q6dZhVPTgE

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

On the very next possession, he would hit another midrange over Jericho Sims.

Later in the fourth, with an 11-point lead and the Bucks beginning to press, he forced a double team as he was starting his third dance with Sims, and curled the rock to a wide-open VJ Edgecombe for a big three.

big three late in the 4th for @vj_edgecombe !! pic.twitter.com/xzAgsMGrMI

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

George’s defensive impact was evident in this one, but his leadership could be felt as well on Friday. The poise when things start to get hairy, and the willingness to trust the young guys in big spots, will only aid the Sixers the more he plays.

“I’m blessed that I’m healthy and I’m just trying to stack games” pic.twitter.com/mWxZRz5JHi

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

Jabari Walker: 18 points, 4-of-8 3PT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Walker was the bench MVP in the first half. In the second quarter alone, he would drain three from deep and add on four free throws, giving him a season-high 16 points in just the first half. Walker was the spark that spurred the Sixers to a 20-point lead at halftime. Not only his shooting, but his intensity on the glass and defensively helped set the tone for the squad.

for . pic.twitter.com/YBocLnGZ4u

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

He would tack on two more off a slick dime from Jared McCain in the third, bringing his season-best total to 18. Walker has already been a steal of a two-way contract, but if he continues to shoot the ball as he did on Friday, it will be tough to keep him off the court.

Quentin Grimes: 22 points, 6-of-7 3PT, 5 assists, 4 rebounds

Grimes was the bench MVP in the second half, complementing George in their attempts to thwart the Bucks’ third-quarter comeback. His three makes from deep in the third kept the game out of reach, and his scoring output overall helped hide some fatigue from the Sixers starting guards. In games against undermanned teams, performances like tonight could help relieve some minutes for Maxey and Edgecombe.

AND ONNNNNNE !! pic.twitter.com/DTlMJHIDDD

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ucks-paul-george-jabari-walker-quentin-grimes

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

PG comes through as Sixers hang on to beat Bucks, win third straight

A nice stress free 2-0 back-to-back, as everyone predicted.

The Sixers won their third in a row, knocking down the Milwaukee Bucks 116-101 Friday night.

Quentin Grimes led the Sixers with 22 points shooting a blistering 7-of-9 from the field along with four rebounds and five assists.

Tyrese Maxey only had 12 points and four assists on 5-of-14 shooting while VJ Edgecombe only had 10 going 4-of-8 from the field.

Staggering Paul George turned out just the way they wanted to — he went for 20 points, five boards and five assists, shooting 7-of-15 from the floor. Jabari Walker had 18 points off the bench while Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 22.

Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford were out for the Sixers while the Bucks were without Giannis Antetekoumnpo, who suffered a calf injury earlier this week.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• Maxey started the game as quick as he could, taking the opening tip into the paint for a floater. Dominick Barlow was rewarded for a backdoor cut with a lob and Edgecombe made somewhat of a grenade three. That was also quickly negated by a 3-of-4 Bucks’ start from three. Speaking of threes, Andre Drummond has now missed his last two by about five feet, which isn’t great.
• The second unit did give a shot in the arm thanks to Adem Bona and Jared McCain. Bona took advantage of being left alone for a couple of baskets, and McCain nailed his first two long range attempts to give the Sixers an early double-digit lead.

the dish and the dunk! pic.twitter.com/TDBDalDfwU

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

• Jabari Walker has also been shooting it pretty well lately, and he continued to do so knocking down his first triple of the night as well. They were playing so well that Grimes’ three turnovers hardly slowed them down as they held a 13-point lead after one.

Second Quarter​

• Walker didn’t just keep that rolling over quarters, it’s fair to say he lit the court up to start the second. Not only did he continue to drain threes, but he flew over a defender to save a possession with an offense rebound. George made his first impact of the game during this stretch as well knocking down a couple of long jumpers.

count 'em! https://t.co/Xvs6jOB0yc pic.twitter.com/Ogz9pGp1jk

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

• This start only improved the season lineup metrics for Kyle Lowry, who got his first minutes this season outside of the Barclays Center. In classic form, he immediately drew a loose ball foul in transition after securing a rebound. His perfect shooting percentage is no more as he missed his first attempt of the night, but was able to get on the board on his second. He had a really solid shift, picking up a steal to cap it off. The Sixers were great on the perimeter as a unit with eight steals in the half, Maxey with three himself.
• For the second night in the row the Sixers had jumped all the way out to a 24-point lead. They do seem to ease up a bit as quarters end when they go up this much. Here they only allowed a couple easy layups in this stretch but they did throw their challenge away on rather meaningless out of bounds call. Grimes had turned things around though — an and-1 from him and a trip to the line from Walker gave the Sixers a 20-point lead at the half.

Third Quarter​

• More reason for concern about how flat they began to look as it took them three and a half minutes to record their first field goal of the second half. Not long after that, they put the Bucks in the bonus with Edgecombe and Drummond each picking up a pair of fouls.
• The contested runner in transition from Edgecombe was impressive, but it was a George three that settled things down for the Sixers a bit. Defensively, they had done a good job of limiting Milwaukee to what they were able to get at the line.

CIRCUS SHOT FROM VJ EDGECOMBE

76ers leading the Bucks on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/ILL8teRPSw pic.twitter.com/KeAGUhh3qn

— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2025

• The bench once again gave the Sixers a much needed surge. Walker tacked on another bucket and McCain got to the hoop after struggling to do so in the second, but it was Grimes’ heater that led the way. He was hardly touching the net coming off screens and knocked one down off the dribble as well. McCain’s three at the buzzer hit the front of the rim, making it just a 16-point Sixers lead

Fourth Quarter​

• That stagnation continued to linger in the Sixers’ offense. They got Bona open rolling for a dunk, but otherwise couldn’t score as the Bucks continued to eat into the lead. Fatigue did look to be setting in for some, but they also had George on the court, who didn’t play the night before.
• To be fair, George’s gravity did allow him to kick to some pretty open shooters but those shooters were losing their legs to make those shots. He did eventually take things into his own hands, burying midrange pull-ups on back-to-back possessions to push the lead back to 14 and prompt a Bucks timeout.

nice PG pic.twitter.com/yklJhHM64O

— J (@SixersJustin) December 6, 2025

• George was great on defense all night, and the Sixers needed it no more than when he caused two Portis misses with the Bucks swinging momentum back their way. He hustled back to contest a missed layup in transition and blocked a three on the following possession.
• The Bucks double teams turned their way to George, and the Sixers needed someone else to make a shot. Edgecombe did when he was swung to. Ill-advisedly, George tried to power through the double on the following possession and airballed, but Drummond was there to scoop it up and lay it in. They struggled to beat the press the next trip up the floor, but Grimes buried a three and was fouled for his troubles to put a cap on things.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...rge-tyrese-maxey-quentin-grimes-jabari-walker

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Bucks: Second Half Game Thread

Game Details​

When: Friday, December 5, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-discussion-threads/82079/sixers-bucks-second-half-game-thread

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The Sixers need to shoot the ball better

Friday night’s win in Milwaukee needs to be a sign of things to come for the Sixers.

In a game in which Philadelphia led by as many as 26, the team got 43 attempts from beyond the three-point line up and connected on 17 of them. That’s a 40% success rate from outside the arc. Perhaps the most positive thing from the box score on Friday was the outside shooting from the bench. Quentin Grimes shot 6-of-7 from three-point land and Philly got a 4-for-8 night from deep from Jabari Walker.

Despite the hot shooting night against the Bucks, the Sixers are hovering around the middle of the NBA in three-point shooting at 36.1% for the season after 22 games. It’s not bad, but is it good enough? Well, I guess it depends on what your goals are for this season.

Some fans probably look at 2025-26 as a transition year. The Sixers have so much dead weight tied up in Joel Embiid and Paul George’s contracts. Therefore, an argument can be made that the team is best suited to see what it has on the rest of the roster this season to set itself up for 2026-27 and beyond to go with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. If Grimes thrives in the bench role he thrived in on Friday night for a good chunk of the season, and is willing to accept a similar role in the future to stay in Philadelphia, that would be a win for the organization. If Jabari Walker were to become any sort of rotational piece, that would be another win.

We’ve yet to see Jared McCain return to his rookie year self before his meniscus injury, but McCain’s progress would be another helpful step in the transition away from Embiid and George and towards the team’s younger players. So, if that’s your motivation for this season, then nights like Friday night occurring enough are most important and the team’s win-loss record is secondary. Of course, the Sixers won easily against the Bucks so these things do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Having said all of that, this season should be about winning games first and foremost. The Sixers likely will not own their first-round pick in 2026 and there are still multiple years of Embiid and George’s contracts to deal with beyond this year. Does that sound like a team that should prioritize developmental results from its younger players? Yes, the franchise is in a weird place and sort of stuck, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t try to make the most of the situation.

When you look at the roster, there simply aren’t many interior offensive threats that you can count on. Therefore, as per the modern basketball school of thought when it comes to offensive success, if you’re not going to be able to rack up a ton of points in the paint, your best bet is to let it fly from the three-point line a bunch. That means that hovering in the middle of the NBA in three-point percentage isn’t going to work for Philadelphia since the Sixers aren’t going to be able to complement their outside shooting with enough scoring inside.

When it comes to the individuals that need to shoot the ball more consistently, let’s start with Grimes. In five games in the month of October, Grimes shot 44% from the three-point line. Philadelphia won four of those five games and the one loss was an NBA Cup game against Boston by one point. He went 4-of-8 from three-point land in the team’s first game in November, a blowout win against Brooklyn, but for the entire month of November, he shot just 34% from deep in 14 total games.

Grimes missed Philly’s first December game against Washington, but went 0-of-5 from the three-point line against Golden State before the big night against Milwaukee. There really is no excuse for Grimes to be this volatile. If you exclude all the starts he made with the Sixers last year, a team that simply needed bodies to get through a disastrous season, Grimes has mostly been a bench guy that can come in and provide some outside shooting. He shouldn’t be uncomfortable in that kind of a role in the backcourt behind Maxey and Edgecombe and should be able to knock down anywhere from two to six three-point field goals a night.

Perhaps we should be a little less critical of McCain due to his return from a major knee injury, but his three-point field goal percentage is down from 38% in 23 games last season to 34% thru 13 games this season. The reality is that if this is going to be a good season for the Sixers, they’re going to need more from McCain, which he could certainly be capable of in the second half, but it hasn’t come yet.

I understand many fans probably want nothing to do with George at this point, but the veteran wing player is again underperforming from beyond the arc. Prior to coming to Philadelphia, George shot a career best 41.3% from deep in 2023-24 with the Clippers, He also appeared in 74 games for Los Angeles, starting all of them in that season, which feels impossible to believe given how much time he has missed as a Sixer. In his first season in Philly, George shot 35.8% from three-point land on 6.5 attempts per game and this season in seven games he’s shooting an even 35% on 5.7 attempts per game. George might not be the dynamic three-level scorer he was earlier in his career, but is it asking too much from him to flirt with 40% on threes again?

We should note that VJ Edgecombe is certainly pulling his weight when it comes to three-point shooting. That was one of the knocks on Edgecombe as a prospect coming out of Baylor, but he’s just south of 37% in his first two months in the NBA. So that leaves Grimes, McCain and George as the three players whose outside shooting needs to be consistent enough in order to provide ample support for Edgecombe and Maxey.

There’s reason to believe McCain will grow into a bigger role as the season progresses and shooting has always been a strength of his. George can’t be counted on to play basketball at a high level any more so I wouldn’t be nearly as optimistic in his shooting improving. That leaves Grimes as the wild card. Grimes is already on his fourth team in the NBA since being drafted in 2021 and could be headed for a fifth next season if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia. Players that travel down those kinds of career paths can be difficult to trust, so frankly your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what kind of shooting nights we’re going to get from Grimes.

It should come as no surprise that a no-sweat win on the road like Friday night’s in Milwaukee was fueled by a strong shooting night for the Sixers. That’s going to have to be their bread and butter this season if they want to be successful, and being a run-of-the-mill shooting team isn’t going to be good enough.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...hrees-quentin-grimes-paul-george-jared-mccain

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: LeBron and Lakers halt Sixers’ winning streak

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 10
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Paul George – 1
Dom Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

Stepping on the court back at home while riding a three-game winning streak, the Philadelphia 76ers took the lead into halftime, before the usual third-quarter woes reared their head in an eventual 112-108 defeat to Los Angeles. LeBron James turned back the clock with 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and hit some huge shots to carry the Lakers across the finish line in the final minute and change. Luka Doncic had a ho-hum 31-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist masterclass. The Sixers definitely had their chances to come away with a win, and probably would have if Joel Embiid didn’t have an absolutely dreadful shooting night, but objectively speaking, it was at least a fun game to watch. They’ll have plenty of time to think about it as they don’t play again until Friday, but for now, let’s talk Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 28 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey were all in the same class tonight, and honestly, that’s basically every night nowadays for the Sixers star guard. Tyrese had the outside shot working, draining 5-of-8 shots from behind the arc, with a couple coming off screens as an off-ball mover. He also roasted some Lakers off the dribble to convert scoop shots and floaters, and made advanced reads to find open teammates in the corners. Maxey’s defensive acumen continues to grow, as well, whether he was digging down to steal the ball from LeBron when his back was turned, or swiping the ball out of Luka’s hands from behind on a shot attempt. He’s doing it all in every phase of the game for the Sixers.

Sixers up 60-53 at the half. Maxey leads the team with 15 points. pic.twitter.com/pJXT81sncx

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 8, 2025

VJ Edgecombe: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover

The Baylor product keeps taking everything thrown his way and running with it. It was Edgecombe’s third straight game with multiple threes, and he’s at a rock-solid 36.7 percent on the season. He is creating off the dribble, both for himself and others, getting valuable backup point guard reps. All the holes in his scouting profile have already been answered two months particularly off-the-charts performance from VJ, but we’re at the point where 15 points and some good sides is a baseline night for a 20-year-old rookie.

Gosto muito quando Filadélfia dá poder ao VJ Edgecombe, oferecendo a ele bastante espaço para trabalhar.

Ao fazer isso, eles maximizam seus atributos atléticos e dificultam a marcação, já que ele entra no garrafão com bastante velocidade.

pic.twitter.com/8pW4twb839

— Hooper Flagg (@FlaggHooper) December 8, 2025

Jared McCain: 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 turnovers

McCain had a terrific two-minute stretch in the second quarter where he feinted a dribble handoff with Embiid and knocked down a three, caught the defense back on its heels in transition for a lay-in, and came off a Joel screen to nail an off-the-dribble three. It was a flashback to the instant offense he provided last season. So it was definitely weird that he only saw three minutes and change in the second half, without any minutes in the third quarter as the usual sand ran through the hourglass on the Sixers’ lead. I know he isn’t the two-way force of the rest of the guard rotation, but Jared is looking more or less like his old self, so the usage, or lack thereof, is confusing.

And even more J-Mac pic.twitter.com/0k2vGSdAqP

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 8, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...lebron-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-jared-mccain

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

On LeBron, Maxey and high-level hoops in South Philly

Ahead of a matchup against the Sixers Sunday, LeBron James was questionable on the injury report with sciatica and left foot joint arthritis.

Yeah, 40-year-old problems.

But not only did James play, he closed the game in vintage fashion, going on a heater that ultimately helped the Lakers beat the Sixers 112-108. It was a reminder that LeBron is still That Dude in a career full of such moments.

“I told him, ‘Man, ain’t nothing wrong with your foot.‘ He’s out here left-hand dunking,” Tyrese Maxey said.

This is James’ 23rd season. He’ll turn 41 in a couple weeks. His longevity is remarkable, unparalleled by any player before him — and likely any player after him.

“I don’t think I want to play 23 years,” Maxey said when asked if James’ longevity inspires him. “I don’t think so.”

Maxey was no slouch himself Sunday evening. The 25-year-old guard continues to play at an All-NBA level, posting 28 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much help. He was 11-of-24 from the field. The rest of the Sixers shot 25-of-78 (32%).

Still, it was a wildly entertaining night of basketball. High-level hoops, some might say. Xfinity Mobile Arena was packed. The crowd was loud — though perhaps a bit more for James than the home team.

But it was nice for that building to have life again. There wasn’t much last season (understandably). The year prior, a bunch of Knicks fans took it over in the playoffs, which was disheartening. The only similar energy that season was Joel Embiid’s 70-point game, which feels like at least one lifetime ago.

Maxey has helped bring that back a bit with his electric play and the Sixers’ high-wire act so far in 2025-26. James has been a mentor to Maxey throughout the years. Maxey is of course a client of Klutch Sports, the agency founded by James’ childhood friend, Rich Paul.

Even after a virtuoso performance, James was quick to heap praise on the Sixers’ star guard.

“I love the success, and the humbleness that Tyrese does it with,” he said. “It starts with his family and he’s just taking full advantage of the opportunity here and he’s made the most of it. … Obviously, I love his game, but I love him the person more than his game, and that’s tough to do as great as he is on the court.”

James and Maxey work out together every summer, getting to the gym at 5 or 6 a.m. If LeBron is an inspiration to Maxey in any way, it’s how much James still loves the game at his age and with all his accomplishments.

He’s inspired the next generation to cherish the game.

“I appreciate him like an older brother,” Maxey said. “I can call him and talk to him anytime. We can crack jokes with each other every now and then. He’s a good player … pretty good player.”

Who knows how many more of these performances LeBron has left? Who knows if this is the last time we’ll see him play in Philly?

King James made sure to give the birthplace of the nation its flowers as well.

“One thing you know about Philly fans is they don’t care about anyone besides their own teams,” he said. “And I respect that and I love that.”

The night was a good reminder of why we love basketball — to see the greatest athletes in the world do things we could only dream of doing.

In LeBron’s case, that means literally just about anyone who has ever picked up a basketball. So, enjoy him while you can. Love an ascending star like Maxey while he’s just scratching the surface of what he might ultimately become.

Let’s thank god this fuckery is going on for much longer than anyone could’ve imagined, as we see the torch slowly being passed.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...igh-level-hoops-in-south-philly-sixers-lakers

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers need to let McCain-Edgecombe backcourt take its lumps

Anyone watching Jared McCain in his first few games of the season could tell he was still dealing with the lingering effects of the thumb and knee injuries that kept him out of action for 11 months. The bulky brace he wore on his knee restricted his mobility and he could not buy a jumper to fall. There’s no better stat to turn to here than the simple fact that he was scoreless in the first four games he appeared in this season.

How shaky he looked impacted how much Nick Nurse trusted him to be on the floor, creating a negative feedback loop of not making enough of an impact to stay on the floor, but not getting enough minutes to get in any possible rhythm. After playing 15 minutes in his first game back, McCain would not play more than 10 minutes in a game for a whole two weeks.

A two-game stint in the G-League with the Delaware Blue Coats to get his feet under him seems to have done exactly that. McCain’s averages still aren’t close to what he put up when he burst on the scene as a rookie, but he’s now averaging 7.5 points playing 18 minutes a night, doing so on 38.1% field goal shooting and 35.7% from three-point range.

He’s put together performances that look more and more like his brilliant, shortened rookie campaign, but is still the odd man out when it comes to the Sixers’ four guard rotation of himself, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes.

After playing over 20 minutes in seven straight games, McCain only played 12 minutes in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a loss in which the 35% from the field shooting Sixers were desperate for someone to put the ball in the hoop. Nurse cited concerns over McCain’s ability to hang defensively against a team as big and long as the Lakers.

Those are valid concerns. McCain’s size and lack of quickness have always presented challenges for him to stay in front of guys. Working his way back up to game speed after missing so much time hasn’t helped either, it’s seeped its way onto the offensive end as well. Per Cleaning the Glass, McCain is taking 8% less shots at the rim from a season ago, dropping him from the 67th percentile in his position group to the 40th.

Even after filtering out his 0-for start, he’s been much less effective in the midrange compared to a season ago. He’s shooting 29% from that part of the floor as opposed to 46% last year, again, a big jump down in percentile.

While this is all true, he has really started to look more like himself as he’s gotten more run. Filtering games since he’s actually hit a shot, that midrange percentage is up to 35%.

This puts the Sixers at an interesting crossroads: McCain’s physical profile leaves him the least trusted by the coach, but his shooting skillset is a necessity, especially to ease the load of the league’s leader in minutes, Maxey.

The key to figuring out this conundrum may lie in the second unit, though it will come with a lot of growing pains. Something the Sixers have gone to with Maxey on the bench since they’ve had (close to) all their guys on the floor is the show being ran by Edgecombe and McCain.

It’s been exciting to see that lineup work, not only because of the real-time growth between two of the franchise’s potential most important long-term pieces, but also because of the extra rest it’s been able to give Maxey in games.

McCain made a great example of this with the 20-point game he dropped on Nov. 28 against the Brooklyn Nets, but take it with all the grains of salt given the opponent.

Another example was the eight-point stretch he had in the second quarter in that loss to the Lakers. His time running the offense gave Maxey the chance to sit a couple extra minutes, but a big reason is a variable the Sixers cannot rely on as much, and that’s Joel Embiid being available.

Even on a night where he shots 4-of-21 from the field, in another season where he hasn’t looked as physically dominant, Embiid has still drawn an incredible amount of attention from opposing defenses. There’s perhaps no other Sixer with the proper feel, relocation skills and shooting ability to take advantage of Embiid’s gravity. How hard he gets Austin Reaves to bite and get himself wide open here is a great example of that.

Jo-JMac pic.twitter.com/96EHoLfdzw

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) December 8, 2025

Lineups with McCain and Edgecombe so far do not have the best metrics. The Sixers have a -5.4 point differential with those two on the court and a big reason is the 100.7 points per 100 possessions they’ve scored, which would be the in the league’s worst percentile.

The numbers of most frequently used lineup with those two however look great, and that lineup happens to feature Embiid, someone’s who typically started quarters this season as part of his minutes restriction.

The lineup of Embiid, McCain and Edgecombe along with Grimes and Jabari Walker have a +29.8 point differential, scoring a blistering 123.5 points per possessions. Of course it’s worth remembering the tiny 17 possession sample size there’s been of said lineup.

Still, McCain continues to look more like the version of himself from a year ago the more minutes he gets, and it’s clear he knows how to play off of offensive talent. With the team’s offensive rating cratering every time Maxey leaves the floor, McCain’s role as leading the second unit offense should be clear.

It won’t be an easy balance to strike, trying to win games right now while letting two players younger than 22 years old carry so much responsibility. It’s a big ask of Edgecombe as well, whose shooting has come down to earth since his torrid start to his career.

Giving these two the reigns with Maxey on the bench may not help the Sixers win the most games this season. McCain will certainly struggle with defensive assignments more than someone like Grimes. Edgecombe may never develop into the complete offense player he’s shown flashes of, but it’s time for the Sixers to start finding these things out.

With the two players on this roster making 57% of the team’s salary as unreliable as ever, the Sixers need to continue shifting their priority in this direction.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-mccain-vj-edgecombe-backcourt-take-its-lumps

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Was that LeBron’s last game in Philly?

I am fortunate enough to have attended some of the greatest sporting events in Philadelphia’s history, from Game 5 of the 2008 World Series to the 2017 NFC Championship Game. Those are iconic for what they meant to the city’s sports landscape, but the downright coolest game I ever attended is a little less known.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, LeBron James descended upon Philly’s hallowed basketball cathedral, the Palestra for a pickup game. In a “Team Melo” vs. “Team Philly” matchup with LeBron suiting up for the former squad, I was fortunate enough to see the greatest basketball player of the 21st century with just roughly 9,000 other people in that sweat-inducing arena. It was glorious. LeBron would go on to win his first NBA title nine months later and his legacy has only continued to grow from there.

Fast forward almost 15 years later and LeBron is still doing it.

On Sunday evening, he had an archetypal prime LeBron stat line of 29-7-6 in a Lakers win in South Philadelphia that included a game-sealing jumper with under 30 seconds on the clock to help secure the Los Angeles victory. LeBron has been at it so long that he beat the Sixers in their early 2000s throwbacks after playing against the franchise when they were originally wearing them two-plus decades ago.

LeBron hasn’t made any official retirement plans, but it’s fair to wonder a few weeks before his 41st birthday in the middle of his 23rd NBA season if this is the end of the run for King James and if Sunday was the last time he’d ever suit up in Philly.

If it was, well, he dominated the Sixers just as much as he dominated any other helpless team in the league. In 59 regular season games, LeBron averaged a cool 27-7-8 with a true shooting percentage of 60.1 percent against the Sixers. His Heat defeated the Sixers in a first round gentleman’s sweep in the 2011 NBA playoffs for good measure as well. I attended Game 4 of that series, the famed Lou Williams game-winner contest, so I’m fortunate enough to say I’ve seen one of the greatest athletes to ever live multiple times with my own two eyes.

As a crazed Philadelphian, I wish the Sixers had gotten the best of him every time. As a pure basketball fan, I can at least take solace in the fact that I witnessed a level of greatest that’s scope extends far beyond my world and even my lifetime.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ebron-james-last-game-in-philly-sixers-lakers

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Editor-in-chief mailbag: The Sixers get a break

It’s clear the Sixers are not built for The Cup … and it’s the best thing for them.

With the knockout stage of the Emirates NBA Cup set to start, the teams that didn’t qualify will get a nice break from the rigors of an 82-game schedule. The Sixers will have four days off before they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday. They’ll head to Atlanta for a matchup with the Hawks Sunday, but will get another four days off before their first matchup of the season against the New York Knicks next Friday.

For a team that’s dealt with injury and continuity issues since opening night, that time could be incredibly value. Sure, the Sixers have been playing pretty well, so a halt to momentum is tough, but they can now basically have training camp 2.0.

Hit me with your questions about the 13-10 Sixers.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ditor-in-chief-mailbag-the-sixers-get-a-break

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Is Tyrese Maxey’s leap big enough to make the Sixers consider a Giannis trade?

Just hear me out, alright.

Our fearless leader Paul Hudrick wrote earlier this week about the Sixers’ best path to title contention. Most are definitely taking a wait-and-see approach to this season because there is just a lot of figuring out still to do with this roster. As he points out though, it appears the Sixers have a Batman again in Tyrese Maxey — how do they go about finding his Robin?

The internal candidates he outlined are certainly the most realistic, but what if there was another Batman out there on the market? One the Sixers could put a competitive offer out for that could vault them into title contention, especially if Maxey is up to the task?

I am of course talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo, the MVP candidate who seems to have finally gotten his departure from the Milwaukee Bucks rolling last week before suffering a calf injury that will hold him out for a few weeks.

This is probably absurd thinking for a couple reasons. The Sixers are very much not Giannis’ preferred destination — by all indications that would be the New York Knicks, who are currently more equipped to compete for a title. The Sixers also can’t top the “godfather offers” of the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs or Atlanta Hawks.

When Giannis trade talks started swirling in the offseason, this was hardly a thought for Sixers fans. Mostly because the franchise’s most recent Batman, Joel Embiid, has not been reliably available enough at all to consider taking such a swing. Already missing a nine-game stretch with knee soreness this year, there’s been no reason to question that line of thinking.

Maxey’s leap to the production of a No. 1 guy might change the calculous on that. He’s third in the league in scoring, shooting a blinding 39.1% from three and 46.7% from the field overall. Given how things ended this may not be the best example, but his season averages are almost identical to Damian Lillard’s last season in Portland before the Bucks acquired him to pair with Antetokounmpo.

I think this is all worth bringing up because I think the Sixers could put together an enticing package for Antetekounmpo, one certainly better than anything his desired team, the Knicks, can put together. The problem of the Giannis-Lillard duo was not due to their production, but due to the team’s inability to build a solid supporting cast around them.

It would be a huge risk as the package I’m talking about would send both Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe to Milwaukee. The inclusion of Edgecombe might already be a non-starter for the Sixers’ front office. He was highly coveted for this team at the No. 3 overall pick and every quote and action by the organization has only backed up their belief in him.

Also unlike the Knicks, the Sixers possess some intriguing future picks, including the Clippers’ 2028 unprotected first-rounder and a potential 2029 pick swap with LA (top-four protected). They still owe the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets picks, but have multiple first-rounders of their own able to be moved.

The deal I’ve cooked up sends McCain, Edgecombe and Paul George to fill salary in a three-for-one deal for Antetokounmpo. According to FanSpo’s trade machine, that would give the Sixers about $14 million dollars to fill out the rest of the roster before hitting the first apron and $26 million before hitting the second.

There could be plenty of holdouts in just getting that done of course. The Bucks might also want to throw in a contract they want to get off of like Bobby Portis. They might still balk at taking George’s contract back even with the inclusion of both young guards in the deal.

If a deal is there though, is there enough wiggle room for the Sixers to create a better support system around Giannis and a star guard? Is the supporting cast of Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow, Trendon Watford and co. better than what Giannis’ supporting cast in Milwaukee? It’s certainly debatable.

There’s still the Embiid wild card to consider. The combo of him, Antetekoumnpo and Maxey all on the court could truly be an unstoppable offensive force, but of course there’s no guarantee of those three playing together for a consistent basis. Would it be that hard to see them getting far in this particular Eastern Conference?

There’s also no guarantee of Giannis and Embiid fitting seamlessly with both needing to dominate the paint. With the league trending further and further towards the importance of depth, it’d make an expensive Sixers’ roster even riskier. In a perfect world, they’d only have Maxey and these young pieces, no giant, old contracts tethering down every decision they make.

Even in this imperfect situation though, not only do I believe the ascension of Maxey makes the question worth asking, but if they do, they could beat out potential packages made by more serious suitors.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...h-to-make-the-sixers-consider-a-giannis-trade