Nets to face another litmus test in playoff rematch with 76ers, breakout star Tyrese Maxey

The Nets’ current core hasn’t been together long, but there’s already history between them and the division-rival 76ers.

Sunday afternoon’s game at Barclays Center marks the Nets’ first regular-season matchup with Philadelphia since the 76ers swept them in the first round of the NBA playoffs in April.

The game offers another early-season litmus test to show how Brooklyn (6-6) stacks up against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

“They swept us last year,” forward Cam Johnson said Saturday while distributing healthy food and resources at Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses with the nonprofit Wellfare. “They straight-up swept us. Not much needs to be said after that.”

The Nets were still building chemistry last postseason following the February trades that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix and Kyrie Irving to Dallas. Those deals brought back four new starters in Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith — who each remain in Brooklyn’s first unit while point guard Ben Simmons and leading scorer Cam Thomas nurse injuries.

“I don’t think I’ve beat [Philadelphia] with New York yet ‘cause they swept us last year,” Finney-Smith said Saturday at Nets practice. “So, you know, we definitely look forward to this game. It’s going to be fun.”

Philadelphia enters Sunday in second place in the East at 9-3, despite trading disgruntled 10-time All-Star — and former Nets guard — James Harden to the Clippers last month. Joel Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, leads the league with 31.9 points per game, while 23-year-old Tyrese Maxey is turning in a breakout season, averaging 26.9 points per game.

Harden’s exit allowed the fourth-year Maxey to become Philadelphia’s full-time starting point guard. He has already scored at least 25 points seven times this season — including his 50-point explosion last Sunday against the Pacers — and is averaging 6.8 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the NBA.

“Man, he’s so good,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said Saturday. “You love his spirit, too. He plays with a passion and joy that you appreciate when you watch. His ability to get downhill, make big baskets. His usage has grown, just because of the makeup of their team. He’s able to run first unit, second unit, [and] maximize his time on the floor. He plays a lot of minutes, but [he’s] a joy to really see play.”

Maxey’s rise came as no surprise to Nets forward Trendon Watson. Maxey, who grew up in Dallas, and Watford, who hails from Alabama, were both McDonald’s All-Americans as high-school seniors in 2019. They competed against each other in the SEC, with Maxey starring for Kentucky and Watford suiting up for LSU.

“He’s one of my closest friends in the NBA,” Watford said Saturday. “We talk pretty much every day. … I think [his] opportunity, and just his work, is paying off. He’s a hard worker, so it was only a matter of time before the whole world sees it.”

Added Watford, “He’s gotten really, really, really good at shooting the ball, even better than he was in high school and college. And he took that next step as far as, like, finishing in the lane with his floaters and stuff.”

Philadelphia finished last season as the No. 3 seed in the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. The Bucks traded for seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard over the offseason, while the Celtics added do-it-all defensive ace Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis.

The Nets are 0-3 in games against the Celtics and Bucks this season. The 76ers present another challenge.

“The biggest part is you see a dominant big and a dominant perimeter guy, so that combination,” Vaughn said. “We’ve had some wings that we’ve had to deal with. … Embiid [at center] will be a huge influence in this game, but we also gotta worry about Maxey and his ability to get to the paint.”

Embiid didn’t play when the 76ers visited the Nets in the preseason, but that game still stuck out to Watford, who joined Brooklyn in the offseason after two seasons with Portland.

“I can feel the intensity even when we played them in the preseason,” Watford said. “It was a little bit different than the other games. So I’m looking forward to it, my first [regular-season] game against Philly with the Nets.”