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  • 4 Times Philadelphia Teams Made Their Mark on the Global Stage – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: BruceEmmerling/Pixabay

    Philadelphia sports teams have traveled far from home to play games.

    Fans in other countries got to see American pro sports for the first time.

    These games left everyone with stories they would tell for years.

    Eagles Beat Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium

    The Philadelphia Eagles went to London for their first game outside America on October 28, 2018. Wembley Stadium fits 85,870 people inside to watch the Super Bowl champs take down Jacksonville 24-18. Carson Wentz put up 286 yards and three touchdowns, but he also gave the ball away twice. After the game, fans voted him the best player on the field.

    Wentz said the experience changed his perspective. He had visited London in 2015 to watch his brother Travis play for Kansas City against Detroit. This time felt completely different. The national anthem gave him chills. He realized how rare it was for NFL players to compete outside the United States.

    Eagles fans took over the stadium. Jacksonville fans got outnumbered at least five to one. People chanted “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES” all game long. You would have thought they were playing in Philly instead of London.

    The London game sparked discussions about expanding NFL markets around the world. Teams could reach new audiences and generate more revenue. American fans began asking if this meant they would have greater overseas availability of live broadcasts, merchandise, and betting markets through offshore sportsbooks that serve international audiences.

    Philadelphia hasn’t returned to Europe since 2018. The team did make history again in 2024 by playing the first NFL game in South America. They faced Green Bay in Brazil before a sold-out crowd.

    Sixers Lose to Barcelona in European Tour

    The Philadelphia 76ers joined three other NBA teams for the 2006 Europe Live Tour. The league sent teams to Germany, Russia, France, Italy, and Spain between October 5-11. Philadelphia faced FC Barcelona and lost 104-99. The defeat stung because European teams rarely beat NBA squads.

    PHOTO: BruceEmmerling/Pixabay

    European clubs had only beaten NBA teams six times since 1978. Barcelona’s win was a huge shock in international basketball. Allen Iverson scored more points than anyone else in the tournament, but it didn’t matter. The Spanish team played just as hard and smart as Philadelphia did.

    The tour wasn’t just about games. Players visited local schools and participated in clinics. They learned about different basketball cultures and met fans who followed the NBA from across the ocean. Many Sixers players said the experience opened their eyes to basketball’s global reach.

    Philadelphia has stayed connected to international basketball. The team participates in NBA Global Games and maintains relationships with European organizations. These connections help the franchise scout talent and build its brand worldwide.

    Flyers Players Go International for Hockey

    Philadelphia Flyers players have played in big hockey tournaments for fifty years. The team has sent its best guys to the Canada Cup, World Cup of Hockey, and other top events since 1972.

    Eric Lindros was the captain for Team Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Two other Flyers made that team, too: Eric Desjardins and Rod Brind’Amour. Team USA had John LeClair and Joel Otto. Sweden picked Patrik Juhlin and Mikael Renberg. Philadelphia’s CoreStates Center got some games, including when Canada and the United States started their final series.

    Canada picked three Flyers for the 1976 Canada Cup. Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, and Reggie Leach all got spots on the team. That tournament ended up changing international hockey forever. Clarke scored an important goal in the finals against Czechoslovakia. Barber tied up a game late before Canada won it in extra time.

    Philadelphia had the Czechoslovakian national team come play at the Spectrum in 1976. The Flyers beat them 6-1 and took way more shots – 42 to 21. Orest Kindrachuk and Mel Bridgman both scored twice. The win showed people around the world what the “Broad Street Bullies” were all about.

    Union Get Their First Big Win Outside America

    The Philadelphia Union got into international competition because they won the 2020 Supporters’ Shield. That trophy got them a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, where they played teams from North and Central America. They beat a team called Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica. 

    It was their first win against a foreign club. That game was also head coach Jim Curtin’s 100th win with the team. It showed everybody that Philadelphia could hang with the big soccer clubs from other countries.

    The Union’s academy system regularly sends players to international youth tournaments. Kellan LeBlanc and Cavan Sullivan have joined U.S. national team programs. These young players represent both Philadelphia and American soccer on the global stage.

    Philadelphia formed early partnerships with international clubs. Their affiliation with Deportivo Saprissa created opportunities for player exchanges and training partnerships. These relationships helped the Union learn from experienced international organizations and strengthen its presence in global soccer networks.

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  • Philadelphia Sports Culture: From Tailgates To Game Day Cheers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: Kelly/Pexels

    Philadelphia is a city where sports aren’t just games—they’re a way of life.

    From tailgating traditions to the roar of fans inside iconic stadiums, the energy, passion, and loyalty of Philadelphia sports fans are unmatched.

    The city’s sports culture spans generations, blending historic rivalries, community spirit, and unique fan rituals that make every game day an unforgettable experience.

    In this post, we’ll explore the essence of Philadelphia sports culture, highlighting the elements that make it one of the most vibrant fan experiences in the country.

    From Pre-Game Gatherings To Stadium For Philadelphia Sports

    Tailgating Traditions

    Tailgating in Philadelphia is more than a pre-game ritual—it’s a full-fledged cultural experience. Fans arrive hours ahead of kickoff or first pitch, bringing grills, food, music, and team decorations. Tailgates serve as social hubs where fans swap stories, celebrate their team’s history, and enjoy the communal atmosphere. 

    Food plays a significant role, from Philly cheesesteaks to local favorites, creating an authentic taste of the city. These gatherings are lively, welcoming, and inclusive, often attracting families, longtime supporters, and newcomers alike. Tailgating is where the city’s sports passion comes alive, showing how deeply games are intertwined with Philadelphia’s social and cultural life.

    PHOTO: Kelly/Pexels

    Pre-Game Rituals and Superstitions

    Many Philadelphia fans bring their own unique touch to game day with personal rituals and superstitions. From wearing lucky jerseys to following specific routines, these practices add a personal layer to the city’s sports culture. Fans often share stories of rituals passed down through generations, creating a sense of continuity and tradition. 

    While these rituals vary widely, they all serve one purpose: enhancing the excitement and personal connection to the game. Whether it’s a family tradition, a pre-game chant, or a favorite tailgating spot, these rituals contribute to the city’s reputation for dedicated, passionate, and enthusiastic fans.

    Passionate Fan Chants and Cheers

    Philadelphia fans are legendary for their energy inside stadiums and arenas. Chants, cheers, and coordinated applause are more than noise—they are expressions of city pride and loyalty. Whether supporting the Eagles, 76ers, Flyers, or Phillies, fans create an atmosphere that energizes teams and intimidates opponents.

    Signature chants and team songs echo through stadiums, uniting fans in a shared celebration of their city and teams. This level of enthusiasm helps define Philadelphia sports culture, where every cheer carries history, meaning, and community spirit, making attending a game an unforgettable experience.

    Rivalries That Define the City

    Rivalries are the lifeblood of Philadelphia sports, fueling fan passion and excitement. Historic matchups, such as Eagles vs. Cowboys or 76ers vs. Celtics, bring out the best—and sometimes the most intense—of fan energy. Rivalries in Philadelphia aren’t just about wins and losses; they’re about pride, tradition, and the collective identity of the city. 

    Fans take these games seriously, engaging in friendly debates, pre-game discussions, and community traditions that heighten the stakes. These rivalries define Philadelphia’s sports culture, giving fans a sense of belonging while connecting generations of supporters to the city’s competitive spirit.

    Game Day Apparel and Colors

    Wearing team apparel is a visible and celebrated part of Philadelphia sports culture. From jerseys and hats to scarves and painted faces, fans proudly display team colors and logos throughout the city. Game day fashion is more than style—it’s a statement of loyalty, community, and pride. 

    Local businesses, tailgating spots, and even casual meetups reflect this passion, showing how integrated sports are into everyday life. The sea of green, blue, or red in stadiums and city streets demonstrates how deeply teams are embedded in the identity of Philadelphia, reinforcing a shared sense of culture among fans.

    Historic Stadium Experiences

    Philadelphia’s sports venues are more than just places to watch a game—they are landmarks of history, culture, and shared experiences. Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center, and Citizens Bank Park host memorable moments that fans recall for years. 

    Visiting these stadiums provides a glimpse into the city’s sports heritage, with every corner telling a story of legendary plays, historic matches, and passionate crowds. The design, traditions, and atmosphere of each venue add layers to the fan experience, making attending a Philadelphia game both an emotional and cultural event, connecting fans to decades of sports history.

    Fan Loyalty Through the Years

    Philadelphia fans are known for their unwavering loyalty. Win or lose, generations of supporters remain steadfast, creating a culture of resilience and pride. Longtime fans pass traditions to younger generations, ensuring that team spirit and city pride continue. 

    This loyalty extends beyond the stadium, shaping local culture, media coverage, and community events. Fans’ dedication is evident in attendance, celebrations, and social media engagement, illustrating how deeply sports are woven into daily life. This long-term commitment helps define Philadelphia as one of the most devoted sports cities in America.

    Community Spirit and Local Hangouts

    Philadelphia sports culture thrives in the city’s neighborhoods, bars, and local gathering spots. Sports bars, pubs, and community centers become hubs for fans to meet, watch games, and celebrate together. Many of these venues offer refreshing options like non alcoholic cocktails in a can, allowing fans to enjoy flavorful drinks while staying entirely engaged in the game day excitement. 

    These hangouts strengthen social bonds, allowing fans to share stories, memories, and experiences. Community events, viewing parties, and local traditions all contribute to the sense of belonging and connection that defines the city’s sports culture. In Philadelphia, sports aren’t just about competition—they’re about community, relationships, and shared identity.

    PHOTO: Ericka Sánchez/Pexels

    Celebrations and Citywide Reactions

    When Philadelphia teams win, the celebration extends far beyond the stadium. Parades, street parties, and social media buzz showcase the city’s collective excitement. Fans gather to commemorate victories, honoring players, teams, and the spirit of the town itself. 

    These celebrations reflect the pride, energy, and passion that define Philadelphia sports culture, turning each win into a citywide experience. From cheering in the streets to sharing moments online, the city collectively rejoices, illustrating how deeply sports are woven into the social and cultural fabric of Philadelphia.

    Final Thoughts

    Philadelphia sports culture is unmatched, blending tailgating traditions, fan rituals, iconic chants, historic rivalries, and citywide celebrations into a vibrant and unforgettable experience.

    From pre-game gatherings to the electrifying energy inside stadiums, fans embody loyalty, pride, and passion in every interaction.

    Game day in Philadelphia is more than watching a team—it’s participating in a living culture that spans generations, neighborhoods, and communities.

    The city’s dedication to its teams, traditions, and fan experiences makes Philadelphia a true sports capital, where every game is a celebration of heritage, identity, and shared excitement.

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  • The Legacy of Allen Iverson with the Philadelphia 76ers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Legacy of Allen Iverson with the Philadelphia 76ers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Allen Iverson electrified the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps left his indelible mark on the league.
    The electrifying crossovers that sent fans delirious, the fearless play, and relentless determination – all these made Iverson an icon of popular culture, a winner of one MVP, and several scoring titles.

    It was one of those legacies that were never to be forgotten; his style and resilience in the game encapsulated not only in the medals and accolades he was accorded but right down to a statue at the team’s training complex.

    Early Years and Draft

    Allen Iverson was born in Hampton, Virginia, on June 7, 1975. He was famously known as “The Answer” in which his moniker spoke to his flashy game and how he could take over ballgames despite his lack of height. From a tender age, he was greatly talented in both basketball and football, an athletic marvel. He attended high school and had numerous brilliant careers. His skills were so great that he warranted a scholarship towards attending Georgetown University, where he was playing for Coach John Thompson.An instant force in his two years at Georgetown, Iverson averaged 23 points a game and took home the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award twice. His performances and dazzling style on the court did not get past the NBA scouts during that process. Iverson made history in 1996 when he became the first overall draft pick by the Philadelphia 76ers during the NBA Draft.

    Rookie Season and Immediate Impact

    Allen Iverson’s rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers was one for change. Picked No. 1 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, Iverson immediately proved he could hold his own, averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals a night.His electrifying manner of play was coupled with a no-fear attitude that raised him above the competition, as epitomized by his unforgettable crossover on Michael Jordan in March of 1997-more than words as it spoke volumes about agility combined with confidence. Iverson merited the NBA Rookie of the Year Award because that was what immediate impact was supposed to look and feel like. This also made him a crowd favorite when it came to betting on basketball on platforms like Betway.

    Iverson brought hope and excitement into the 76ers new era, in simple words, with his fresh energy to poor performance by the franchise, becoming the beacon of hope for his team and the first to consolidate his legacy in town because he can break defenses and create scoring opportunities.

    Allen Iverson’s Career Highlights

    The NBA season of 2000-2001 was the defining chapter of Allen Iverson’s career, which established him among the all-time greats the sport has ever produced. He led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals, and there, his performance was superb as he topped the league in scoring and drove his team with incredible speed and agility. Iverson captured the MVP on May 15, 2001, with 1,121 points, including 93 of 124 first-place votes, to become the first 76ers player to win the honor since Moses Malone in 1983. At just 6 feet and 165 pounds, he became the shortest player and lightest player ever to win the MVP. The accomplishment put an exclamation point on his remarkable talent and will to succeed. His persistence and leadership were key in the playoff run and Eastern Conference title won by the Sixers.

    Signature Playing Style and Influence

    Apr 12, 2024; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson during the unveiling of the statue honoring him in a ceremony at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
    PHOTO: Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

    Allen Iverson was a player who never showed any fear for his Philadelphia 76ers, constantly pressuring the rim. Standing at a mere six feet tall, the quickness and agility were only sufficient to take him through the defenders press – a nightmare within their minds. His crossover dribble became fabled across the league, which gained him respect everywhere.

    Off the court, Iverson was even more influential on the culture of the game. With his charismatic personality and his very peculiar, now ubiquitous, sense of fashion – most notably, his tattoos and braids – basketball culture wasn’t as stiff anymore: players could be themselves. The shift symbolized a broader transformation in the N.B.A., now melding sport and style together in ways it never had before.

    Allen Iverson, A Lasting Legacy with Philadelphia

    Allen Iverson’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers showcased brilliance and fight. Tabbed first overall in the 1996 Draft, he never wasted a single second and soon turned out to be a sight to behold while winning NBA Rookie of the Year on his way to eventually netting four scoring titles and the 2001 MVP award.

    It’s more than just a great set of numbers; Iverson’s brazen attitude and one-of-a-kind style have indelibly marked basketball culture, inspiring legions of players to inject their individuality into a game they love.
    His legacy extends beyond the court, breaking barriers in self-expression and continuing to resonate with fans and athletes alike.

    PHOTO: Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

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  • Remembers Dikembe Mutombo’s Best Game as a Sixers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Remembers Dikembe Mutombo’s Best Game as a Sixers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    As everyone knows, Dikembe Mutombo just passed away at the young age of 58. Unfortunately, this premature death cam from his battle with brain cancer. To remember his legacy, let’s reminisce on his best and most impactful performance for the Sixers.

    Controversy?

    With Allen Iverson winning MVP that year, many basketball fans around the country (especially Milwaukee) suspected that the Sixers were “favored” by the NBA to win the series and go on to the finals to play another big market team in The Lakers. As the series went on, the Bucks determined the refs cheated them. Ray Allen said after game 6 that “It behooves everybody for the league to make more money, and the league knows that Philadelphia is going to make more money with L.A. than we would with L.A.”

    He pulled out the classic take no accountability for losing coping strategy.

    I’m a firm believer that the league isn’t rigged and people make that up to feel better about their loss. In reality, the Bucks just played poorly that series and they could barely stop a Milwaukee team that hardly beat the Sixers without Iverson in game 3.

    That being said, the Bucks were in pure whine-mode heading into game 7 in Philly.

    Dikembe Dominates

    What’s the best way to quiet the hater? Go out and dominate the game. The complaints from the Bucks must have motivated Mutombo to do just that. He and Iverson set the tone in game 7.

    With Scott Williams suspended for game 7, the Bucks lost a decent rebounding role player who averaged just under 6 rebounds and over a block per game that series. Iverson and Mutombo took advantage of a weaker playoff rotation. Iverson scored a game-high 44 points and Mutombo led the game with 19 rebounds and 7 blocks. Mutombo took charge by physically out-dueling the whole Bucks team. He obviously took the whining personally which sent him on a mission to put an end to the disrespect.

    His Legacy Still Lingers

    Even though Mutombo only spent under two years in Philly, he still holds a spot in our hearts today. Because of his strong play, he ended a 17 year finals drought for the team. After that the Sixers have gone on a 22 year drought that still goes on today. Without his performance, I and millions of other Philadelphians would not have had a 76ers finals run in our lifetimes. Hopefully that changes soon, but those finals still reminisce in our minds today.

    Rest in peace Mutombo. Thanks for allowing the Iverson “Step Over” to happen.

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  • Philadelphia 76ers: Anticipating the 2024-25 Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Philadelphia 76ers: Anticipating the 2024-25 Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    As September 2024 unfolds, the Philadelphia 76ers are gearing up for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

    While the official start is still weeks away, there’s plenty to discuss about the team’s current state and prospects.

    Offseason Developments

    The Sixers’ front office has maintained a relatively quiet offseason, focusing on stability rather than major shake-ups. The team’s most significant move was re-signing sharpshooting forward Georges Niang to a two-year deal, ensuring continuity in their rotation.The front office didn’t stop there, adding several veteran players to bolster the roster. Andre Drummond made a return to Philadelphia, signing a multi-year contract to shore up the center position behind Embiid. Sharpshooter Eric Gordon joined on a multi-year deal, bringing his scoring punch to the backcourt. Perhaps most notably, the Sixers added veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, whose leadership and playoff experience will be invaluable. Caleb Martin was another free-agent acquisition, further deepening the team’s wing rotation.As the team gears up for the upcoming season, fans can look forward to these exciting additions and even place bets on the next 76ers games at Mega Dice. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just enjoy the thrill of sports betting, following the Sixers this season promises to be an engaging experience both on and off the court.

    The Embiid-Maxey Core

    Joel Embiid, the franchise cornerstone, is coming off another impressive season. Recent reports indicate he’s been working diligently on his conditioning, aiming to stay healthy for a full campaign. His partnership with Tyrese Maxey continues to be a focal point for the team’s success.Maxey, entering his fifth NBA season, has shown steady improvement year over year. Last season saw him average career-highs in points and assists, and expectations are high for his continued development.

    Tactical Adjustments

    PHOTO: FreePik

    Head coach Nick Nurse, now in his third season with the Sixers, has hinted at some strategic tweaks for the upcoming year. In recent media sessions, he’s emphasized a desire to increase the team’s pace and three-point attempts, aligning with current NBA trends.

    A perennial concern for the Sixers is managing Joel Embiid’s workload. The team’s medical staff has been working on strategies to keep Embiid healthy for the entire season and potential playoff run. This approach may impact the team’s regular-season record but is crucial for long-term success.

    Eastern Conference Outlook

    The Eastern Conference remains highly competitive. While it’s premature to make definitive predictions, analysts generally place the Sixers among the top contenders, alongside teams like the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat.

    Young Talent Development and What’s to Come

    Keep an eye on third-year player Jaden Springer. After showing flashes of potential in limited minutes last season, there’s a buzz around the organization about his off-season progress. The coaching staff has hinted at an expanded role for Springer in the upcoming season.As training camp approaches, there are still many unknowns about how the 2024-25 season will unfold for the 76ers. The team’s success will likely hinge on Embiid’s health, Maxey’s continued growth, and how well the supporting cast performs in Nurse’s system.

    As October draws near, Sixers fans have a reason for cautious optimism.
    The coming months will reveal whether Philadelphia can translate its potential into success on the court and make a deep playoff run in the competitive Eastern Conference.

    PHOTO: FreePik

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  • Rankings the Last 6 Sixers’ Opening Day Rosters – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Rankings the Last 6 Sixers’ Opening Day Rosters – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    After Jimmy Butler left, the Sixers have had a tough time building a roster worth of a championship. Between striking out on free agents to players holding out, there has not been much luck coming their way. Let’s take a look at how the opening day rosters stack up against each other after Butler’s departure.

    6.

    2021-2022

    Record: 51-31, 4th in East

    Roster: Danny Green, Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, Georges Niang, Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, Charles Bassey, Jaden Springer, Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe

    This was a disappointing, yet inevitable, beginning to the season. After such a terrible loss to the Hawks, where Ben Simmons passes up an easy bucket against Trae Young, Simmons received so much hate from fans and media, that he couldn’t play for the team anymore. He decided to hold out for a trade.

    Since Simmons held out, that really hurt the Sixers roster to start the year. They lost their all-star point guard and had to turn over the reigns to a second-year player with much to prove: Tyrese Maxey. This nonsense helped Tyrese Maxey’s growth tremendously by giving him so much playing time.

    Nevertheless, Maxey was nowhere near the player he is today, and the Sixers just didn’t have enough firepower from players other than Embiid to play that well to start the season. Tobias Harris never stepped up during his career here and no other player had the talent to help out Embiid.

    5.

    2023-2024

    Record: 47-35, 7th in East

    Roster: P.J. Tucker, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, Tyrese Maxey, Danny Green, Patrick Beverly, Kelly Oubre, Jaden Springer, Paul Reed

    Last year, the Sixers had to go through yet another season of conflict and strife. After just a year and a half removed from the Ben Simmons debacle, James Harden decided to hold out from the team too. This caused a lot of disdain from fans to organization and many people started to really lose interest (if they hadn’t already).

    Had James Harden stayed, the Sixers would have had a pretty good supporting cast for Joel Embiid. Even though he didn’t, they played well without him, going 22-10 from October to December. Unfortunately, disaster struck in this season later when Embiid tore his meniscus.

    Everyone knew they needed to get something in a trade to do damage in the playoffs, but the market did not have a big move in store for them which forced the Sixers to be compensated with draft picks and minor players. This season was over before it started just like when Ben Simmons held out.

    4.

    2019-2020

    Record: 43-30, 6th in East

    Roster: Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Joel Embiid, Al Horford, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton, Mike Scott, Kyle O’Quinn, James Ennis , Raul Neto, Furkan Korkmaz

    Going into this season, the Sixers had high expectations. They have a solid core with an exciting young player in Josh Richardson to go along side of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris. Additionally, they just acquired Joel Embiid’s kryptonite (at the time). With Al Horford, Sixers fans imagined a dominant front court where no guard could come and score with two big men capable of scoring inside and outside of the three point line. Unfortunately, this team did not live up to expectations.

    After just a few months of play, everyone realized this team didn’t fit right. They lacked perimeter scoring more than anything. Horford and Embiid took away from each other much more than they built each other up. Because of these issues, the team was forced to make many moves during the season to bolster their depleted bench and lack of scoring.

    It’s important to note that this was the COVID year, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that this team had major holes and would end up getting swept by the Celtics in the playoffs.

    3.

    2020-21

    Record: 49-23, First in East

    Roster: Danny Green, Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Dwight Howard, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey

    After a year with lackluster shooting from the outside, the Sixers corrected that issue by signing Seth Curry and Danny Green – two players who shoot the three better than anyone they had the last year. These two can also hold their own on defense since they were only ever asked to guard the worst player. With defensive stars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, it made playing defense much easier for the rest of the team. They had the 2nd best defensive rating in the league that year.

    The Sixers were also excited to have offloaded Al Horford from the team and replace him with a backup-only center. He would strictly play minutes where Embiid wasn’t on the floor. While Howard boosted the teams worst trait (rebounding), he didn’t contribute much else. The Sixers rely on their centers to score, and he couldn’t do that well at all.

    For the first time in a while, the Sixers finished the regular season with the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference  (this was a shortened season because of COVID as well). This gave the city some very high expectation to go deep into the playoffs.

    The talent was there for this team, but mentally, Ben Simmons destroyed this team and would never be the same player again after the catastrophe in the 7-game loss to the Hawks in the postseason.

    2.

    2022-2023

    Record: 54-28, Third in East

    Record: P.J. Tucker, James Harden, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Montrezl Harrell, Danuel House, Georges Niang, Matisse Thybulle, De’Anthony Melton.

    The Sixers finally got a star guard with MVP style play. James Harden was acquired by the team the year before via trade for Ben Simmons and the city yearned for a championship after so many years of disappointment – this finally seemed like the team.

    James Harden and Joel Embiid built chemistry through the latter half of the previous season and were expected to shine bright together as a dominant duo. They played very well together, but Harden’s ball dominant style presented some problems with Embiid’s incompatible similarity in his style.

    Luckily, Harden invested in his relationship with Tyrese Maxey which helped Maxey develop into a better version of himself. In his third year, Maxey started developing into a very solid player. This team also had talent to get the job done, but ended up falling short yet again.

    1.

    Current

    Record: TBD

    Roster: Ricky Council IV, Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre, Guerschon Yabusele

    Now, Tyrese Maxey is a bona fide star in the league. He and Embiid have great chemistry with each other and perfectly understand how to play along side the other. These two have grown so much together as a duo and have emerged as one of the best duos in the league.

    Then, finally, after waiting so long for a free agent star signing, the Sixers signed Paul George to accompany Embiid and Maxey on their quest to a championship. Many teams add stars just to add a star, but in this case, Paul George also happens to fit perfectly with these two. Their play styles compliment each other very well.

    The front office wasn’t finished after George, though. They also signed a power forward that will bring fire and intensity to the team. Caleb Martin will fit right into this city. He elevates his game when it matters, and plays with heart.

    Also, Andre Drummond is returning to Philly, where he served as Embiid’s best backup just a few years ago. By signing him and bringing Lowry and Oubre back, the Sixers have some continuity from years past. These players have played together before which will only help their chances of winning this year.

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  • 76ers say they’ll ‘seriously’ look at New Jersey’s pitch for Camden arena as alternative to Center City

    76ers say they’ll ‘seriously’ look at New Jersey’s pitch for Camden arena as alternative to Center City

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    The 76ers are considering New Jersey as the location to build the team’s new arena after a state agency there sent an incentive-laden pitch to Sixers’ ownership this week enticing them to build on the Delaware River waterfront in Camden.

    The letter was sent Tuesday by Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, to Tad Brown, CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which own the 76ers. It broadly details creating a “world-class arena” as part of a larger residential and commercial development in Camden, and sweetening the deal with as much as $800 million in tax credits. 

    MORE: Traffic study finds Center City can handle 76ers arena congestion, but it will take finesse to make it work

    The Sixers have proposed constructing a $1.55 billion arena on East Market Street, and until this letter the team had been singularly focused on building in Center City, at least publicly. Negotiations are ongoing between the team and Philadelphia officials, 76ers spokesperson Molly Mita McEndy said, but, “The reality is we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time. … As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one.”

    Last week, Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office released the impact studies for the 76ers’ arena proposal on East Market Street, which included details about at least 11 pieces of legislation that would need to be introduced and passed to enable the arena’s construction.

    The Sixers have said these enabling bills need to be in place by the end of 2024 to be on track to open the 2031 NBA season at the new arena.

    New Jersey’s interest in luring the Sixers to Camden — where the team has its practice facility and offices — became public in July when Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed state officials had discussed alternatives to building in Philadelphia with team owner HBSE. Murphy is among the politicians and state officials cc’d on Sullivan’s NJEDA letter.

    NJEDA is an independent state agency that promotes job growth and investment to grow the state’s economy. Sullivan outlined for Brown a vision for a mixed-use development on the 16-acre property that formerly was the Riverfront State Prison, north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The prison was built in the 1980s and closed in 2009. 

    “Anchored by a world-class arena, we believe that this project will enable development of significant residential, commercial, and retail offerings within the City of Camden,” Sullivan wrote. “We also recognized the importance of incorporating open space and pedestrian-friendly amenities into this potential game-changing development project for our state.”

    Those opposed to the arena project in Center City see New Jersey’s offer as ploy the Sixers could use to accelerate their original plans.

    “Threats to move are a classic gambit to scare politicians into giving billionaire team owners what they want,” Mohan Seshadri, a member of the Save Chinatown Coalition, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know Mayor Parker won’t be bullied.”

    New Jersey has been unable to attract development to the former prison site since the facility closed. The state is hoping that its Aspire program, a tax-incentive system created in 2020, will entice the Sixers. Building on the state-owned land would present the Sixers with chances to obtain two tax credits, each worth up to $400 million, for the arena and supporting infrastructure.

    State officials also say they would work with the New Jersey legislature to approve up to $500 million in special-purpose bonds paid for by ticket surcharges, revenue from parking and concessions and fees.

    In the letter, Sullivan said the financing would be structured so that New Jersey taxpayers would be “more than paid back for their investment via incremental state, county and local tax revenues.” NJEDA still anticipates the Camden development would be “privately-led” by the Sixers, who have pledged to pay for their proposed arena in Philadelphia. 

    HSBE also owns the New Jersey Devils, that team’s arena, the Prudential Center in Newark, and the historic Loew’s Theater in Jersey City’s Journal Square. The cost of the redevelopment of the theater has snowballed from the initial estimate of $72 million to about $105 million and raised questions about the city’s financial commitments to the project. 

    “I am confident that as you identify potential locations for the new home of the 76ers, you will find no better partner than the State of New Jersey and the City of Camden,” Sullivan wrote at the end of his letter. “Choosing Camden as the 76ers’ new home will be the best decision you will ever make.”

    Philadelphia City Council returns to session on Thursday and anti-arena activists from the Save Chinatown Coalition rally outside City Hall in the afternoon.

    One of the impact studies released last week concluded that as many as half of Chinatown’s small businesses would be negatively impacted by the arena; the proposed site of the area, at Market Street between 10th and 11th streets, currently part of the Fashion District mall, is immediately south of Chinatown.

    Another study found that Center City would likely be able to handle the traffic congestion created by an arena, but not without a concerted effort to promote the use of public transportation by fans and a plan to manage parking.

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Taking a Look at the Sixers’ Futures Bets – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Taking a Look at the Sixers’ Futures Bets – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The NBA season is just a month and a half away and all the teams (for the most part) have their rosters set. That being said, the sportsbooks have their futures bets pretty much all set for the year. Let’s take a look at the big ones for the Sixers.

    NBA Champion

    Fanduel

    has the Sixers tied for third best odds to win the championship with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks at +900. Ahead of them are the Celtics (+300) and Oklahoma City (+700).

    Every year, people usually put the Sixers in the top echelon of the Eastern conference, and each of those years, they have fallen short. Having Joel Embiid will always give a team a chance to win the championship. If Embiid can stay healthy in the playoffs for the first time in his career, then that’s good news for the Sixers championship odds. Seems like a solid bet for anybody riding high for the Sixers.

    Wins

    The Sixers are sitting at 52.5 o/u for their wins season total. Last year, the Sixers were on pace for way more than 52 wins before Embiid had his meniscus surgery. After losing him for 2 months, they finished with just 47 wins and stuck in the play-in tournament. The Celtics finished first with 64 wins, blowing away second place by 14 games.

    It’s obvious that the Sixers are better than last year. They added Paul George to take more weight off of Embiid to keep him healthier into the playoffs. Most believe they will battle the Celtics for the number 1 seed in the east, which would definitely put them above 52 wins. If the Sixers live up to expectations, then their win total will be well above 52.5. Bet the over.

    Points Leaders

    Joel Embiid trails only Luka Doncic in the race for the regular season scoring champion. At +300, most people know that Embiid will continue his scoring dominance next year. Last year he scored more points than had minutes played, so he would be a safe bet for scoring champion.

    More intriguing to see is Tyrese Maxey way down the list with +35000 odds for scoring champion. In every year of his career, Tyrese Maxey has improved his offensive game by a lot. He went from a high 20’s three point shooter to one of the best in the league in just one year. Last year he finished 15th in scoring. If he continues to get better like he has, then he could end up being a top 7-10 scorer in the league. He won’t win the scoring title, but it’s interesting to see how underrated he is around the league. He could become a top-10 player in the league this year.

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • City released four impact studies on how the 76ers proposed arena will affect Center City

    City released four impact studies on how the 76ers proposed arena will affect Center City

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    The City of Philadelphia has released four separate reports that analyses the proposed Sixers arena in Center City.

    The four reports include: a community impact assessment; an economic impact analysis; a design consulting; and a traffic, transportation and parking analysis.

    In terms of community impact, the report focused on two areas: Market East and Chinatown.

    According to the study, the impact on Market East is “inconclusive” and with or without the arena, the area will still face challenges in terms of development. However, the report also notes the development could help reinvigorate the neighborhood if it can resolve transportation and safety issues.

    As for Chinatown, the report says 1 in 5 small businesses in the neighborhood could benefit. Thise businesses are mainly in entertainment, food and hospitality.

    On the other hand, half of the small businesses in Chinatown would not benefit or see a negative impact.

    The report also says there will be no direct housing displacement, but there is evidence for indirect displacement of small businesses, through gentrification.

    John Chin with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation spoke about where their organization stands on the arena.

    “I think this report really highlights a concern that this arena could threaten the sustainability of our Chinatown there,” he said.

    Chin says traffic is another big concern for the Chinatown community.

    And the study finds there could be traffic issues, stating that if more than 40% of the attendees to the arena drive, there could be gridlock around the arena. But also say there is sufficient garage parking to meet the arena’s demand.

    The study also suggests that the Sixers should offer incentives for people not to drive, like offering free transit passes with each ticket to help alleviate traffic congestion.

    As for the economic impact, the study says the arena could add 53 more ticketed events to Philadelphia, including other sporting events and concerts. It also could add $390 million in tax revenue to the city after 30 years of operation.

    The final part of the reports is about the design, which evaluated rendering released last year.

    The design review team praised the design for allowing space for retail opportunities, but it’s also calling on the developers to create an open public space or plaza on or right next to the site.

    The 76ers Development Corporation released the following statement about the reports:

    “We are reviewing what has been released and we will have more to say when we are able to complete a full analysis, but it is clear already that they support what we’ve said since we first announced 76 Place: the arena is an appropriate use for Center City and will generate significant new jobs and tax revenue because Philadelphia can support two arenas. Our parking and traffic assumptions are achievable and these findings are more evidence that 76Place can be developed in a way that protects our neighbors and maximizes benefit to Philadelphia.”

    The reports were not paid for by taxpayer dollars the city noted but by the Sixers, who the city said had no influence on the report.

    The Save Chinatown Coalition also released a statement on the arena impact studies.

    “That the Sixers bankrolled these studies, and failed to disclose that fact from the jump, says everything you need to know about their credibility. The economic analysis was completed by a consultant with a track record of faulty data and false projections in Philadelphia. The failure to calculate the financial cost of the arena to Chinatown, other neighborhoods, and existing businesses tells you how unserious and flawed this paperwork is. As we continue carefully reviewing these documents in the coming days, it is clear these are not the studies the community asked for or the city needs,” Vivian Chang, executive director of Asian Americans United and member of the Save Chinatown Coalition said.

    The Chinatown Coalition also said there will be a rally and march on September 7 at 1 p.m. at City Hall against the arena.

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    Johnny Archer and Kaleah Mcilwain

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  • How Does This Sixers Team Compare to Last Year’s? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    How Does This Sixers Team Compare to Last Year’s? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Sixers have made the most noise in free agency this year than any other team. This has been the free agency that Sixers fans have waited on for many years. Now that the bulk of the moves are completed, how does this year’s team stack up to last year’s?

    Point Guard

    2023:

    • Kyle Lowry
    • Cam Payne
    • Patrick Beverly

    2024:

    • Kyle Lowry
    • Reggie Jackson
    • Jeff Dowtin Jr.

    As of now, the point guard position looks about the same caliber of last year. With the talent at other positions, the Sixers need veterans that can distribute the ball and not turn the ball over at the point guard position. With Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson, they should get that style of play. Jeff Dowtin Jr. is on a two-way contract, so he probably won’t see the floor too much unless there are some injuries.

    Some consider Tyrese Maxey a point guard, but with the addition of Reggie Jackson, him and Kyle Lowry should be taking the point, allowing Maxey to play at SG, his natural and more effective position.

    The PG position should remain very similar to last year.

    Shooting Guard

    2023:

    • Tyrese Maxey
    • Buddy Hield
    • Ricky Council IV
    • De’Anthony Melton
    • Jaden Springer

    2024:

    • Tyrese Maxey
    • Jared McCain
    • Eric Gordon
    • Ricky Council IV

    The Sixers revamped their SG position with a new young player (McCain) and a new vet (Gordon). Tyrese Maxey will take most of the minutes at this position and could improve even more since last year. If Maxey gets better – like he has in every season of his career – then this could be the Sixers’ strongest position on the team. He already won most improved player in his 4th year and now has bulked up quite a bit in the offseason. Maxey will be the Sixers’ X-factor.

    The Sixers also drafted Jared McCain this year. He is another undersized guard, but will have time to learn the game with Maxey ahead of him. There is no pressure for him to shine in the beginning of his NBA career which could help him grow.

    In the summer league, Ricky Council IV looked very good. He obviously belongs in a league above the G-league and could start making some plays in the NBA. He could become a good player for the Sixers or they could use him as a trade piece if he excels this year.

    Overall, the shooting guard position should look pretty good this year. If Maxey plays as well as last year (or better), then this will be a strong position for them and better than last year.

    Small Forward

    2023:

    • Robert Covington
    • Danuel House Jr.
    • KJ Martin
    • Kelly Oubre Jr.
    • Tobias Harris

    2024:

    • Kelly Oubre Jr.
    • Paul George
    • KJ Martin

    The biggest upgrade of the offseason came at this position with the acquisition of Paul George. Not many teams have a player with Paul George’s combination of scoring and defensive versatility. Paul George would upgrade the SF position on most of the teams in the NBA.

    Not only does Paul George add a ton of skill, but it may be even more noteworthy that Tobias Harris is gone. Tobias was a non-factor in the majority of games that he played in. Losing him and his near-max contract is addition by subtraction. That allowed the Sixers to go out and make big moves in the free agent market.

    Kelly Oubre could start for the Sixers, but it’s also possible that he may come off the bench. Kelly Oubre’s skill and energy off the bench will certainly provide scoring and defense for the team. We will have to wait and see what Nick Nurse decides the starting lineup will be.

    Power Forward

    2023:

    • Nicolas Batum
    • Marcus Morris
    • PJ Tucker

    2024:

    Losing Nicolas Batum is a bummer, but nobody should ever rely on a player with his skillset and age anyway. He had great defensive instincts, entry passes for Embiid, and could shoot the ball well. He will be missed, but the additions in other areas should make up for his loss.

    There’s not much depth at this position right now, but Paul George can move over to the PF if needed. Depending on the lineups, expect to see George at the 4 throughout the season at different times.

    Caleb Martin is a very underrated signing by the Sixers. He’s a hustle player that doesn’t need to score in volume and will provide solid defense and peskiness. Not only that, but he has historically raised his game in the playoffs which will come in handy for a team that lacks the mentality in the postseason. He’s undersized for his position, but having a strong defensive anchor like Embiid will help cancel that out.

    With Martin and George sharing responsibilities at the PF spot, the Sixers should look improved in this position.

    Center

    2023:

    • Joel Embiid
    • Mo Bamba
    • Paul Reed

    2024:

    • Joel Embiid
    • Andre Drummond
    • Adem Bona

    If Embiid’s healthy, then the Sixers never have to worry about this position and they will have the best player, but that doesn’t happen. Recently, the Sixers have not prioritized the backup center position. This positional value is higher for the Sixers because of Embiid’s injury history. Signing Andre Drummond should help the defense stay strong while Embiid is off the floor while also helping with rebounding. Paul Reed isn’t a bad player, but he wasn’t cutting it for the Sixers. Drummond should be able to keep the Sixers even with opponents while Embiid rests instead of going negative every time.

    Also, in the past the Sixers didn’t have any consistent offense coming from another position without Embiid. With Maxey’s improvements and now Paul George, they will not have to rely on a center to score points. The offense should be able to hold it down while Embiid rests.

    Conclusion

    Overall, the Sixers team looks a lot better on paper than it did last year. They’ve added a lot of pieces that look like they will fit with this team well. Obviously it comes down to whether they can get out of the second round of the playoffs, but for now we can look at a much improved team than last year. Adding Paul George should make this season a lot more fun to watch.

     

     

    Picture from Kyle Ross

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Sixers Make Moves in First Two Days of Free Agency – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Sixers Make Moves in First Two Days of Free Agency – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    After years of hoping, wishing, and wanting, the Sixers finally got the best player available in free agency – and they didn’t even have to trade for him! Most people woke up to surprising good news on Monday morning when they heard the Sixers signed Paul George. Daryl Morey could finally make something happen when given cap space heading into an offseason.

    The Case for Paul George

    Let’s start with the bad side.

    Some people had and still do have skepticism about signing Paul George. He has played 14 seasons in the NBA already and recently turned 34. Not ancient, but definitely not young for NBA standards. Those concerns hold weight – especially given his injury history. In the last 5 years, he has only played 60 games in one of them. Luckily, that one season was last season, which gives hope to his health heading into this year. It’s no coincidence that he has his healthiest year once they found somebody else (James Harden) to dominate the ball and distribute.

    Enough with the bad, there is a lot more good to talk about with him.

    First off, he finished top 5 in 3-pointers made while shooting 41.3% and 45.4% on catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities. This kind of ability from beyond the arc will tremendously help the Sixers and Joel Embiid. Sending help off of Paul George will not happen, and if it does, all Embiid needs to do is find him and watch 3 points go up on the board.

    Secondly, as mentioned before, Paul George had his healthiest year last year when the Clippers acquired James Harden to primarily handle the ball. This allowed George to stay healthier throughout the year. He doesn’t have Harden anymore, but he has Maxey and Embiid as the first and second options which allows him to stay as option number 3. Hopefully this keeps him as healthy as possible throughout the year.

    Also, Paul George plays great defense. He might not do it as well as he used to, but he still averaged a steal and a half last year on the season. He’s 6’8″ with a 6’11” wingspan. Not many people have this gift of size matched with athleticism. He can guard all positions and will most likely take on the responsibility of guarding players like Tatum, Luka, Lebron, etc.

    In addition to defense, his size also allows him to create his own shot off the dribble. Maxey can do that, but has trouble in congested areas. Embiid can, but as a center it’s harder for him to quickly get a shot off and create space. With George’s quickness and size, he can create shots in crowded areas when he needs to.

    While Paul George is not the same player he used to be a few years ago, he is still a fantastic third option on a contending basketball team. Lots of people knock him for never winning, which is fair, he has never had a player like Embiid on his team. Not to mention what could happen if Maxey continues to improve.

    Returning Sixers

    Tyrese Maxey will return in a Sixers uniform for the next 5 years after signing a well deserved maximum extension worth $205 million. The Sixers’ 21st pick in the 2020 draft has panned out better than anyone could have hoped. Imagine how much better Maxey will continue to improve in the coming years. He has the brightest future out of any player on the Sixers.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. will also return to the Sixers on a 2-year 16.3 million dollar deal. It’s nice to see a player like Oubre stick around after bouncing around the league for a lot of his career. He just needs to stop riding his bike in the streets and everything will be ok.

    After getting traded away to the Nets, then playing in Chicago, Andre Drummond signs a 2-year $10 million deal to come back to Philly. Most consider Drummond one of Embiid’s best backups during his career, so it’s good to see him return. His knack for rebounding and clogging up the defensive lane should help the Sixers during the Embiid-less minutes. His offense is limited, but Paul George and Tyrese Maxey hold all the responsibility now on offense without Embiid. Drummond’s game plan needs to stick with setting screens and dunking the ball.

    New Sixers

    So far, only one player comes to Philly brand new this offseason: Eric Gordon. He signed a veterans minimum for one year. He’s a classic vet who enters his 18th season this year. He’s a consistent 37% career 3-point shooter who you’d expect to see play less minutes this year than last (27). He’ll give us a few threes a night and play decent defense.

    The Job’s Not Done

    Currently, the Sixers only have 8 players signed, plus their two draft picks.

    Joel Embiid, C

    Andre Drummond, C

    Paul Reed, PF/C

    Paul George, SF

    Kelly Oubre Jr., SF

    Ricky Council IV, SF

    Tyrese Maxey, PG

    Eric Gordon, SG

    With the only PG on the team being Maxey, expect the Sixers to aggressively pursue a PG in the coming days. Maybe they go after Kyle Lowry and resign him, but they could go after other options like Tyus Jones, Delon Wright, or (hear me out) Markelle Fultz.

    I would love to see Tyus Jones sign with the Sixers. He averaged over 7 APG on the Wizards which is impressive given the option he has to pass to on that team.

    Markelle Fultz is a very interesting candidate. He will most likely resign with the Magic, but I would welcome him back to Philly since plays well and can really help a team with his shot creating abilities. He has become a good NBA player, but not what we expected when he went #1 in the 2017 draft.

    The Sixers also need to sign a true PF. They have plenty of SF’s, but they need a bigger body down there, and preferably one that can rebound well. Paul Reed could transition to PF, but in all likelihood, his time has come to an end here.

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • NBA Draft Recap: Meet the New Future of the Sixers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    NBA Draft Recap: Meet the New Future of the Sixers – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    ,The 2024 NBA Draft has come and gone and the Sixers future looks brighter. According to experts, the team earned a high grade as they addressed two major needs with their two picks. Let’s recap and meet the future of the Sixers. 

    16th Pick: Jared McCain  

    After much speculation about whether they will make a trade, the Sixers ended up keeping the 16th pick and selected Duke guard Jared McCain. McCain, 20, starred at Duke averaging 14.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in his only collegiate season. His most outstanding strength? His knockout three-point shooting. McCain made 41.4 percent of his threes on 5.8 attempts per game. He prioritizes his shooting and on a team centered around Joel Embiid it’s a role he should thrive in. McCain is also eager to meet Tyrese Maxey and begin to learn from him. He’s determined to grow his game, especially defensively. He wants to prove he can play on-ball, particularly in pick-and-roll situations, and impact winning from the beginning. Off the court, McCain is known for his TikTok videos, as well as painting his nails and being very outgoing. He embraced the scrutiny from his time at Duke which he said has prepared him for playing in Philadelphia. His positive personality and strong work ethic will bring much needed young energy to the team. Basketball has always been Jared McCain’s main focus. As he begins to live out his lifelong dream, McCain is staying joyful and wants to bring that energy to wherever he goes.

    41st Pick: Adem Bona

    On day 2 of the Draft, the Sixers selected big man Adem Bona from UCLA. Bona averaged 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in his sophomore year but his defensive ability is what caught the eyes of Daryl Morey. Averaging 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks and his ability to hustle all around the floor earned him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. Bona, who has Nigerian and Turkish roots, is excited to learn from Joel Embiid, who shares similar African roots. He’s committed to contributing right away through his defense, athleticism, work ethic, and bringing all the energy he can give.

    Other Moves

    The Sixers struck quickly on the undrafted market as well. They agreed to a two-way contract with Philly native Justin Edwards from Kentucky. Edwards is a 6-foot-8 wing with a smooth shooting touch and definitely someone worthy of earning a two-way role. The team also agreed to sign wing David Jones out of Memphis to a two-way deal and center Max Fiedler from Rice to an Exhibit-10 deal. 

    Hopefully fans will get their first looks at McCain, Bona, Edwards, Jones, and Fiedler in the Summer League as they are nice additions next to Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith. The Summer Sixers return on July 8th at 7 p.m. against the Thunder.

    Photo: GettyImages

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    Caitlin Barrar

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  • The Boston Celtics Did What the Sixers Haven’t Been Able to – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Boston Celtics Did What the Sixers Haven’t Been Able to – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    From top to bottom in the Celtics‘ organization, they did what needed to be done to win a championship.

    Whether it was role players going above and beyond, the number 2 option exceeding expectations, the scouting department finding the right guy, the coach leading them to victory, etc., they succeeded at the highest level.

    Every team in the league should use the Celtics as a blueprint for winning a championship.

    The Celtics Stuck With Their Guys

    Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played their whole careers in Boston together. They have grown and developed into one of the best (if not THE best) duos in the NBA today. Even after coming up short for a few years, the front office kept building around them and drafting other guys who contributed to the team in major ways.

    Not every guy on the team was drafted by them, but a few of the free agents they’ve signed have played for them for multiple years. Derrick White, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford have all spent time on different teams, but they’ve been on the Celtics for at least the last 2 years, building chemistry with the main guys (Brown and Tatum).

    Also, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, drafted in 2021 and 2020, both have spent their short careers fully with the Celtics. Having 7 guys who know the organization and build chemistry together for years will yield strong results a lot of the time. That’s exactly what happened with the Celtics.

    The Value of Drafting

    Over the years, the Sixers have traded many of their picks away to get a “star” in return. How has that worked out?

    The Celtics use their draft picks much more productively to acquire talent. Not only do they choose better players, they are much more patient to let the talent develop. Outside of the top-5, most players need time to grow into real contributors. The Celtics understand that. They let their players develop over time and learn how to play around the guys they have on the team. This gives the team cheap talent, which helps them acquire players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

    The Sixers need to value their drafting more. If they invest more into their scouting department and take the draft more seriously, they could give Tyrese Maxey another great player who could play with him for years to come.

    Celtics are Smart with their Contracts

    When teams draft and develop their own players, it also allows them to keep players on more affordable contracts instead of overpaying in free agency. This year, the Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown) only made the 4th most money on his team, and the team leader (Jayson Tatum) made the 3rd most. Drafting these two guys put the Celtics in a very good position to build talent and get the job done.

    While they did make some major additions with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they didn’t just sign someone because of their name. The Sixers seem to have a tendency to sign names rather than players, while the Celtics do the opposite.

    Players like James Harden make way too much money than they believe they are worth, which puts teams in a bad spot. The Sixers couldn’t get it done with him, and neither could the Clippers.
    The Sixers need better league and draft scouting. Finding players on more valuable contracts could send them to the next level.

    PHOTO: Getty Images

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Sixers owners buy 2,000 tickets to block Knicks fans from attending Game 6

    Sixers owners buy 2,000 tickets to block Knicks fans from attending Game 6

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    The Sixers are looking to storm back and even up their playoff series against the Knicks on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The owners of the team want to make sure the arena isn’t filled with Knicks fans, so they’ve purchased 2,000 tickets that will be given away to various organizations in Philadelphia ahead of Game 6.

    After Tuesday night’s overtime thriller at Madison Square Garden, where Tyrese Maxey’s late-game heroics helped the Sixers avoid elimination, the team announced Wednesday it will be treating some of its fans to a seat at Game 6. Tipoff will be at 9 p.m., a later-than-usual start for an East Coast game in what has arguably been the most compelling series of the playoffs so far. 

    Owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer, David Adelman and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin (formerly a part owner) joined forces to buy the tickets from a combination of available inventory and the resale market.

    “The tickets will be distributed to first responders, health care professionals, community groups and other local Philadelphia-based organizations to harness the intensity and excitement for tomorrow’s crucial showdown with the New York Knicks,” 76ers spokesperson Dave Sholler said Wednesday.

    Much was made of an invasion of Knicks fans who attended Sunday’s Game 4 at the Wells Fargo Center, a loss that put the Sixers on the brink of elimination. In the aftermath, Joel Embiid called out Sixers fans for not packing the arena like they usually do.

    “Lot of Knicks fans,” Embiid said. “Never seen it. Been here 10 years. Kind of pisses me off. Philadelphia is supposed to be a sports town.”

    Knicks fans celebrated after that game with chants of “F— Embiid” in the concourse of the Wells Fargo Center.

    The price of playoff tickets at Madison Square Garden compared with the Wells Fargo Center is likely a big reason why so many Knicks fans have opted to travel to Philly for this series. As of Wednesday afternoon, individual tickets for Game 6 are available on StubHub and SeatGeek for less than $200 in the far upper sections of the Wells Fargo Center. At Madison Square Garden, the cheapest tickets available for Game 7 — if it’s necessary — cost more than $500.

    The Sixers are going to need all the support they can get from the home crowd on Thursday night, which could have a rarefied air given the late start and the season being on the line. It’s a chance for the city to put its stamp on the series.

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • The Maxey Miracle Extends Sixers’ Season! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Maxey Miracle Extends Sixers’ Season! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Tyrese Maxey stepped up on the biggest stage at the biggest time. After what looked like another disappointing ending to the season, Maxey miraculously scores seven points in the last 30 seconds of the game to force the Knicks into OT where the Sixers pulled out on top to steal a game in New York.

    Deja Vu?

    All Sixers fans probably felt the same way entering the last minute of the Sixers game. When Mcbride hit the free throw line jumper with 30 seconds left, plenty of Sixers fans probably turned their TV’s off and reflected on another early exit from the playoffs with another uninspired performance from Joel Embiid.

    This game felt the same as many other games the Sixers have played before – battle back and forth all game just to come up short in the end. Tyrese Maxey had other plans. He converted a rare and-one 3-pointer and nailed a logo length 3 to tie things up which brought them into overtime where they sealed the deal. Maxey made a lot of noise in the sports world with his incredible play.

    The Script is Flipped… for now

    The Sixers did the usual “try to lose the game” thing that they usually do in these situation, but luckily the Knicks decided to do the same thing. Although he had triple double, Embiid tallied a whopping 9 turnovers in his 47 minutes played. It seemed that every time the momentum seemed to switch, Embiid would try too hard to make something happen, a pass would slip the fingers of Tobias Harris, or somebody would miss a wide open 3. Fortunately for the Sixers, the Knicks also committed timely turnovers to keep them in the game.

    Even with the help of sloppy play, the Sixers found themselves in a much too similar situation: trailing in the final stages of an elimination game. Queue Tyrese Maxey-Superman mode. Not many Sixers players in previous years had the capability to turn things on when they needed to most – Embiid tends to rely on others too much to set him up for baskets, Ben Simmons would shrink in crucial moments, and James Harden would fade away while trying to do it all. The Sixers finally have a player in Tyrese Maxey with a combination of shot creating and limitless range that can bring a team back from the dead.

    When called upon, Maxey delivered to bring hope to Philadelphia for at least one more game. Obviously they still have to do it two more times, but something about this team seems different than years past. Games that feel like losses turn into wins more than they used to. They need to capitalize on momentum swings like this.

    Embiid Needs to Answer Back

    Maxey stole the show today and has the capability to do it again, but that doesn’t mean Embiid can be OK with his quality of play tonight. I get that he missed shootaround with a migraine that could definitely be a symptom of Bell’s Palsy and is still recovering from a knee surgery, but that’s no excuse for his lackadaisical passing leading to a multitude of turnovers throughout the game. He needs to be better. He cannot expect to pull away with a win after another performance like that. The Sixers simply cannot afford it.

    He Wasn’t All Bad

    I still can’t hate on the big guy too much. I love him and so should everybody in Philadelphia.

    Even though he only scored 19 points on 7-19 shooting, he grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. Obviously the game wasn’t coming to him tonight, but he did just enough to get the job done. He noticeably boxed out the Knicks more aggressively and made the right reads a lot of the time to get open shots for his teammates. He helped limit the Knicks offensive rebounds which helped the Sixers outrebound the Knicks by 6 today. That made a big impact whether anybody wants to acknowledge it or not.

    Can they do it again and again?

    No matter how magical tonight was, they need to do it twice more. The team stepped up and pulled it out in a subpar performance from Embiid, so just imagine what they can do if everyone is firing on all cylinders for once. Even Tobias had a good game today. They need to step it up and win this game at home to really put the pressure on the Knicks for game 7.

     

     

     

    Picture from Marca.com

     

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  • RECAP – Playoffs: Joel Embiid With a Legacy Game in Game 3 vs. New York Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    RECAP – Playoffs: Joel Embiid With a Legacy Game in Game 3 vs. New York Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Wow! What a game!
    Embiid, Maxey, and the whole team come up clutch to make a statement in game 3 against the Knicks.

    He Said They Can Win the Series

    After the game 2 loss, Embiid had some bad body language, but he still came out and said they could win the series. The only way to follow up a statement like that is to come out and dominate in game 3, and dominate he did.

    After coming up short two times in a row, Embiid came out and put on a show, scoring 50 points and shooting 5/7 from 3.

    Slow Start

    To start off the game, the NBA and their beloved replay review made three appearances just halfway through the first quarter. Kyle Lowry and Joel Embiid were both assigned flagrant 1 fouls during that time. Not only that, but Embiid found himself in very early foul trouble with 3 in the first quarter.

    All Sixers fans probably didn’t feel too good after seeing that. It had all the early makings of another devastating Sixers loss, which would essentially knock them out of the playoffs. Going into halftime, the Knicks had a 3-point lead. Not good.

    Electric 3rd Quarter

    After the aggravating start to the game, the Sixers came out firing in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks by 16. The whole team got super hot from 3, led by Cam Payne and Embiid’s efforts from downtown. The Knicks had no answers – especially after Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury. Embiid had his way throughout the whole third quarter, allowing the team to slow down in the fourth. The Sixers only outscored the Knicks in the third quarter, but they did it in such a dominant fashion that they didn’t need to in the other quarters.

    Biggest Takeaways

    Embiid Had to be Embiid

    In my last article, I said the Sixers couldn’t win without Embiid coming out and dominating. He had to forget about bad calls and play his game. He did just that. Even after early foul trouble and a near altercation with Mitchell Robinson and D0nte DiVincenzo, Embiid stayed in the game and did his thing.

    In previous years, this would have really hurt his level of play for the rest of the game, but he pushed it aside and dominated. He had a legitimate legacy game, scoring his career-high in the playoffs of 50 points.

    Mitchell Robinson

    After Mitchell Robinson went down, the Knicks had to put Precious Achiuwa up against Embiid with Isaiah Hartenstein sitting out due to foul trouble. This gave Embiid a humongous advantage over the much smaller Knicks team.

    Achiuwa didn’t play terribly, but if Mitchell Robinson doesn’t come back this series, Embiid could have another monstrous game coming soon.

    Brunson Returning to Form

    It was only a matter of time before Jalen Brunson broke free of the Sixers’ plan to stifle his efforts on the court. He scored 39 points on 48.1% shooting, along with 13 assists. He had a great game. Even with those great numbers, the Sixers’ defense definitely made him work his hardest to get his points. Also, they caused him to commit some untimely turnovers that are unlike him. As long as the Sixers make him continue to work this hard for points, they can count that as a success.

    Rebounding

    For the first time in this series, the Sixers outrebounded the Knicks. The Knicks still had 11 offensive rebounds, but it was obvious the Sixers put an emphasis on limiting second-chance points.

    More players crashed the boards today, which caused a lot of frustration among the Knicks players, who are usually rewarded more with their hustle.

    Sixers’ Supporting Cast

    Finally, the Sixers’ supporting cast showed up to play. Having a spark off the bench creates a huge difference in playoff games. In the last two games, the Knicks bench lit the Sixers up and demoralized them. Today, Cam Payne came in and flipped the tables. Even with his ugly-looking shot, he came in and instantly nailed some 3’s to provide some much-needed scoring outside of Embiid and Maxey.

    Kelly Oubre also added 15 points. His athletic build and ability to shoot provide much-needed versatility from the wing. He forces defenders to step up on him, but he can also blow by for a dunk like he did in the first quarter.

    Payne and Oubre were very important in tonight’s win.

    We Have a Series

    Going down 3-0 would have ended our playoff hopes, but we still can dream. 2-1 is a lot more manageable than 3-0, and many teams have come back to win from this before.

    With Nick Nurse running the game plan and Embiid getting healthier every day, the Sixers can tie this series up on Sunday and put a lot of pressure on the Knicks.

    PHOTO: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

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  • Keys to Winning Series Against the Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Keys to Winning Series Against the Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    After gutting out a victory against the Heat on Wednesday night, the seventh seed Sixers will face the second seed Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. With a tough matchup ahead here are four keys for the Sixers to be able to beat New York:

    1. Embiid’s Health 

    On Wednesday night, Embiid struggled from the floor and looked tired early. However, it was only his 6th game back and he’s still working on his conditioning. But even at 75%, Embiid can still be the best player on the floor. 

    It all depends on if Embiid can learn to trust his knee and get past the mental scare. The Knicks have no center who can guard him one on one, so he needs to drive, play in the lane, and draw fouls. Regardless of what is thrown at him, he’ll still get his. 

    The scheduling of this series allows for multiple two-day breaks which will give his knee time to recover between games. Yes, he’s still going to mess with the brace and look tired. But, he can’t let himself give into the trend of having mopy body language when things go wrong (which he did a good job of not doing against Miami). The most important key to the Sixers winning this series is if Joel Embiid is Joel Embiid.

    2. Limit Brunson 

    Jalen Brunson has come into his own since joining New York. The first time All-Star has become a wizard on offense. Luckily, the Sixers have a plethora of players who can take the Brunson assignment.  One could assume Kyle Lowry would spend the most time guarding him, especially in the absence of De’Anthony Melton. If that’s true, it will be fun watching Lowry pester Brunson all series. They can’t ‘stop’ him, but even taking away his pick-and-rolls and driving lane could throw New York’s offense out of whack.

    3. Role Players Need to Step Up 

    The main reason the Sixers were able to achieve their comeback win on Wednesday was the outstanding play of Nic Batum off the bench. Batum stepped up, but we can’t expect him to have 20 every game. The Sixers are going to need their role players to shine, especially Harris, Oubre, and Hield. The Knicks are going to throw everything they have at Embiid and Maxey to make the other guys beat them. This series is a big test for the supporting cast to show whether the Sixers can be a legit contender.

    4. Rebound, Rebound, Rebound 

    One of the biggest reasons the Sixers trailed so quickly on Wednesday was their insistence on giving up offensive rebounds. One too many times did we see the Heat out hustling them on the boards. Unfortunately for the Sixers, who seem to have struggled all season with this, the Knicks are the best offensive rebounding team in the league. The Sixers have to do their best to limit New York off the glass and be ready for the dogfight they’ll face underneath the basket.

    Game one of this best-of-seven series tips off Saturday at 6pm in Madison Square Garden.

    Photo: Jesse Garrabrant/Getty Images

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  • The Sixers’ 2024 Playoff Picture – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Sixers’ 2024 Playoff Picture – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    With the regular season over, the Sixers’ road to the Finals starts this Wednesday against the Heat in the play-in tournament.

    Since Embiid’s return, the Sixers have gone 8-0, including two games without Embiid.

    It’s no secret that he brings a boost to this team. As long as he can stay healthy, they have a shot at making a serious run.

    How’s the Knee?

    In a game against the Orlando Magic a few days ago, all Sixers fans had a scare. After driving to the basket and getting his own rebound, Embiid, wincing in pain, asked for a timeout and immediately headed to the locker room. Everyone watching probably had the same thought: here we go again. 

    To everyone’s surprise, Embiid returned to the game in the second half and continued doing his thing. Afterward, when Nick Nurse was asked about the status of Embiid’s knee, he said the knee “responded well.” So take that for what you will, but it was a good sign seeing Embiid return in the second half.

    Two Possible Matchups

    After they take care of business tomorrow against the Heat, they will match up against the Knicks. The Knicks went 3-1 against the Sixers this year, but they are both very different teams now than they were before. 

    Similarly, these two teams lost a star player in the latter half of the season, but the Knicks handled it much better. We all know what happened when Embiid went down, but the Knicks catapulted to the 2-seed in the absence of Julius Randle. Some may say the Knicks have a better chance without him, but not against the Sixers. Julius Randle has a rare combo of weight and speed that has caused trouble for the Sixers in the past. They do have some players more suitable to guard him now than last year, but I like our chances better without him.

    The Boston Celtics

    If the Sixers have Finals aspirations, then the Celtics shouldn’t scare them, but it’s more complicated than that. Lots of people are choosing the Celtics to not only win the East, but win the Finals as well. They are a great team and hold the NBA’s best record this year – by far. Normally, I’d say bring on the Celtics; we have to get them out of the way eventually, but not with the team chemistry we have now. When Embiid went down the team changed a lot, and teams need to be firing on all cylinders to beat the Celtics.

    The Celtics already beat the Sixers in 7 last year, and now they’re better. Now, they have Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday providing extra offensive threats. With two big men that can shoot (Porzingis and Horford), Embiid won’t have the privilege of camping down in the paint, anchoring the defense.

    With their other two stars, Tatum and Brown, the Celtics match up well against every team in the league. Not many teams have the athleticism, length, and interior defense to handle the caliber of players that the Celtics have. I think with the new additions of Oubre, Batum, and Lowry, the Sixers can beat this team in a tough series, but they need a few series to figure things out and build chemistry.

    What’s Different for the Sixers this year?

    First: Nick Nurse and not that scrub Glen Rivers (we already have two “Docs” in Philly. He’s not one of them). Nick Nurse is a great head coach with recent playoff experience that doesn’t involve choking leads. Watching Nurse’s offense for five minutes shows me how much of an upgrade we have at head coach. Rivers was stubborn. He wouldn’t change his defenses up or strategize his offensive scheme to expose weaker players. Nurse adapts. He switches his defense, targets other players, feeds the hot hands, and lets the players play to their strengths. He will help a lot, especially in a playoff series.

    Second: Joel Embiid has fresh(ish) legs. He just had surgery on his meniscus, but he obviously took rehab seriously to work on what he could. His shot is falling; he added a floater for a few games, and his defense hasn’t changed. As long as there are no more freak injuries like a broken face, torn thumb, another knee injury, etc., we’re in good shape and can beat any team in the league.

    Not one player in the NBA can hold Embiid down.
    It’s his time to build his legacy.

    Photo: Yong Kim

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  • The Embiid Effect – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Embiid Effect – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Everybody knows the Sixers’ hype died down after Embiid suffered a meniscus injury.
    Everyone also had a lot of doubts about when he would return: Would he be healthy? In shape? Will he get injured again? etc.’

    While we can’t overlook some of those doubts, he has already proven he can still be at the top of his game even after missing an extended period of time.

    The team already looks brand new after just a few games back.

    Biggest Beneficiaries

    First off, the whole team obviously has a confidence boost after seeing Embiid take the floor and return to his dominant form.

    There’s no question that any team would have their spirits lifted tremendously when the reigning MVP returns to action, but certain players will improve more than others upon his return.

    Tyrese Maxey

    Maxey reaps the greatest rewards out of anybody else on the team. Although they’ve played just two games back together again, you can’t help but see the freedom that Embiid gives Maxey. It’s no secret that speed is Maxey’s greatest weapon, and when teams can constantly double-team him, it is hard for him to get moving – especially for a player his size.

    With Embiid back, the defensive focus instantly shifts. Teams can no longer afford to double-team Maxey because they are busily double-teaming (sometimes triple-teaming) Embiid. Now, Maxey can scream through the lane for easy buckets or use his lethal step-back move to hit 3s, demoralizing other teams.

    Maxey is easily Embiid’s best number two in his whole career. They complement each other so well.

    Kelly Oubre Jr.

    In his last four games, Oubre Jr. has averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3 assists, all significantly more than his season averages. When Embiid gets doubled, Oubre Jr. does well, placing himself in the dunker’s spot, where Embiid can quickly fire a pass over to him for an easy dunk.

    Other than Ben Simmons (who would pass on that shot), the Sixers haven’t had a player who could get quick elevation for intimidating dunks like Oubre Jr. in a long time. He has a way of switching the momentum and sparking runs with his explosive play.

    The Fans

    Whether it’s on the radio, TV, or talking with friends/family, nobody has cared about the Sixers recently. The home games have been subdued, and nobody wants to discuss them. Now, the juice is back. Embiid is the Luke Skywalker to the Sixers: our only hope. With him back, all balance can be restored to the process, and the Sixers could possibly win their first title in over 40 years.

    Playoff Picture

    With just three games left on the schedule, the Sixers find themselves one game behind the Pacers for the 6-seed and .5 games ahead of the Heat, holding down the 7-seed. The Sixers do not hold any of the tie-breakers with either team, so they need to finish a full game ahead of each team to lock in their spot.

    The two most likely opponents in the first round (after the play-in because that doesn’t count as a round in my book) are the Bucks or the Magic. Either one of those teams can end up as the second seed, and there is no reason the Sixers should lose the play-in game, putting them in the 2 vs. 7 seed game.

    Neither of those teams should scare anybody. The Bucks were 30-13 when they fired Adrian Griffin and then hired the incompetent coach, Glenn Rivers, to take his place. He has gone 15-17 in his tenure as Bucks Head coach. I really hope we get to play the Bucks.

    The Magic are a good team, but they are led by a second-year star, Paolo Banchero. Young teams typically struggle in the playoffs—especially against good, experienced teams like the Sixers. For the record, the Sixers went 2-0 against the Magic this year.

    The Sixers are a nightmare matchup for any of the higher-seeded teams.

    The Play-in

    A lot of people want to avoid the play-in, but why? If this Sixers team is good enough to make a run, then nobody should worry about any of the 8-10-seeded teams, and if they can’t handle a game against those teams, they have no business in the playoffs. It could give them some needed momentum and added time to gain chemistry before playing the better teams.

    Legacy Building

    Embiid could retire today and enter the NBA Hall of Fame, but that’s not what he wants. Right now, he’s an all-time Sixers great, but he could become one of the top five Philly athletes ever with a championship under his belt.

    Nobody would be angry with him about his injuries anymore.

    He is finally 100% healthy coming into the playoffs, and he’s rested. He needs to put it all together to make a run.
    The pieces are set around him to succeed this year—a good combination of veteran and young players, as well as a coach with championship experience.
    Let’s see what you can do, big man.

    Photo: Matt Slocum

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  • Optimistic Updates on Embiid’s Possible Return Before the Playoffs – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Optimistic Updates on Embiid’s Possible Return Before the Playoffs – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    On Wednesday and Thursday, Nick Nurse and the Sixers provided the first real (sort of) update on Joel Embiid’s potential return before the end of the regular season.

    Nurse provides optimism 

    Prior to their game against the Clippers, Nick Nurse expressed his optimism that Joel Embiid will be back before the end of the regular season. Embiid is seven weeks removed from having surgery on his left knee and since then the Sixers have gone 10-18, falling to 8th place in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers’ current position would change greatly if Embiid is able to return within the next eight games. However, Nurse reiterated that there is still no timeline for his return and he will provide an update when Embiid progresses to more contact practice. That being said, he is continuing to do on-court work. 

    Adrian ​​Wojnarowski followed Nurse’s comments stating that Embiid will likely be back in action within the next few weeks. It’s no longer a question of if but when he will return and the belief is he will be back to play a handful of the team’s final games before the playoffs. Woj said he was told that Embiid is moving well and has looked good on the court. 

    If all of these updates don’t have you feeling hopeful about Embiid’s return to play soon, the one from Thursday certainly will.

    Back to Work

    Joel Embiid participated in practice on Thursday for the first time since January. The news dropped from the Sixers’ Twitter account where they teased a picture of Embiid getting shots up. He’s not yet playing 5-on-5 or taking any contact. However, he did participate in the team’s light practice where he went through skill work against other players. 

    Embiid’s teammates seem encouraged as well by his progression. Paul Reed said on Thursday that he feels Embiid is ready to come back pretty soon. He added that getting him ready for the playoffs is the top team priority. 

    The other positive news from Thursday is that Embiid traveled with the team on their two-game road trip to Cleveland and Toronto. While Embiid will not play during the road trip, it is an excellent sign for his return. This shows that Embiid has hit the phase of his recovery where it is better to have him get work in with the team than stay at home and rehab. His presence on the road will also spark a huge lift for a team struggling to find ways to win. Reed is excited about Embiid joining them stating, “He’s been our leader and main guy all season. I’m pretty sure everybody is going to feed off him.”

    After their current two-game trip, the Sixers will host the Thunder next Tuesday before heading on a three-game road trip against Miami, Memphis, and San Antonio to then return home to play their final three games of the season against Detroit, Orlando, and Brooklyn.

    All updates from this past week are encouraging, leading us to believe that when he gives the thumbs up Joel can be back before those eight games are up. Though it feels unlikely, Embiid’s earliest estimated return is against the Thunder.

    Photo: Jason Miller/GettyImages 

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    Caitlin Barrar

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