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  • Sixers soundbites: Joel Embiid breaks silence on lengthy absence, says he ‘should be back pretty soon’

    Sixers soundbites: Joel Embiid breaks silence on lengthy absence, says he ‘should be back pretty soon’

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    CAMDEN, NJ — Just when you thought the world of the Sixers had reached maximum chaos, Joel Embiid appeared out of nowhere and sat down to discuss his lengthy absence and the next steps to enable a return to action after the Sixers practiced on Friday — a practice in which Embiid and Paul George both fully participated, including in five-on-five scrimmaging — a significant step for each.

    Embiid said he will not play on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. But, as is often the case, Embiid had a whole lot of other things to say. Let’s not waste any additional time:

    • Embiid on whether or not he had a setback in his left knee:

    “No. I had surgery in February. I did come back early to fight for the team and to play and try to give us a chance, and unfortunately we lost. I had time to recover, so really still been managing since the last surgery. Been managing, and trying to figure out the best approach. But feeling pretty good. I started doing some live stuff and it feels pretty good. So should be back pretty soon.”

    • Embiid on the mental obstacles he must overcome:

    “You need to feel 100 percent. I think over the years, I’ve done a lot and put myself at risk for the team, which I’m going to continue to do. But I think right now is the time to make sure that everything is great… It’s really being comfortable, trusting it. Being out, I want to be my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid…. The last surgery, I mentioned it so many times, it was probably the toughest mentally, and mentally I’m just dealing with getting that trust back.”

    • Embiid on the difficulty of sitting out games as a competitor:

    “Extremely difficult. I think everybody that knows me knows that I would love to be out there every single game. It’s just unfortunate that some [players] are not as lucky as others to be part of every single game. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s not for a lack of trying. It’s tough. Mentally, you can’t play, but still trying to get yourself mentally right to push. Everything is trending the right way.

    • Embiid recounts prior injuries he says he has rushed back from and takes aim at a local columnist who he says suggested he is not focused enough on returning to the floor:

    “I’ve broken my face twice, I came back early with the risk of losing my vision, had broken fingers, I still came back… When I see people saying ‘he doesn’t want to play,’ I’ve done way too much. I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. So, I do think it’s bull****, like that dude, he’s not here, Marcus whatever his name is [Hayes]. I’ve done way too much for this ****ing city to be treated like this. Done way, way too ****ing much.”

    • Embiid on if his participation in the Olympics has impacted this situation at all:

    “No, I think I was fine. When you get a chance to compete for a gold medal, you can’t pass that up. I don’t care what anybody says… I wasn’t needed to do what I do with [the Sixers] carrying the load. Honestly, I did nothing. I was basically just being there. I had my little moment… I was happy just getting rebounds and setting screens and rolling and getting guys open and playing defense. I was happy doing that. So the load, really, I had nothing. I never put myself at risk of something happening. That was the easiest load I’ve ever had in my life. It was a great experience… I know it doesn’t mean anything to Americans, but a gold medal means a lot to me. And that was special.”

    • Embiid on his hesitance to provide a specific timeline for his return:

    “You can say, ‘Oh, I’m playing on Tuesday.’ But then again, what if something happens in between and you can’t make it now? Everybody’s all mad.”

    About a dozen minutes later, Embiid concluded his media availability with five words: “It’s on the right path.”

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Sixers suffer brutal loss to Raptors, fall to 0-2

    Instant observations: Sixers suffer brutal loss to Raptors, fall to 0-2

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    Looking to rebound after an opening night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, the Sixers traveled to Toronto for a Friday night battle against the rebuilding Raptors in hopes of nabbing their first win of the season. In Nick Nurse’s return to Toronto — where he won an NBA title as a rookie head coach — he made two significant early changes. One of those changes involved Kyle Lowry, considered by most to be the greatest Raptor of all time.

    In their second game of the season, the Sixers looked the part of a group of players figuring out how to coexist with one another — much more than they did against Milwaukee. An incredibly disjointed first half had them off to a shaky start, and in the second half a few brief spurts were overtaken by Raptors runs. Suddenly, the Sixers are 0-2.

    Here is what stood out from a putrid 115-107 Sixers loss.

    MORE: Lowry and Nurse’s Toronto legacies

    Nurse makes a pair of starting lineup changes

    Initially, Lowry was supposed to be the Sixers’ third guard when he joined the team late in 2023-24, but was quickly forced into an outsized role at the team’s starting shooting guard. Nurse confirmed at the team’s Media Day last month that Lowry would likely not have as significant of a role in his first full season with the team.

    Lowry came off the bench in all of his preseason appearances and did so on Wednesday night. Fellow veteran Eric Gordon earned ownership of the starting shooting guard spot that Lowry had vacated, while KJ Martin filled in for the injured Paul George and Caleb Martin was expected to log plenty of minutes off the bench.

    Lowry played well on Wednesday night, while Caleb Martin was likely the Sixers’ best player on the floor in his debut with the team. And Nurse wasted no time inserting the former teammates into his starting lineup around Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, with Gordon and KJ Martin moving to the bench.

    Nurse’s Martin-for-Martin swap was not a huge surprise. Caleb Martin played more than 37 minutes off the bench — more than any Sixer other than Maxey — and if he is going to continue to shoulder that sort of workload, it becomes a bit trickier to find all of those minutes for him when he does not play for the first handful of minutes of the game. 

    The decision to replace Gordon with Lowry, though, came as a larger surprise. Gordon had a poor outing in his Sixers debut, failing to connect from beyond the arc and only making one of his four shot attempts from inside the arc. Nurse seemed to have plenty of conviction during the preseason that Gordon being part of the starting unit provided valuable floor spacing — enough that even Gordon being usurped by Lowry, a famous Nurse favorite, was surprising this early in the season.

    Paul George injury update

    Speaking of George, the nine-time All-Star’s Sixers debut will not happen this weekend. George is out for the Sixers’ Sunday afternoon contest against the Pacers in Indiana and will be re-evaluated soon after, the Sixers said on Thursday evening.

    “George continues progressing well in his recovery from a left knee bone bruise,” the Sixers said. “He will not play during the team’s two-game road trip and an update on his availability is expected early next week.”

    Center rotation unravels early, but Maxey gets off to hot start thanks to help from one new teammate

    Drummond, who committed five fouls in 25 minutes on Wednesday night, had to check out after just over three minutes of action in this one. Maintaining defensive discipline is always important for a center, but Drummond needs to be particularly cognizant when Joel Embiid is sidelined that he must remain available to play heavy minutes.

    Replacing Drummond was the Sixers’ temporary backup center, Guerschon Yabusele, who set a couple of mean screens to free up Maxey for a pair of triples from the right wing. Maxey also converted an and-one and had a few gorgeous assists in the first quarter, a major improvement from a poor opening frame against Milwaukee.

    Yabusele quickly got into foul trouble as well, though — and by the 4:22 mark of the first quarter, Nurse was using his third center of the game. KJ Martin slid up to the five, a spot where he was occasionally used down the stretch last season. The fifth-year athletic chess piece blocked a shot early on in his stint at center, and a moment later had a strong one-on-one stand on the block against center Bruno Fernando which led to a basket on the other end for him.

    Then, another genuine surprise: the insertion of rookie Adem Bona, who had not been expected to see regular minutes at any point in the near future. Bona, the Sixers’ fourth center of the opening frame, has plenty of work to do limiting his own fouling — and on his first defensive possession of the night, he fouled Raptors All-Star point forward Scottie Barnes on a drive to the basket.

    With the chance to make a pair of offensive-oriented substitutions near the end of the quarter, Nurse pulled Bona and KJ Martin for Maxey and Ricky Council IV. Four seconds later, Maxey had drawn a foul, and KJ Martin returned for a defensive stand. The whole thing made for a wild ride:

    Somehow, the Sixers ended up leading Toronto, 31-30, after the conclusion of the first quarter. Maxey’s 13 points and four assists were both game-highs.

    Fouling issues continue to plague Sixers, but rim pressure helps ease the blow

    In addition to Drummond’s five fouls against the Bucks, Yabusele fouled out, Oubre collected five fouls, and both Martins had four fouls (and KJ only saw 15 minutes of action).

    The Sixers’ inability to stay out of foul trouble only escalated in the first half of this one. In addition to Drummond and Yabusele, Caleb Martin also picked up a pair of fouls in the first quarter. Caleb Martin, Yabusele and Lowry each had three around the midway point of the second quarter.

    Early returns on the Sixers’ bets on athleticism and positional versatility outweighing frame and muscle have been noticeably poor, as a team suddenly without a Goliath in Embiid is being physically overwhelmed. It is far too soon to make any declarative statements about the viability of the Sixers’ mostly-undersized roster, particularly given the noteworthy talents that have been unavailable through their first pair of games, but this is certainly something to keep an eye on.

    On the bright side, the Sixers were able to bait Toronto into committing the same amount of fouls before intermission — 15 — and shot nearly as many free throws as the Raptors. Maxey led the way, knocking down all seven of his free throws. Drummond drew three fouls, but only made two out of six attempts at the line.

    All of the whistles led to one of the longer halves of October basketball you will see. Toronto was much more efficient from the field, paving the way for a 62-56 Raptors lead at intermission.

    Oubre opens third quarter strong, Sixers run follows

    The Sixers were desperate for some juice on both ends of the floor in the second half, Oubre who gave it to them right off the bat. The fan favorite swingman took a charge, knocked down a step-back mid-range jumper, forced a backcourt violation, threw a perfect alley-oop pass to Drummond and connected on a floater, all in the span of about two and a half minutes.

    For the time being, though, Oubre’s excellent sequence of two-way action did not power a Sixers surge, it merely kept them afloat. In fact, Toronto’s lead actually increased from its standing at halftime during Oubre’s strong 6:37 of action to begin the third quarter.

    Coincidentally, the Sixers were able to make inroads on Toronto’s lead after Oubre went to the bench. Gordon knocked down his first triple as a Sixer, Yabusele converted an and-one, and suddenly the Sixers were within a few baskets. Their defense is what led their charge back into the game, as they held the Raptors to just 21 points in the frame.

    Toronto’s lead was trimmed to two points with a few moments left in the third quarter, but the Sixers made too many mistakes offensively. The Raptors were able to extent their lead to six points heading into the fourth quarter. Among the lowlights were consecutive tough breaks for Council, who did not know where to be to begin a possession that devolved into a Gordon-Yabusele pick-and-roll, leading to a turnover. The second-year wing missed a wide open three-point attempt the next time down the floor.

    Raptors open final frame on major run

    The Sixers needed to make a strong push to begin the fourth quarter in Toronto. They did the opposite, watching as the Raptors jumped out to a 15-2 run in just under five minutes of play. It was a complete catastrophe for the Sixers, who appear to be doing nothing particularly well on either end of the floor through a pair of games.

    The most troubling aspect of the Sixers’ losses — particularly Friday night’s no-show…

    Maxey can’t get things going offensively

    Maxey is an All-Star point guard with an extensive track record of being a terrific offensive player, but the Sixers are going to need him to score efficiently when Embiid and George are sidelined. The team’s aggressiveness in managing Embiid’s workload has already become a source of tremendous controversy; George will experience lighter monitoring but still not necessarily be available on a nightly basis during the regular season. All of that heightens the importance of Maxey’s efficiency as the focal point.

    During his NBA career, Maxey has displayed remarkable stamina, which has enabled him to log massive minutes totals. But that is even more taxing when you are the team’s only consistent perimeter scorer and not exactly in midseason form with the season just having started.

    Maxey’s 10-for-31 shooting performance against Milwaukee was a tough watch, but he was the victim of many bad bounces on shots that usually fall. In this one, he posted one of the worst shooting performances of his career — and most of his misses were not even close. Maxey also looked exhausted for much of the second half, missing plenty of shots well short — including an airball — and getting beat on multiple back cuts where he just fell asleep.

    The final shooting line in this one for Maxey: 6-for-23. Simply put, the Sixers will need him to be a whole lot better moving forward.

    Up next: The Sixers finish up a quick, two-game road trip on Sunday afternoon when they face the Pacers. They will then return home for a pair of contests before heading out on a West Coast trip.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Undermanned Sixers drop season opener to red-hot Bucks

    Instant observations: Undermanned Sixers drop season opener to red-hot Bucks

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    Finally, the Sixers began their season Wednesday night, playing host to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks were without Khris Middleton, but the Sixers experienced far greater losses in Joel Embiid and Paul George.

    Right off the bat, a revamped Sixers roster led by head coach Nick Nurse had its depth tested. An upset win for the Sixers would have lifted spirits, but Lillard and co. had different ideas. Milwaukee was on the money from beyond the arc all night long, and the Sixers could not muster enough offense to match.

    Here is what stood out from the Sixers’ 124-109 loss, dropping them to 0-1 on the young season:

    Nurse goes with Eric Gordon and KJ Martin in his starting five

    Gordon became the clear favorite to start over Caleb Martin midway through the preseason — Nurse is excited about the floor spacing Gordon can provide that unit and thinks Caleb Martin can give bench lineups a necessary infusion of energy. Nurse said before the game that Martin is “clearly” one of the team’s five best players and that his minutes would reflect that.

    With George out, Nurse opted to go with KJ Martin, who has impressed and looked considerably more comfortable during all of training camp and preseason. Martin is a remarkable athlete, which lends itself to Nurse’s renewed emphasis on pushing the pace. The fifth-year wing serves as a quality defender across at least three positions and has become an impressive passer and decision-maker in short-roll situations. Whether or not KJ Martin can consistently knock down open threes moving forward will determine his long-term fate; he spent the summer working with a shooting coach and refined his hand placement in hopes of seeing better results.

    Early jitters on both sides to open season

    The first timeout of the game came about halfway through the first quarter, with the score knotted at 10. The teams shot a combined 7-24 from the field during that opening burst, including Tyrese Maxey knocking down his first look — a three — before missing his next five shot attempts.

    Elsewhere, Andre Drummond was dominant on the glass early, pulling six rebounds and turning one of his offensive boards into a bucket. Caleb Martin came off the bench a bit earlier than anticipated when Antetokounmpo got KJ Martin in foul trouble and immediately did exactly what Nurse said he hoped to see the former Heat wing do: crash the glass. Antetokounmpo failed to box out, and Caleb Martin turned it into a layup for Oubre. Caleb Martin’s offensive rebounding stood out early, an extremely encouraging sign for Nurse.

    As the Sixers’ primary scoring options, Maxey and Oubre were struggling early to put the ball in the basket, but strong defense from the Sixers — including an Antetokounmpo transition turnover forced by Gordon — made up for it.

    Some rotation questions answered

    The first substitution of the season was the aforementioned swap of Martins, but the next reserve to check in was Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele replaced Oubre, allowing him to log a few minutes at power forward before Oubre returned to replace Drummond, sliding Yabusele up to the five.

    Yabusele’s first NBA shot attempt in many years was a wide open corner three, and he cashed it.

    As expected, Kyle Lowry checked in as well, replacing Gordon. Nurse will still have Maxey and Lowry share the floor a decent bit; he prefers having as many ball-handlers on the floor at once as possible.

    The one surprise was that Nurse opted to go with an eight-man rotation in the first half, choosing to not play any of his deeper reserves — most notably rookie Jared McCain. 

    Maxey shows aggression early

    Whenever Embiid and George are out — and that may not be an infrequent occurrence — the Sixers need Maxey to be as aggressive as possible scoring the ball. Nurse has spent the entirety of his time in Philadelphia getting on Maxey, telling the All-Star point guard that he can continue to increase his scoring volume.

    Maxey only shot 3-11 from the field in the first quarter, but just that amount of shot attempts alone is exactly what Nurse continues to long for on a consistent basis.

    To top it off, Maxey gave the Sixers a 23-22 lead at the first-quarter buzzer after putting together a nasty series of moves.

    Ultimately, the Sixers’ early offense looked like that of a team with several new pieces that was missing an MVP candidate and a nine-time All-Star. This is all a work in progress.

    Another note on Maxey: it was clear that a focus for him during the offseason was regaining the sort of comfort in between the three-point line and restricted area that he had when he first entered the league, and he had quite a few shot attempts in the mid-range area early on, including this floater:

    Maxey was far too reliant on his floater when he entered the NBA, but abandoning it entirely was not necessarily the ideal pivot. Perhaps it will return to his arsenal in his fifth professional season.

    Bucks make a run to end first half

    The last several minutes of the second quarter were not kind to the Sixers. First, their offense stagnated — predictably, this was most apparent while Maxey rested — then they finally strung together some strong offensive possessions but saw Milwaukee get hot from beyond the arc. 

    Perhaps a larger issue was the Sixers repeatedly committing fouls on the defensive end. By the time intermission had arrived, Drummond, KJ Martin and Oubre each had three fouls, while Yabusele — who banked in a shot to beat the second-quarter buzzer — had two.

    The Sixers have made a calculated risk in embracing athleticism and positional versatility instead of size and strength. That trade-off provides plenty of positive results, but it also makes them susceptible to the occasional bully-ball bucket or easy foul-drawing against a team like Milwaukee that has tremendous muscle across the board.

    In addition to Antetokounmpo posting 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just 15 first-half minutes, Bobby Portis torched the Sixers’ second unit to the tune of 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in the game’s opening 24 minutes.

    MORE: NBA to investigate Sixers re: Joel Embiid

    Looking for a spark, Nurse goes to Ricky Council IV, but Milwaukee push persists

    By the halfway point of the third quarter, boos were beginning to get louder in South Philadelphia as the Bucks continued to rain triples. Milwaukee increased its lead to 18, and Nurse decided to try changing the pace of the game a bit by going to Ricky Council IV. Council did not do enough during training camp and preseason to earn a regular rotation role, but the Sixers still see real potential with the second-year wing. At the moment, this role is probably his optimal one: not a player who is relied on for nightly contributions, but is around when the energy needs to shift.

    There was a moment when the building had juice again — Yabsuele converted an and-one thanks to a great dish from Lowry, and the Sixers forced a Bucks turnover. But Maxey was blocked at the rim by Brook Lopez and Lillard drew a foul, then Yabusele got called for a moving screen and Lillard knocked down his fifth triple of the night. Suddenly, Milwaukee’s lead was back up to 17.

    For what it’s worth, Council did knock down a three on his first shot attempt of the season, a spot-up attempt from the left wing. A barrage of Lillard threes came before it, though, putting the Sixers in a major hole.

    Sixers struggle at the free throw line

    The Sixers led the NBA in free throws made per game while also being second-best in free throw percentage in 2023-24, but that is powered by a legendary foul-drawer in Embiid. On Wednesday night, they struggled at the line. By the time the third quarter was over, they had already missed eight free throws (15-23).

    When you are short-handed to the degree the Sixers were without Embiid and George and you are facing a team that is red-hot from beyond the arc, there is no margin for error at the free throw line. This is not exactly an indicator of a long-term problem, but it is a frustrating one to deal with when so many things are already working against a team.

    Strong night for Sixers bench

    There was not a ton to be excited about from an offensive perspective for the Sixers for much of this game, but they did see three reserves give them healthy doses of scoring. Caleb Martin and Yabusele were each in double-figures while also playing strong defense and doing a little bit of everything else, while Lowry was a calming presence with his ball-handling, passing and three-point shooting.

    Too often, the Sixers were unable to play quality offense for more than a few possessions in a row, but their best spurts on that end of the floor came when Lowry was in the game. 

    A wild stat on Lowry’s longevity, courtesy of the Sixers:

    Lowry is a future Hall of Fame inductee, and it is pretty cool that the Philadelphia native and Villanova product could end his playing career with his hometown team.

    Despite a valiant effort, Sixers have too little too late

    The Sixers were able to make a few brief runs in the fourth quarter, but Maxey’s subpar performance in combination with Milwaukee’s three-point excellence and the Sixers’ lack of offensive firepower beyond their All-Star point guard was enough for plenty of folks to be hitting the exits with four minutes or so left in the game.

    There was a decent amount to like from the short-handed Sixers, but a whole lot more to be concerned about.

    Up next: The Sixers will travel to Toronto, where they have a Friday night matchup against the rebuilding Raptors. 

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • What to Expect From Sixers’ Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    What to Expect From Sixers’ Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Last year, the Sixers finished the season with the 7th seed in the Easter conference. Earlier in the season, they projected to finish with a much higher seed since they went 31-8 in games with Joel Embiid. Due to injury, Embiid missed most of the season so they finished with a 47-35 record. Now that Embiid wants to prioritize rest and load management, what kind of record can we expect them to have?

    Guaranteed Games without Embiid

    Embiid has stated that he will not play in back to backs ever in his career. This season the Sixers have 15 back to back games scheduled, and Embiid is already slated to miss the first three games. That totals up to 64 games played by itself with no additional injuries/soreness. We know Embiid will not stay healthy even with that limited schedule. Realistically, Embiid will probably miss another 10-15 games due to injuries and such. Maybe more if this knee thing is worse than their saying (which is extremely possible – maybe likely). Combining that with the back to backs brings us to around 57 games this season without any serious injuries. That’s a lot of games.

    How Will They Play Without Embiid?

    Like I said, the Sixers went 31-8 in the 39 games with him last year. That averages out to a record of 61-21 which would have put them at the two seed in the East.

    That being said, without Embiid, they went 16-27 in games without them. This resulted in them finishing with the seventh seed and almost missing the playoffs.

    If we translate that winning percentage (41.8%) into the 25 games that Embiid will hypothetically miss, and the 57 games that he hopefully plays in with last year’s percentage (74.2%), they would total up to a record of 52-30. That also would have put them at second in the conference last year.

    Obviously that is hypothetical math, but if they do the exact same thing as last year they will still contend heavily in the standings. They should do even better than that.

    Much Improved Roster

    With the signing of Paul George, Caleb Martin, Guerschon Yabusele, Andre Drummond, and the (almost just as beneficial) loss of Tobias Harris, the Sixers should do better than they last year in games without Embiid. George specifically should be able to alleviate a lot of pressure on Embiid which could keep him healthier to play more games. If that happens, then the Sixers should be able to compete for a number one seed this season.

     

     

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

    Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

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    In their penultimate preseason exhibition, the Sixers played host to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Joel Embiid and Paul George were out of commission, as Embiid continues to work on the management of his left knee and George begins recovering from his left knee bone bruise. Kyle Lowry was in street clothes as well, as the veteran point guard was given the night off. For Brooklyn, Ben Simmons rested as well.

    Here is what jumped out from the Sixers’ 117-95 win/loss in their second and final home preseason game on Wednesday night:

    First Quarter

    • After making a change to his starting lineup before Monday night’s game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he would alter his opening five again — and replacing George was KJ Martin, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond.

    Once again, Nurse is signaling that he prefers to use wing Caleb Martin — who was expected to start at power forward for the Sixers — in a bench role. Caleb Martin often thrived as a reserve during his successful three-year stint with the Miami Heat, and Nurse believes he provides what the Sixers need in their second unit.

    “[Caleb Martin] is going to give us some energy off the bench, which I thought we lacked in the previous games, so we’re trying to solve that equation a little bit,” Nurse said after Tuesday’s practice. “It splits up Kyle [Lowry] and Eric [Gordon], which is also part of the plan. Just kind of maneuvering through different looks. And I think it’ll be pretty fluid as we go for a while.”

    Ultimately, how many minutes each player receives — and which ones are on the floor at the ends of close games — are far more important issues than which ones start. Expect the situation to evolve throughout the season.

    • Speaking of Gordon, it is becoming extremely apparent why Nurse likes the idea of the veteran sharpshooter being in his starting five. Gordon is one of the most accomplished three-point shooters of all time, and his reputation as a willing launcher carries serious weight when opposing defenses gameplan for any team he is part of. Gordon knocked down a pair of triples within five minutes and change of tip-off, and what stood out on each one was his complete lack of hesitation. Unlike many players who boast similar shooting skills, Gordon is perfectly happy to fire away every time down the floor if the opportunities present themselves.

    Moments later, Gordon read Nets guard Cam Thomas’ eyes perfectly and stole what Thomas thought would be a simple pass. Gordon ignited a transition possession and finished at the rim.

    •  The best highlight of the first quarter on Wednesday: Maxey throwing a transition lob so appetizing that Oubre and KJ Martin both went up looking to hammer home an alley-oop dunk. Oubre ended up the winner, and essentially dunked on his own teammate. Brooklyn called timeout, and Oubre and the rest of KJ Martin’s teammates playfully mocked him for getting posterized.

    Moments later, though, KJ Martin was able to get in on the fun, throwing down an alley-oop pass from Maxey in a half-court setting. He caught Thomas sleeping and took off in the direction of the basket. Maxey found him instantly:

    KJ Martin is a remarkable athlete, and during his minutes with the Sixers last season his abilities to display that were limited. Asked about Nurse placing an emphasis on playing at a fast pace in the 2024-25 season after the team’s shootaround on Wednesday morning, the fifth-year forward lit up.

    “It’s fun for me,” Martin said. “I love running down the floor and being able to jump… Especially with Tyrese in the game, we talk a lot, trying to bring the pace of the game up.”

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Is KJ Martin more than a trade chip?

    Second Quarter

    • Oubre’s three-point stroke came and went for much of his first season in Philadelphia, as his accuracy from beyond the arc fluctuated wildly. His most reliable skill on that end of the floor is his ability to pressure the rim. His finishing once he gets near the basket is imperfect, but he is terrific at getting a downhill start towards the restricted area. That was on full display Wednesday, as Oubre attempted seven free throws in the first half. He had everything working offensively, and it all stems from his driving ability. After establishing that he could get to the rim at will, Oubre knocked down a pair of pull-up triple when a Brooklyn defender felt the need to sag off in preparation for a drive. 

    • Guerschon Yabusele has impressed in the preseason, but the overwhelming majority of his minutes have come at center. Yabusele said after Tuesday’s practice that playing the five was not part of the role the Sixers had pitched to him when he signed with the team, but that he was comfortable playing anywhere. Nurse admitted before Wednesday’s game that the arrangement has largely been used out of necessity, as Embiid has not appeared in the preseason (and will not do so). 

    Nurse said that while he has seen more than enough to be comfortable using Yabusele as a small-ball center, he wishes he had more of a sample using the French Olympic standout at power forward, his natural position. Nurse indicated that Yabusele would see time at the four on Wednesday, and he did spend just over two minutes playing alongside Drummond near the end of the first half.

    Yabusele ended the first half on a high note, intercepting an inbounds pass from under the Sixers’ basket and driving to the rim for a two-handed slam that just barely beat the buzzer.

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Can Guerschon Yabusele leave a mark in his second NBA opportunity?

    • An interesting note: Brooklyn attempted 31 three-pointers in the first half, a gargantuan total. In the 2023-24 regular season, the Celtics led all NBA teams with 42.5 three-point attempts per game. 

    Third Quarter

    • It felt as if the Sixers left some meat on the bone in terms of attempting corner threes last season, but they did knock down a pair of corner triples early in the third quarter. On the team’s first offensive possession of the second half, Yabusele freed himself up in transition and drilled a shot from the right corner. A few moments later, Ricky Council IV connected from the opposite corner off of an assist from Jared McCain.

    After a strong preseason debut, Council has struggled as far as impressing during these exhibitions. It seems far-fetched that the second-year wing will be in Nurse’s regular rotation to begin the season, but the potential that exists with the fan favorite remains obvious. 

    • Speaking of McCain, the rookie first-round pick received first quarter minutes on Wednesday — and given Gordon’s apparent status as a starter, if George misses any time in the regular season, McCain being part of Nurse’s second unit seems increasingly likely. It does not sound like George is at risk of missing a considerable amount of games to begin the season, but he certainly is not a lock to be on the floor on Oct. 23 when the Milwaukee Bucks come to town.

    MORE: Sixers say Paul George has bone bruise but no structural damage, will be re-evaluated in approximately one week

    • Two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. entered to open the second half and had a few strong flashes of self-creation. 

    Dowtin is a serviceable shooter, not a great one, and only has okay burst, but manages to thrive in isolation opportunities thanks to an interesting mix of dribble moves and changes of pace. 

    Fourth Quarter

    • McCain returned to the game to begin its final frame with an opportunity to serve as the Sixers’ primary ball-handler. He knocked down a picture-perfect triple, and on the next possession drove to the basket and kicked it out to two-way guard Lester Quinones for a three of his own.

    • Far and away the best highlight of the second half came a few minutes into the fourth quarter. McCain got beat off the dribble, but his draft classmate Adem Bona came to his aid with a stellar block of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder. Dowtin led the Sixers in transition and dished out a gorgeous no-look dime to rookie two-way wing Justin Edwards for an easy slam. It was about as exciting of a play as you will find in the fourth quarter of a preseason game.

    • All in all, this was a strong showing for much of the Sixers’ roster — including depth pieces like Dowtin, Quinones, Edwards and Bona outperforming many of Brooklyn’s regular rotation players who remained in the game down the stretch. But the night ended on a bit of a sour note, when McCain took a hard fall and appeared to be in an immense amount of pain. After a moment, McCain was able to sit up, and after another minute he was on his feet being helped to the locker room.

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  • Sixers’ latest Joel Embiid medical update should not set off alarm bells… yet

    Sixers’ latest Joel Embiid medical update should not set off alarm bells… yet

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    The Sixers have been surrounded by unusually upbeat vibes since the summer. They added a nine-time All-Star in Paul George, while Tyrese Maxey earned a five-year deal and Joel Embiid inked a three-year contract extension. Their training camp in The Bahamas was an opportunity for a new-look roster to gel on the floor and bond away from it. Suddenly, a team notorious for entering seasons with dark clouds hanging over it had little to worry about.

    Except for that one thing.

    Sunday afternoon — right as the Philadelphia Eagles defense made a crucial fourth-quarter stand in the red zone to maintain their lead over the Cleveland Browns — the Sixers released a medical update regarding Embiid and his left knee. The update disclosed that Embiid will not appear in this year’s preseason.

    Embiid did not scrimmage for the entirety of the Sixers’ five-day camp at the beginning of the month, did not suit up for the team’s home opener in the preseason and did not travel for their following two road exhibitions. The team was adamant that this was all part of the plan to keep Embiid healthy for the duration of the regular season, hopefully leading to his first playoff run at full health in what will be nearly a half-decade.

    MORE: Sixers say Joel Embiid will not play in preseason “as part of left knee management”

    When I started covering sports, I quickly decided that I would never tell a fan how they should feel about their teams and/or players.

    The entirety of the Sixers’ championship aspirations are reliant on that knee — and the rest of Embiid’s seven-foot, 280-pound body — holding up over the course of an 82-game regular season and two-month playoff run in a way that it never has before. The prospect of Embiid going down and the Sixers immediately watching their NBA Finals dreams evaporate is daunting in its likelihood.

    So, I will not tell you to not worry about Embiid’s knee. But what I will do is explain why I am not in panic mode… yet.

    Far too often, the Sixers have tried to play catch-up preserving Embiid’s health. He logs too many minutes, plays in too many back-to-backs, suffers an injury and then the team scrambles for answers to get him back on the floor without jeopardizing his viability in the playoffs. It has never worked.

    During the winter, there were warning signs that Embiid’s knee was faltering. He took an enormous amount of heat after being a last-minute scratch in a game against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. Just three nights after being pulled out of a nationally televised game that was supposed to pit the two best players in the NBA against one another, Embiid was back on the floor in a road contest against the Golden State Warriors, and everybody remembers what happened. It would be 63 days until he played in another game.

    So, remember the version of yourself that existed in the days after the Sixers were eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs by the New York Knicks. The teams played a six-game series that featured Embiid dealing with, among other things, an injury to the same left knee that had not yet fully recovered following a two-month absence caused by a procedure that was required on Embiid’s meniscus. Embiid left it all out on the floor for six hard-fought games but was extremely limited, reduced to limping around for much of the series.

    Immediately following that series, if someone presented a plan for Embiid that included playing just 16.8 minutes per game across only five contests (84 total minutes) for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics — and a methodical ramp-up process during training camp and the preseason that helped set the tone for a year marked by discipline on Embiid’s part, the reception would be overwhelmingly positive.

    Is it impossible that this is what is happening now? At the team’s Media Day on Sept. 30, Embiid spoke like he never had before about the premium he and the Sixers will place on his physical well-being throughout the regular season to ensure he is in the best condition possible for April, May and June.

    “There’s no agenda,” Embiid said. “There’s no All-Star, no All-NBA, none of that. It’s whatever it takes to make sure that I get to [the playoffs] and I’m ready to go.” 

    Joel Embiid says he wants to scale back offensive role: ‘I really have a lot of confidence in these guys to figure it out’

    Too much fan trauma has been accumulated over the years from Sixers medical updates for Sunday afternoon’s release to do anything other than stir commotion. The Sixers know that and Embiid knows that. For as long as Embiid is the Sixers’ franchise cornerstone, fans will be in a perpetual state of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    There is not a single thing Embiid or the Sixers can say or do right now to quell concerns about whether or not the former NBA MVP will be delivered to the playoffs at full strength. But Embiid finally being willing to fully embrace a plan based on discipline — an extremely uncomfortable proposition for a hypercompetitive athlete constantly attempting to shed his “injury-prone” label — would be as significant of a development for the Sixers’ championship hopes as any trade or signing could be.

    Preseason games can be valuable, especially for teams like the Sixers with revamped rosters, but they do not count for anything. What is happening now is not the true test of how seriously all parties involved are taking the challenge of getting Embiid to the playoffs healthy. The real challenge will arrive the Sixers have lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven games and have a game coming up against a very good team on the second leg of a back-to-back. The difficulty will arise when the Sixers realize that the difference in Embiid playing 32 minutes and 39 minutes in a particular game very well may determine whether or not they win a game. 

    My concerns will be far greater if the Sixers fail those tests — again — than they are right now. 

    Like it or not, the Sixers do not get to operate with the benefit of the doubt on matters like this. The reaction to Sunday’s medical update on Embiid is not fueled by concern over Embiid building chemistry with some new teammates in a preseason game or two. Rather, it is the result of fatigue stemming from yet another mad rush of media members posting a screenshot of a message with the heading “JOEL EMBIID MEDICAL UPDATE.”

    Welcome back to Sixers basketball.

    MORE: Joel Embiid signs a three-year contract extension with the Sixers. Can he finally get the job done?

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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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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    PHLSportsNation

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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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    Collin Benjamin

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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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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.

    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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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Amid debate over proposed Sixers arena, Comcast Spectacor unveils alternative plan for Market East

    Amid debate over proposed Sixers arena, Comcast Spectacor unveils alternative plan for Market East

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    As the debate continues over the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposed plan to build a new arena in Center City’s Market East neighborhood, the owner of the team’s current home unveiled renderings of an alternative plan to revitalize the location.

    In 2022, the Sixers announced plans to build a new $1.3 billion arena called “76 Place” at Market East and Fashion District Philadelphia by the start of the 2031-32 NBA season. The team’s lease at the Wells Fargo Center at the South Philadelphia sports complex – where they’ve played since 1996 — ends in 2031.

    A rendering from Comcast Spectacor.

    A report from the Philadelphia Inquirer stated that Comcast Spectacor — which owns the Wells Fargo Center — presented a plan to a community group that would supplant the Sixers arena by turning the Fashion District mall into a biomedical research facility.

    A rendering from Comcast Spectacor

    A spokesperson for Comcast Spectacor did not confirm the specific details of the Inquirer’s report but sent NBC10 four renderings of the company’s plan to revitalize Market East should the Sixers’ plans for 76 Place fall through.

    A rendering from Comcast Spectacor

    “Our hope is that the 76ers remain in South Philadelphia as a partner in the Wells Fargo Center,” Dan Hilferty, Chairman & CEO of Comcast Spectacor, wrote. “We continue to offer the 76ers a 50/50 partnership, which includes the opportunity to build a new arena on an accelerated timeline. If the 76ers decide to stay in South Philadelphia, Comcast Spectacor recognizes there is still a need to revitalize Market East. As a long-time corporate citizen, we are committed to being part of the Market East solution and therefore we presented an alternative plan to create benefits for all community members and enhance Philadelphia’s vibrant downtown.”

    A rendering from Comcast Spectacor

    The Sixers’ proposed arena has sparked resistance and protests from leadership in the city’s Chinatown community. Members of the community have said that the proposed arena could cause street parking to disappear as well as a rise in traffic. They also said it could be harder to hold festivals.

    In August, the City of Philadelphia released four reports analyzing the potential impact of the Sixers proposed arena in Center City.

    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. Those 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, according to the report.

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

    The announcement from Comcast Spectacor also comes as New Jersey continues to propose moving the Sixers to a new arena in Camden. On Monday, Tim Sullivan, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, wrote a letter to Tad Brown, the CEO of Sixers owner Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), highlighting the possibility of up to $400 million in tax incentives should the team move to Camden.

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    David Chang

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  • Sixers Ties: Northwest Division

    Sixers Ties: Northwest Division

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    Let’s continue our Sixers Ties series — evaluating all connections to the team across the NBA — by heading to the Western Conference’s Northwest Division that features a few noteworthy former Sixers players and some other folks who are in some way linked to the team: 

    Sixers Ties

    Atlantic Division | Central Division | Southeast Division

    Portland Trail Blazers

    The player on Portland’s roster who is still remembered as a Sixer is Matisse Thybulle, who the team traded up for during the 2019 NBA Draft and watched blossom into one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA right off the bat. Thybulle’s inability to develop any sort of offensive utility after more than three years finally led the Sixers to move on, and they traded him to the Blazers in a three-team trade that netted them Jaden McDaniels — who also failed to become a reliable contributor. Thybulle became a restricted free agent the next summer, and signed a three-year offer sheet with a player option in the final season worth a hair over $33 million with the Dallas Mavericks. Portland opted to match the deal.

    But the Blazers also have a far more successful former Sixer on their roster. Who would have thought that when the Sixers drafted an athletic, toolsy wing with limited offensive skill with the No. 39 overall pick in 2014, Jerami Grant would become a 20-point-per-game scorer who, at the end of his current contract will have made over $242 million in career earnings?

    Grant’s offensive development has truly been astounding. When he was able to develop into a competent player on that end of the floor who could hang his hat on defense, it seemed like he had hit his 100th percentile outcome. And then a stunning leap as a scorer came, and now here we are: over the last four seasons, Grant has averaged 20.8 points per game on 57.4 true shooting.

    Trading Grant in 2016 for Ersan Ilyasova and a future first-round pick is not exactly something the Sixers will regret, though, as that draft pick turned into a player you might have heard of.

    Denver Nuggets

    It was a difficult offseason for the Nuggets, who watched starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope depart in free agency without the ability to replace him externally. First-round pick DaRon Holmes II tore his Achilles. And because they have already made so many large financial commitments, they had very little spending power. Outside of veteran’s minimum contracts, the Nuggets could sign a free agent to the taxpayer’s mid-level exception — worth a maximum of two years at just under $10.6 million.

    With that money, the Nuggets signed a new backup center: old friend Ďario Sarić, who has a second-year player option. Sarić joined the Golden State Warriors last season, opening the year as their backup center but eventually falling out of the rotation in favor of promising rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Sarić is a similar archetype of center to Nikola Jokić in that he is a passing-oriented big man, so perhaps the Nuggets were looking to create some stylistic continuity across their units. But considering this was their only way to spend above the minimum, it is hard to imagine that signing a declining version of Sarić was their most prudent path.

    A note: the Nuggets were in nearly the exact same position last summer, and used the tax MLE on a player who many were similarly skeptical about being worth the money. A year later, the team had to trade three second-round picks to shed the second year of their contract when the player option they put in the deal was executed. Weeks later, the player was bought out by the team that took on his money and became a free agent again. And that is how Reggie Jackson became a member of the Sixers.

    Behind Jokić and Sarić in Denver’s center rotation is former Sixer DeAndre Jordan, who for the third consecutive season will play for the minimum with the Nuggets. Jordan has been lauded for his locker room presence during his career, and that praise has never been louder than during his time in Denver.

    Oklahoma City Thunder

    Coming off a remarkable rise to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2023-24, the Thunder made significant improvements this offseason as they look to become perennial championship contenders. Their first move was to trade weak link Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, an all-world defender and much-improved three-point shooter. The one-for-one swap shocked many, and it will make the Thunder considerably better on both ends of the floor. Before breaking out as a legitimate NBA player with the Los Angeles Lakers, the undrafted Caruso played for the 2016 Summer League Sixers.

    The Sixers selected Arkansas sharpshooter Isaiah Joe with the No. 49 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but ultimately decided they did not have enough time to observe his developmental process. They waived him after two seasons, but he quickly landed on his feet with the Thunder and almost immediately became the exact player the Sixers had hoped: an accurate three-point shooter on massive volume who can change the complexion of an offense with his presence alone. Joe was rewarded with a four-year, $48 million deal to remain in Oklahoma City this offseason, a worthy reward for a good player.

    When the Sixers used some leftover cap space to absorb Wilson Chandler’s expiring contract from the Nuggets in 2018, they received two second-round picks for their trouble — one of them being a 2021 second-rounder. That pick ended up being rerouted a year and a half later, when the Sixers sent it to the Golden State Warriors as part of the package that netted them both Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.

    The following offseason, Golden State sent the pick and another future second-rounder to Oklahoma City. And with the No. 55 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected Aaron Wiggins, an impressive young player who earned a five-year, $45 million deal this offseason as he enters his fourth NBA season. Wiggins is a quality rotation wing who, along with Joe, have helped the Thunder become one of the single deepest teams in the NBA.

    By the way, when Golden State traded those two second-rounders to Oklahoma City, one became Wiggins, and the other became Miles “Deuce” McBride, who has emerged as an excellent young player for the New York Knicks. Those two second-rounders were traded for… Kelly Oubre Jr. It’s a small world!

    The Sixers and Thunder will be keeping eyes on each other for the next couple of years. The Thunder own the Sixers’ 2025 first-round pick (as long as it does not somehow fall in the top eight), and there is a good chance the Sixers will end up with Oklahoma City’s first-rounder in 2026. The Sixers will receive the least favorable first-round pick out of Oklahoma City’s, that of the Los Angeles Clippers and that of the Houston Rockets in two years from now. It is a strong bet that the Thunder will be the best of those teams.

    Minnesota Timberwolves

    The Timberwolves do not currently have any players with connections to the Sixers on their roster, but Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has a long history with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. 

    Nurse and Finch have been coaching with and against each other for nearly three decades. They have had rivalries and been each other’s assistants over many years, and have both spoken extensively about their friendship.

    Most recently, Finch was an assistant coach for Nurse with the Toronto Raptors before he got his first NBA head coaching job in Minnesota.

    Utah Jazz

    Signing a nine-time All-Star in Paul George is the most significant addition the Sixers made this offseason, but he is not the only starting-caliber they signed in free agency: the team waited out Caleb Martin and signed him a four-year deal worth just over $35 million that is considered well-below his true market value.

    Adding Martin, though, would not have been possible if the Sixers could not create nearly $8 million in cap space at the drop of a hat. That is exactly what they did when they waived Paul Reed, who was claimed by the Detroit Pistons.

    When teams sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, they get creative in how they structure the deals as they try to dissuade the player’s incumbent organization from matching the offer. So, last offseason, the Jazz pursued Reed and secured an agreement on an unconventional three-year deal with an atypical incentive-based structure: if whatever team Reed played for advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs, all three years of the contract would be guaranteed; if it did not, the second and third seasons of the deal would be non-guaranteed until mid-January of each season. 

    The Sixers were largely expected to at least win one playoff series and the Jazz were not — Utah’s goal was to craft a contract that was only a one-year commitment for them, but a three-year commitment for the Sixers should they choose to match the offer sheet.

    In case you have not heard, the Sixers did end up losing in the first round of last season’s playoffs — suddenly, Reed’s future in Philadelphia was in doubt. And when Martin became available — with veteran Andre Drummond already secured on a deal to return to the Sixers — it was a no-brainer to waive Reed.

    The Sixers rounded out their starting lineup this summer by signing a battle-tested, tough-minded, two-way wing in Martin. And it would not have happened if the Jazz had not gotten creative but come up unsuccessful in their quest to sign Reed last summer.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Sixers offseason rewind: After breakout season, team trades Mikal Bridges, misses out on LeBron James in 2018

    Sixers offseason rewind: After breakout season, team trades Mikal Bridges, misses out on LeBron James in 2018

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    The 2017-18 NBA season ended in heartbreak for the Sixers when they fell to the rival Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, but after a 52-win season, it was clear that Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and co. were ready to become a long-term force in the Eastern Conference.

    • PREVIOUS REWINDS
    • Sixers offseason rewind: Summer of 2016 changes everything as new era begins
    • Sixers offseason rewind: Bryan Colangelo swings trade for Markelle Fultz in 2017 as team ramps up pursuit of contention

    However, right before a crucial offseason began, there was a changing of the guard within the team’s front office. General Manager Bryan Colangelo was forced to resign after a stunning scandal involving a network of “burner accounts” posting sensitive information about the team on social media. Without enough time to search for, hire and install a new traditional head of basketball operations, the Sixers put head coach Brett Brown in charge of personnel on an interim basis.

    The team had little time to worry about the embarrassing nature of what had taken place: there were bigger fish to fry, as the team had a chance to surround Embiid and Simmons with the requisite pieces to become a sustainable championship contender.

    NBA Draft

    The Sixers’ enormous collection of draft assets paid dividends in 2018, when the team entered the night owning 10 percent of the entire pool of picks. The team had two first-round picks (No. 10 overall and No. 26 overall) along with four second-rounders.

    For months, it seemed like a no-brainer that if they could, the Sixers would use the No. 10 pick on Villanova wing Mikal Bridges. The ideal 3&D wing in today’s NBA, Bridges seemed like a perfect fit in every conceivable way: he grew up a Sixers fan and played many college basketball games in the Wells Fargo Center, not to mention that he owned a skillset tailor-made for someone playing alongside Embiid and Simmons. Bridges’ mother even worked for the team. 

    It was a match made in heaven. When the Sixers were on the clock with the local product still on the board, they helped Bridges realize his dream by selecting him. Bridges donned a Sixers cap, shook NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand and began his first press conference as a Sixer. He had no idea that while he was speaking, the team was reaching an agreement to trade his draft rights to the Phoenix Suns.

    In a stunning move, the Sixers traded Bridges’ rights to Phoenix for the No. 16 pick and an unprotected 2021 first-round pick belonging to the directionless Miami Heat. At No. 16, they selected a wing prospect out of Texas Tech by the name of Zhaire Smith. Smith’s potential was clearly off-the-charts — he was arguably the best athlete in the draft class as well as one of its youngest players — but he was considered to be far away from contributing to a good team. The Sixers had picked up what many believed to be one of the single most valuable future draft assets in the NBA, but in the process went from adding a surefire rotation contributor to a long-term developmental project.

    You know what happened next: Bridges established himself as one of the league’s most promising young players — unlocking his potential as a perfect role player on the wing while also becoming a considerably better scorer than anybody had anticipated him being. Smith logged 13 NBA appearances in two years before being unceremoniously traded to the Detroit Pistons, who promptly waived him. His rookie season was derailed by a traumatic allergic reaction, giving him even less time to develop in an organization desperate for production from young players. 

    The Sixers were able to receive some immediate production from their rookie class, however, because at No. 26 they selected Wichita State sharpshooter Landry Shamet, who almost instantly became a trusted piece of Brown’s rotation. Shamet was putting together an extremely impressive rookie season before the Sixers swung a deal for Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris. The two assets that enabled the Sixers to acquire Harris in a contract year: Shamet and the 2021 Miami pick acquired in the Bridges-for-Smith deal. But Shamet failed to build off his excellent rookie season, and has fallen out of favor in the NBA. Shamet remains a free agent more than six weeks into the 2024 offseason.

    Rather than selling extraneous second-round picks again, the Sixers traded the No. 38 and No. 39 overall picks for a collection of three future second-rounders with actual value. They then packaged the No. 56 and No. 60 overall selections to move up and grab the No. 54 pick. There, they selected a long combo guard out of Southern Methodist University whose draft stock had fallen after a shaky NBA Draft Combine showing: Shake Milton. Milton spent his rookie season on a two-way contract, but spent the following four years on a standard NBA deal for the Sixers. He gave the team plenty of significant contributions, including a lengthy stint as its starting point guard. Milton’s run as a viable NBA contributor may have come to an end in 2023-24, but he has already massively outperformed his draft slot.

    Free agency

    Entering free agency, the Sixers had one goal in mind: sign LeBron James. The man who would go on to become the league’s all-time leading scorer appeared dead-set on leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, and while the Los Angeles Lakers were considered the clear favorites to land James’ services, whispers about the Sixers’ viability in those conversations persisted leading up to the start of the negotiating period.

    The Sixers did reportedly earn a meeting to pitch James on coming to Philadelphia, and spent their first 24 hours of free agency singularly focused on nailing their presentation. We later found out that James himself was not present at the meeting; the Sixers merely spoke with his representation. James inked a long-term deal with the Lakers, and suddenly the Sixers’ top target — along with many of their other preferred options — was off the board.

    One could argue that the Sixers should not have wasted their time trying to convince James to come to Philadelphia, but they just about maximized their ability to build a strong roster after missing out on James and plenty of other notable targets in the first day of free agency: the team brought JJ Redick back on another one-year deal — this time worth $12.25 million — and Amir Johnson on a veteran’s minimum deal. They absorbed veteran wing Wilson Chandler into their remaining cap space, receiving two second-round picks from the Denver Nuggets in the process as Denver looked to duck the luxury tax threshold.

    Later on, the team packaged disappointing first-round pick Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot with Justin Anderson in a three-team deal that netted them a stretch big from the Atlanta Hawks: Mike Muscala. The Sixers also sent young center Richaun Holmes to Phoenix in exchange for cash considerations, clearing the way for the team to sign Jonah Bolden, a draft-and-stash big they selected in the second round the year prior.

    The only other losses the team suffered were the departures of Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, two veterans who dramatically improve the team’s floor spacing in the second half of 2017-18 after coming to Philadelphia via the buyout market.

    Results

    The roster the Sixers ended the 2018-19 season with did not look at all like the one they had crafted during the offseason leading up to it. In November, they dealt Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and Jerryd Bayless to the Minnesota Timberwolves for disgruntled star Jimmy Butler. In February, they swung the deal for Harris that also included Chandler and Muscala heading to the Clippers while bringing the Sixers a quality stretch four off the bench in Mike Scott and an interesting backup center in Boban Marjanović.

    The Sixers lost their first playoff game, a disastrous home contest against the upstart Brooklyn Nets, before dismantling the far inferior team for four straight games. They went on to face Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in an epic seven-game series that ended with Leonard’s iconic quadruple-bounce, buzzer-beating game-winner. The Raptors went onto win the NBA Finals, and the Sixers were by far their toughest test during their run to glory.

    Suddenly, a team believed to be set up for sustainable success was at a crossroads: were they willing to re-sign two free agents in Butler and Harris in order to keep an excellent team together, even if it jeopardized the team’s long-term outlook? Their eventual answer would drastically alter the course of the franchise.

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    Adam Aaronson

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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 Eastern Conference Preview: Can Doc Rivers guide the Bucks to a championship?

    Sixers Eastern Conference Preview: Can Doc Rivers guide the Bucks to a championship?

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    With much of the Sixers’ 2024-25 roster locked in more than a month removed from the start of a franchise-altering free agency, the time has come to evaluate their opposition in the Eastern Conference: of last season’s playoff teams in the East, which ones pose the biggest threats to the Sixers, and how do the teams match up with this new-look team?

    Up third is the team captained by former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers: the Milwaukee Bucks.

    The Bucks made some difficult decisions following a disappointing playoff exit at the end of the 2022-23 season. They traded Jrue Holiday and plenty of additional assets to acquire superstar point guard Damian Lillard — betting on a partnership of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo giving the team greater upside — and parted ways with head coach Mike Budenholzer just a few years removed from the coaching veteran leading them to a championship. Milwaukee ultimately replaced Budenholzer with longtime assistant coach Adrian Griffin Sr.

    Just 43 games into the 2023-24 season, Milwaukee fired Griffin in an unprecedented move. The team was 33-10 at the time, but Bucks brass simply no longer believed Griffin was not the right person for the job and, rather than wallow in their own mistake, took action and let go the rookie head coach.

    Replacing Griffin was a coach with plenty of experience… Rivers, who had spent the first half of the season calling NBA games as part of ESPN’s top announcing teams after being let go by the Sixers following three consecutive disappointing playoff exits.

    Due to the sheer volume of significant changes being made and a slew of injuries hitting the Bucks at the wrong times, the franchise never found its footing in 2023-24 and fell out of the NBA Playoffs with a first-round elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

    Perhaps the most important improvement the Bucks could make this offseason was stabilizing their ability, securing a cohesive coaching staff and getting all of the team’s core pieces on the same page.

    Roster changes

    But, because the Bucks are a second apron team, they did not have much of a choice but to hope those things contribute to significant growth. Aside from using two draft picks, the team was limited to veteran’s minimum contracts to fill out their roster. To be fair, they did find three players who are likely surefire rotation pieces on minimum deals, but they did not add any franchise-altering talent.

    Added: AJ Johnson (No. 23 overall pick in NBA Draft), Tyler Smith (No. 33 overall pick in NBA Draft), Gary Trent Jr. (free agency), Taurean Prince (free agency), Delon Wright (free agency)

    Retained: n/a

    Extended: n/a

    Lost: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

    Last summer, sharpshooter Malik Beasley’s market dried up and Milwaukee pounced, offering him a minimum deal and a starting spot on a team that would free him up for plenty of three-point tries and giving him the chance to hit free agency again the following summer with a strong market — even if that meant his stay in Milwaukee only lasting one season.

    After Beasley departed Milwaukee for a Detroit Pistons team desperate for three-point shooting, the team used the exact same playbook to sign Trent, who will likely occupy the role Beasley has vacated. 

    Prince and Wright, two veterans with some defensive versatility, will help raise the floor of an extremely suspect unit of reserves.

    Depth chart projection

    So, after the dust has settled, what does Rivers have to work with?

    PG SG SF PF C
    Damian Lillard Gary Trent Jr. Khris Middleton Giannis Antetokounmpo Brook Lopez
    Delon Wright Pat Connaughton Andre Jackson Jr. Taurean Prince Bobby Portis
    A.J. Green MarJon Beauchamp

    Like the Sixers, Milwaukee has a massive range of possible outcomes because of the fragility of some of their key pieces. Once an iron man of sorts, Lillard has played fewer than 60 games in two of the last three years and missed most of their playoff series last season. Antetokounmpo missed the entirety of that series and is a safe bet to miss a few weeks at some point in the year, but has rarely suffered overly serious injuries. Middleton perhaps carries the biggest red flag from an availability standpoint, playing in just 88 combined games over the last two seasons.

    The Bucks have plenty of young, athletic wing players who have yet to assert themselves as viable rotation pieces on a nightly basis. One of Green, Jackson, Beauchamp or Johnson emerging from the pack would be a boon for Rivers.

    Matching up with the Sixers

    The revamped Sixers might have more sheer talent on their roster than the Bucks have on their roster. Oftentimes, though, a playoff series between teams in the same ballpark from a talent perspective is decided by which team’s best player takes command of the series. Over the last few seasons, Joel Embiid has been a better regular season performer than Antetokounmpo. But unlike the 2021 NBA Finals MVP, Embiid has never taken a series against a fellow contender by the horns and won it by his lonesome.

    In terms of the games within the (theoretical) games here, the most fascinating subplot of a Sixers-Bucks matchup is how the Sixers would defend Antetokounmpo. In the regular season, they will likely throw as many bodies at him as they can while keeping Embiid near the basket. But when the chips are down, there is perhaps no player in the entire NBA who has the perfect combination of strength, size and basketball IQ to contain Antetokounmpo like Embiid has.

    Lillard is as lethal of a scoring threat the guard position as there is in the NBA, not to mention one of the most clutch shot-makers there is. The Sixers will not prevent him from getting buckets, but they do have the requisite defensive pieces to make things challenging for him, most notably Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin. 

    In Brook Lopez, the Bucks have a viable foe for Embiid when the former NBA MVP looks to dominate as a scorer. Antetokounmpo roaming as a free safety likely represents the most dangerous off-ball defensive threat in the NBA. But the Bucks simply lack enough quality perimeter defenders to consistently handle Tyrese Maxey or Paul George when either is at their best, let alone both at the same time.

    Embiid vs. Antetokounmpo is an enticing debate, with plenty of strong points in both directions. But even if Antetokounmpo narrowly outperforms Embiid in a hypothetical series, the Sixers might have a clear advantage as far as the rest of the teams’ rotations go.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Sixers Eastern Conference preview: Will the Mikal Bridges trade make the Knicks a championship-caliber team?

    Sixers Eastern Conference preview: Will the Mikal Bridges trade make the Knicks a championship-caliber team?

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    With much of the Sixers’ 2024-25 roster locked in more than a month removed from the start of a franchise-altering free agency, the time has come to evaluate their opposition in the Eastern Conference: of last season’s playoff teams in the East, which ones pose the biggest threats to the Sixers, and how do the teams match up with this new-look team?

    Up second is the team who eliminated the Sixers from last year’s playoffs: the New York Knicks.

    Sixers Eastern Conference preview: The Celtics aren’t going anywhere

    The Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs last year after being absolutely devastated by injuries. Julius Randle missed the last multiple months of the regular season and the entire playoffs while OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson missed plenty of time in both the regular season and the playoffs and Bojan Bogdanovic went down during the first round. By the time the team was eliminated, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were both hurt as well.

    Committing to their brand of collecting former Villanova Wildcats, the Knicks traded Bogdanovic along with five first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and more — an absolutely gigantic collection of assets — to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Mikal Bridges.

    Despite Bridges being in the fold, the team prioritized Anunoby over starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Anunoby returned on a massive five-year deal, but Hartenstein departed for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    But the most significant move the Knicks made for their long-term health might have been convincing Brunson to sign a four-year extension at a rate considerably below his market value, which should enable them to eventually ink Bridges to a long-term deal along with Brunson and Anunoby, with the potential for Randle to stick around as well if he and the team can find a reasonable number to compromise at.

    Roster changes

    How exactly will the Knicks look different next year, aside from Randle regaining full health? Here is what Knicks President Leon Rose was up to in a busy offseason:

    Added: Mikal Bridges (trade), Keita Bates-Diop (trade), Pacome Dadiet (No. 25 overall pick in NBA Draft), Tyler Kolek (No. 34 overall pick in NBA Draft), Cam Payne (free agency)

    Retained: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa

    Extended: Jalen Brunson (four years, $156.5 million)

    Lost: Isaiah Hartenstein, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite

    Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Knicks at this point is how a returning Randle will fit alongside not just Bridges, but the full-fledged superstar version of Brunson that has taken the league by storm. Randle is an extremely ball-dominant player — and, to be fair, he has become a formidable offensive force — but he is not nearly the scorer or creator that Brunson is. In the era of the NBA’s punitive second apron, would the Knicks be better off simply not paying Randle when they already have multiple high-level offensive players?

    The most concerning departure, clearly, is that of Hartenstein, who established himself as a quality starting center thanks to excellent rebounding and rim protection, pristine touch around the rim and some impressive passing chops. Not only did the Knicks lose a terrific player who was integral to their success last year, but they now find their center depth to be shaky. Robinson is a good player when healthy, but is constantly battling injuries and is not quite as good as Hartenstein. The team was able to bring Achiuwa back to be the team’s backup center. 

    Depth chart projection

    The Knicks have seven players on their roster who are without question starting-caliber players. Bringing Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart off the bench is an unbelievable luxury, blossoming youngster Miles “Deuce” McBride is well on his way to reaching that status, and Achiuwa is a viable backup center. Former Sixer Cam Payne is a perfectly reasonable 10th man for any team, and gives the Knicks some additional ball-handling that they may need as McBride continues to grow as a creator. 

    PG SG SF PF C
    Jalen Brunson Mikal Bridges OG Anunoby Julius Randle Mitchell Robinson
    Miles McBride Donte DiVincenzo Keita Bates-Diop Josh Hart Precious Achiuwa
    Cam Payne Jericho Sims

    On a team full of quality rotation players, though, the center rotation sticks out like a sore thumb. Robinson has only played at least 70 games once in his career and has played fewer than 60 games in half of his professional seasons. Achiuwa has enough athleticism and defensive versatility to be an acceptable backup center in the regular season, but might be optimized as a change-of-pace sort of player like he was against the Sixers in the first round last year. Jericho Sims has continually failed to leave his mark and prove he is a rotation-caliber center.

    Matching up with the Sixers

    The Sixers and Knicks meeting in the playoffs again feels very realistic, perhaps in a second-round matchup where the winner goes on to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. It is surely a series that everybody would love to see again, particularly with Bridges and Paul George now added to the mix.

    But when teams prepare for a playoff series, their primary objective is often limiting the other team’s best player. So to me, the most intriguing storylines here are Brunson and Embiid, two superstars separated by nearly a foot and almost 100 pounds who each find ways to torment opposing defenses.

    The Knicks could be particularly vulnerable against Embiid moving forward, as Hartenstein was a major part of their schemes against the former NBA MVP. Robinson can do a stellar job against Embiid for moments at a time because of his incredible length, but he is far too foul-happy to be trusted in a big-minute role against someone as adept at inciting whistles as Embiid. They do have the requisite perimeter defenders to at least contain George and Tyrese Maxey, which is not something most teams can say.

    Meanwhile, the Sixers have added more pieces capable of being thrown at Brunson this summer. Kelly Oubre Jr. was outstanding while defending the Knicks’ All-Star point guard for the first two games of last season’s playoff series, but Brunson got the better of him later on (though at times Oubre stood his ground and Brunson simply made difficult shots). Caleb Martin is a tenable option against Brunson, and George might even be for moments at a time if his legs are fresh. If Randle does resume in his role with some sort of significant offensive workload, though, his bruising nature at the power forward position could also cause issues for a Sixers team lacking muscle at the four.

    The Knicks seem like a much safer bet to win a ton of regular season games than the Sixers, in part because of their continuity and in part because they are less reliant on players with overly extensive injury histories. But if these two teams were to meet in a playoff series while at full strength… get your popcorn ready.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • What to Make of Embiid’s Olympic Performance – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    What to Make of Embiid’s Olympic Performance – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    It’s no secret that Embiid has struggled in Olympic play. But why? Is Embiid out of shape? Are the rules harder? Is the game too fast? What about all the other good players on the team now? Maybe it’s a combination of all of those.

    Embiid’s Fitness

    It seems that every year, Embiid somehow puts on a lot of weight and loses a ton of his conditioning over the offseason. This year, Philly hoped to see a better Embiid coming into the season because of the Olympics, but he still managed to look sluggish and out of shape in a much shorter amount of time.

    Not only does the lack of fitness affect the style of play and his effectiveness, but it can also lead to injury much easier than if he weighed less. Anybody that has played sports or lost weight knows they can move much better and how they want when they are in better shape. This allows people to play better and get in better position to prevent injury. Sluggish steps can put a lot more pressure on joints – especially combined with the extra weight per step.

    FIBA Rules

    Plenty of NBA players – Embiid certainly not excluded – get a lot of points from manipulating the rules and drawing fouls. In FIBA basketball, the refs are more reluctant to give the superstars the calls they get in the NBA. Many NBA players struggle with this adjustment at first, but the best of the best usually can figure it out. Embiid isn’t adjusting as well as others.

    Even though he isn’t adjusting as well now, I think he can still get there. With all of the talent surrounding him, he should have plenty of experience to learn from. His play style makes it harder to adjust too because of no 3-second violation for defense. Embiid can’t drive to the basket as easily since the opposing team can camp in the paint as long as they want.

    Hopefully Embiid can get a hang of these rules and start dominating again. If he can, then hopefully the adjusted play style can help him learn to score in even more ways back in the NBA.

    Too Much Surrounding Talent?

    Unlike when playing in Philly, Embiid might not be the best player on his team. When surrounded by players like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Lebron James, the pressure may seem higher. It would make sense if Embiid is a little bit more nervous to make a mistake with teammates of that caliber.

    For the Sixers, it’s not uncommon to see Embiid struggle on his first couple shots and then pick it up after that to make 12 out of his next 14 shots. With so much surrounding talent, he can’t afford to do that. If he misses 3 shots in a row and they go down, then it’s time to let KD or Steph take some shots and find the hot hand.

    Should we be concerned?

    Is it fun to see Embiid struggle on one of the highest stages? No. Nobody loves to see our beloved Sixer struggle, but we should not be concerned. Remember, this is a whole different league with new teammates, a new coach, and new competition. It would definitely be nice and encouraging to see Embiid dominate at this level, but we already know how dominant he is in the NBA. The NBA caters to their stars and isn’t going to change to FIBA rules. Embiid will still dominate when he’s healthy and struggle when he’s out of shape. Overall, we know the Embiid we will get and not much will change.

     

     

    Picture by Michael Conroy

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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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  • Report: Sixers to sign Paul George to four-year contract

    Report: Sixers to sign Paul George to four-year contract

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    It happened: the Sixers have an agreement with Paul George on a four-year contract that will bring the nine-time All-Star to Philadelphia, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    George is projected to earn a total of $212,205,000 over the life of the max contract that will run from his age-34 season through his age-37 season. According to Wojnarowski, the fourth year of the deal contains a player option.

    Season (George age) Salary
    2024-25 (34) $49,350,000
    2025-26 (35) $51,817,500
    2026-27 (36) $54,285,000
    2027-28 (37, player option) $56,752,500

    Ever since the trade that sent James Harden to the Clippers at the beginning of last season — which netted the Sixers role players on expiring contracts and future draft picks — it was abundantly clear that Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and his front office were gearing up for the chance to add another high-profile name to their present All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this offseason. Nearly a year later, their hopes have become reality.

    George, considered by many to be one of the best two-way wing players of his era, has averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game over the course of his impressive NBA career, while posting a career 38.5 three-point percentage as one of the highest-volume long-range shooters in the world.

    The move ends a five-year partnership with Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, after George forced a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Clippers to team with Leonard and try to win a championship in his home state of California. Many expected George and Leonard to lead the Clippers to the promised land, but they never reached an NBA Finals due to a combination of injuries and playoff letdowns.

    The Clippers were reportedly never willing to offer George a four-year deal — Leonard, who had been on the same timeline on George contractually, inked a three-year extension last winter — and evidently, the Sixers had no hesitation pulling the trigger on a contract with that sort of framework.

    NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

    There are fair reasons to wonder if this is the right path forward for the Sixers: he is 34 years old, has an extensive injury history and, like the team he is set to join, has a reputation for falling short in the playoffs. Some believe that the Sixers would have been better off spreading out their massive cap space around to sign multiple quality role players in a vote of confidence that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey can be the lone stars for a championship team.

    But the Sixers have long signaled that a three-star model was their preferred form of roster construction and privately appeared to be of the belief that they had a very real chance of landing George despite conflicting reports about whether or not mutual interest actually existed.

    Signing George will occupy the vast majority of the Sixers’ cap space, with the remainder going to Andre Drummond and the team using its room Mid-Level Exception on Kelly Oubre Jr.

    In order to sign George, the Sixers have to renounce their Bird rights to several free agents, meaning they can no longer exceed the salary cap in order to sign them — they can only sign them to deals using the aforementioned MLE or a veteran’s minimum contract. The players who will need to be renounced include Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Nic Batum, Robert Covington and De’Anthony Melton. This does not definitively rule out returns for all five, but it does make bringing them back into the fold more difficult to pull off. 

    Sixers free agency primer: Literally everything you need to know

    As the Sixers have demonstrated here, though, they are far more concerned by who their team’s third star is than who their key reserves are. They are of the belief that teams win with as many stars as possible. So, in their view, the hardest part of building a championship team is done, with Embiid, Maxey and George being a three-man unit prolific enough to anchor a championship team in their eyes. Now it is up to Morey and co. to surround their new prized trio with the proper supporting cast to challenge the likes of the Boston Celtics and other Eastern Conference contenders.

    Give the Sixers this: whether one agrees with signing George being the right path for them to travel, the team spent an entire year plotting for this very moment and were able to pull off exactly what they hoped to execute. Paul George is a Sixer.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Report: Rumored Sixers target OG Anunoby returns to Knicks

    Report: Rumored Sixers target OG Anunoby returns to Knicks

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    The New York Knicks just keep on pushing their chips in: not even 24 hours after acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, the team agreed to a five-year, $212.5 million deal with OG Anunoby, solidifying themselves as having one of the best and most versatile wing tandems in the NBA.

    Early indications following the Bridges trade were that the Knicks were still going to prioritize keeping Anunoby in the fold — even if it meant losing center Isaiah Hartenstein — and those whispers were true. 

    It is a massive deal for Anunoby, a wonderful player in his own right but not exactly a star-caliber player as of now. The Knicks appear to have locked in a core that includes Jalen Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride. Not too shabby.

    With the Sixers’ reported pursuit of Paul George reportedly dying out and the team seemingly looking elsewhere, many connected them to Anunoby as they seek a high-profile player to put next to their All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, with a wing being the ideal form of said player.

    But with Anunoby securing a five-year deal worth an average of $42.5 million per year to remain in New York, it is evident that the Sixers likely never stood a chance of prying him away: the most they could have offered Anunoby was a four-year deal worth $181,890,000, good for an average annual value of $45.4 million.

    It is hard to imagine Anunoby leaving an ideal situation for him in New York and sacrificing the security of a fifth year for a very slight bump in annual pay. And, to be frank, the Sixers signing him to that hypothetical deal would have set off massive alarm bells.

    Anunoby is a great player who would fit well on just about any team, and impacts winning on both ends of the floor. But he is not nearly as good of a scorer as the vast majority of players in his new price range and fits best as a fourth option on offense (which is what he will be in New York moving forward). Additionally, he constantly grapples with injuries that prevent him from staying on the floor consistently. 

    It is entirely understandable for the Knicks to pay him whatever was required to keep him around as they go all-out in their pursuit of a championship — even if the contract has a high probability of aging poorly. But the Sixers avoided potential catastrophe here.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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