There’s never a good time to get blown out two games in a row.
The Sixers are heading into the 2026 All-Star break coming off two of their worst losses of the season. They lost by 17 to the Portland Trail
Blazers and followed it up with a 49-point embarrassment against the New York Knicks at home.
Those losses may highlight some pretty serious depth issues that suspensions, injuries and trade deadline transactions have exacerbated, and if that’s the case there’s nothing that will help this team more than a week off. Players that have had to carry an extra load in those shorthanded games are especially ready for a chance to recharge.
“I think the break will be good for this team,” Tyrese Maxey said after the Knicks’ loss. “Guys got to reset, guys are tired, you know? And the guys have played a lot of minutes. We fought a lot in these 54 games.”
Maxey has talked more about fatigue and tiredness in press conferences in the last month and a half than he has over his entire career. Not only does he continue to lead the league in minutes by a wide margin, but he’s playing the most minutes per game of any NBA player since the 2012-13 season.
Fittingly, Maxey is the Sixer with the least amount of free time over the break. When reporters brought this up to him, he reassured them that he would still be able to relax.
“I don’t have do much ‘till Saturday,” said Maxey, a participant in this year’s three-point contest. “I just want to get out there and just chill. You know, sit in the hotel and relax, get some good weather in.”
His starting backcourt mate is only playing 35 minutes a game, but the team is still aware that VJ Edgecombe’s workload has brought him close to the dreaded rookie wall.
“He’s never played these type of minutes in his life, like even playing a 40-minute basketball game in college is way different than this,” Maxey said. “We’ve played 54 games, I don’t know how many he’s actually played but he’s played in at least played 50 of them. That’s a whole season, and we’re asking him to do a lot.”
Head coach Nick Nurse was asked if he’s noticed any signs of fatigue showing given Edgecombe’s driving numbers declining as of late.
“I wouldn’t say [it’s] super noticeable, but I think there’s probably some there,” Nurse said. “I think you’re gonna see that in a rookie, almost all the time.”
The break is well-timed for Sixers who haven’t been as available as well. After going over a month only missing planned back-to-back legs, Joel Embiid missed those last two games against the Blazers and Knicks. Nurse did say there wasn’t a ton of concern level that this latest issue is anything more than knee soreness, but also said this extended time off could be a good thing.
“I think that anybody that’s sore and dinged up has a chance here to get some treatment for a week and off their feet for a week,” Nurse said of Embiid, “and he wouldn’t certainly be included in that.”
If there’s one Sixer the break may be poorly timed for, it’s Dominick Barlow, who’s still playing great ball off the heels of being converted to a standard NBA contract. He’s reached double-digit scoring figures in four of his last five games. For as much as he’s had to prove himself this season though, Barlow won’t be using this week to rest on any individual laurels.
“One less thing I got to worry about,” he said, when asked about getting a standard deal. “I just got to worry about how we’re going to keep trying to win games and make a push in the playoffs.”
