Let’s get the qualifiers out of the way before we begin: yes, it was the preseason, and yes, the Timberwolves played mostly deep reserves.
Still, there were plenty of encouraging signs ahead of the Sixers’
regular season opener next Wednesday in Boston.
Here are three big takeaways.
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Joel Embiid played basketball for the first time since February. He said postgame he felt good. Everything else is gravy.
And here is the gravy: Embiid probably looked better Friday night than he did at almost any point during the 2024-25 season. Even from a mental standpoint, he appeared to be playing free and happy. No, it wasn’t Game 7-level intensity, but it was something.
Embiid’s mere presence does so much for this basketball team. Everyone plays better because of his gravity and two-way play. What’s maybe been most noticeable from being around the team is how Embiid’s attitude and energy have seemed to give the team a jolt. Last year was miserable for Embiid and, therefore, miserable for the Sixers. He’s come into this year seeming at peace. He’s smiling and engaging with his teammates more.
It’s made all the difference for him and the team.
“I don’t really want to think about the past,” Embiid said. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically. … First of all, I’m just happy to touch a basketball — to be able to play basketball and do what I love. When you don’t get that, it’s tough.”
“I think the biggest thing I felt was his joy,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Just like how happy he was to be back out there and how happy I was for him to be there.“
He finished the night with 14 points, eight assists (more on that in a bit), seven rebounds and three steals in under 19 minutes of action. He looked like himself. More importantly, it seems like he feels like himself.
We even got a little Tr-oel to close the night. In case you missed it, The Ringer left Embiid off its top-100 player list. It’s absurd. We can all acknowledge it’s absurd.
Embiid had fun with it.
“According to a lot of your peers, I’m not even a top-100 basketball player in this league,” Embiid deadpanned. “So I guess I’ve got to just fit in and see where I can help the team win basketball games.”
Are we sure he’s a rookie?
Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office have made mistakes, but their draft record here has been strong.
With the opportunity to draft as high as No. 3 — something Morey has never gotten to do — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see VJ Edgecombe turn out to be a fantastic pick. Through training camp and three preseason games, the 20-year-old has done nothing to suggest otherwise.
On Friday, he was everywhere. He collected five steals and was a threat to run in transition on seemingly every play. Yet he still was active on the glass with six rebounds (four offensive). All of that activity led to 26 points, the bulk of which came during an extremely entertaining stretch from the end of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth.
The points are great, but what makes Edgecombe so intriguing as a rookie is that he can already do so many little things. He comes to the league as a winning basketball player.
But wait, that’s not all.
Edgecombe has also been running the point, both with Tyrese Maxey on the floor and off. In college, Edgecombe played mostly off the ball, with draft experts wondering how much success he’d have at the next level as an on-ball player.
Suffice to say, he’s already quelling those concerns.
“I think we thought, ‘OK, maybe he can play on the ball some,’” Nick Nurse said, “and were talking about, ‘let’s do it in summer league,’ but where we’re at, I think he’s way ahead of where we thought he might be being able to do that. And again, I think it gives those guys some pressure relief — Tyrese not having to bring the ball up all the time. …
“And the other thing — VJ does a heck of a job of organizing them. Like that’s a hard part of being the point guard or bringing the ball up. He’s calling the plays and moving people around, getting us in our sets and stuff, which again, is great to see. He’s got a good feel for the game.”
One of the more encouraging trends for the Sixers in recent years is bringing in hard-working players with great attitudes and maturity. It started with Maxey. Guys like Jared McCain and (starting power forward?) Adem Bona also fit that mold.
Edgecombe fits right in.
“I just watch basketball all day,” Edgecombe said. “I’m not even watching like a Netflix show or nothing. I just need to go on YouTube to watch basketball or just finding basketball to watch, watching games.”
Great guard play = Great offense
The Sixers have featured some dynamic guards in the Embiid era. Ben Simmons, James Harden and Maxey stand out in that regard. But never has this franchise assembled a backcourt group like the current one. The quartet of Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain and Quentin Grimes has a chance to be legitimately special.
While much has been made of Nurse’s more equal-opportunity offense, the biggest reason it all could work is the team’s guard play. The ability to play fast and play more of a drive-and-kick style fits in nicely with the current NBA. The Sixers have an intriguing combination of offensive playmakers and dynamic athletes to make it all work.
“I think guys are getting off the ball and trying to make plays for others,” Maxey said.
As mentioned, Embiid had eight assists. If you’ll recall, before suffering a torn meniscus in January of 2024, the reigning MVP at the time was playing at a ridiculously high level. In 39 games, he averaged 34.7 points (more than a point per minute), but even more impressively, he averaged 5.6 assists. Nurse made tweaks to the offense then as well to make up for the absence of Harden.
Again, they weren’t facing a real NBA team Friday, but the ball was moving and they were creating shots. Those are things that should translate, even against good teams.
“The way I’ve always wanted to play is everybody’s touching the ball, keep the ball moving side to side — people getting off the ball and just playing together,” Embiid said. “It feels like so far [and tonight], that’s the way it was, everybody touching the ball. … That’s how I want to play. Keeps everybody happy and everybody involved. It’s fun playing that way.”
