Who else is ready to put the 24-win 2024-25 season behind them?
The 2025-26 Philadelphia 76ers sure are. There was little roster turnover in the offseason, but the vibe certainly feels different than a year ago.
At this point last year, Joel Embiid and Paul George were both expected to miss a chunk of games to start the season. A team that was old on paper looked old on the court and on the injury report. The results spoke for themselves.
A year later, Embiid is expected to play in the opener. Paul
George won’t be ready for Wednesday night, but his return seems right around the corner. Rookie VJ Edgecombe and a new offensive system have breathed new life into the team. The Sixers are not boasting about being all-in to win a championship, but that didn’t do last year’s squad any favors.
Ahead of opening night against the Boston Celtics, here are five thoughts.
1. Forever Embiid
We all know the deal by now. Embiid is an MVP-caliber player when he’s healthy and the Sixers have a chance to win every night he suits up. The suiting up part was the biggest issue last year, as the star big man played in just 19 games and never looked like himself.
Again, Embiid is already off to a better start, having played in a preseason game and being a full participant in the following practices. It sure looks like — barring something unforeseen — Embiid will be in the lineup at to open the season Wednesday. Again, Embiid barely practiced and didn’t play in any preseason games before missing the first nine games of 2024-25. Who knows how things will go after a few games, but this is certainly better than the latter.
Starting at media day, Embiid has seemingly been in a much better place mentally as well as physically. It was noted in the excellent ESPN feature by Dotun Akintoye that Embiid began speaking to a therapist last fall. In all of his media availabilities, the 2023-24 MVP has seemed at peace. He knows he’s not going to play 82 games. He knows there are days when his knee won’t feel right, and his best course of action is to sit. He knows he needs to trust his teammates to win games without him. Again, we’ll see what happens when the going gets tough this season, but Embiid’s positive energy has made a noticeable impact on his teammates.
Embiid has also embraced Nick Nurse’s new, equal-opportunity offense (more on that later) — as evidenced by his eight assists in less than 19 minutes in the preseason finale. He’s also embraced the idea of starting next to second-year player Adem Bona (more on that below as well), hoping the young, athletic big can do some of the dirty work — like rebounding, diving for loose balls, etc. — to preserve Embiid’s health.
2. All the Guards
A popular pick when the Sixers were awarded the No. 3 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft was Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. Bailey was one of the best recruits in the country and was listed at 6-foot-10. With Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes all set to return, folks thought the Sixers could use Bailey’s size and shot creation ability.
Instead, the Sixers selected Edgecombe out of Baylor. Who knows which player ends up having the better NBA career, but the Sixers did the right thing — they took the player they believed to be the best available, regardless of position.
Do the Sixers have too many talented guards age 25 or younger?
Yeah, that feels like a silly question.
Size definitely matters. There will be nights when the Sixers’ lack of size could hurt them defensively and/or on the glass. That’s very fair. But creation and pace rule the NBA right now. Having four guards who can create their offense while also playing fast could lead to advantages on an almost nightly basis — with or without Embiid.
When everyone is healthy, Nurse could deploy some funky lineups. Three guards with George at the four and Embiid at the five. Three guards with Bona at the four and Embiid at the five. I’ve seen eye rolls over the idea of a four-guard lineup. Why? Using Oubre or Grimes as a 4 with three of the guards could be mighty interesting.
Nurse has always been touted for his outside-the-box thinking. Time to get weird.
Final note here: I know there’s excitement surrounding Edgecombe’s debut … but I’m not sure there’s enough. This kid has a chance to be special.
All-in on Ball and Player Movement
This thought ties directly to the first two. For years, the Sixers’ offense has been completely Embiid-centric. It’s been great when he’s been healthy and looked like the best player on the planet. When he hasn’t …
So, how do you solve this massive problem? Better play behind Embiid is obviously crucial. The Sixers brought back veteran Andre Drummond, hoping he’d help remedy their rebounding issues and fill the minutes behind Embiid. Unfortunately, Drummond was never healthy or effective in 2024-25, and Bona wasn’t ready for the role as a rookie. Is Bona ready now? The team seems to think so, and he’s looked good in the preseason. And can the team get something out of Drummond on the nights he has to back up Bona? We’ll see.
While the personnel is what it is right now, one big thing Nurse has done is implement a new offense, which is predicated on ball and player movement. Most NBA franchises don’t have a true point guard. Instead, they rely on either a big to be their heliocentric hub or playing a drive-and-kick style, which can lead to open looks from three and at the basket.
Given their roster construction, the Sixers are poised to play the latter style, with or without Embiid. Nurse has mentioned the ball energizing players — the act of just touching the ball on offense can lead a player to feeling more involved, which could produce better overall results for every player. The only concern, at least currently, is spacing. With the team poised to start Maxey, Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Bona and Embiid, the drives will surely be there, but who will cash in on the “kicks”?
As time goes on — and when George gets healthy — there will be lineups with better spacing, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens on opening night and if this new offense changes things when Embiid sits.
All the options at the 4
We’ve already talked about how guard-centric the Sixers will be this season. So, what options do they have at the four when they need a little extra size?
For opening night, the answer seems to be Bona. When he’s healthy, it seems quite likely George will be the guy there — something he embraced at media day. The team also has a pair of intriguing options in two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.
Barlow was impressive in the preseason, starting at the 4 in three of four games. When he played, he did exactly what the Sixers want him to do — rebound and fight on defense. He was particularly impressive against the Orlando Magic, hauling in nine rebounds (six offensive) against a team known for its enormous frontcourt. Walker wasn’t quite as successful in preseason but had his moments. He’s also known for his rebounding. His advantage over Barlow appears to be his three-ball and his ability to play small-ball five.
Nurse made it clear: if either guy can help the team right now, they’ll get to play, regardless of any type of two-way contract restrictions. It sure seems like Barlow could be in the rotation on opening night.
The wildcard here is Trendon Watford, who’s been nursing a hamstring injury for several weeks (though he was a full participant at practice Monday and Tuesday). The 25-year-old was signed early on in free agency. He’s a close friend of Maxey, and it was revealed on media day that Nurse had been lobbying for the team to acquire Watford. He seems like a great fit at the four, especially in the new offense. Watford is an excellent passer at 6-foot-9 and even served as the Nets’ de facto backup point guard last season. Surrounding him with legitimate offensive firepower could help his game truly flourish.
The 4 position will be fluid for the Sixers this season, but they do have options.
All the Good Vibes
It’s been an odd drama-free lead-up to the season. The Grimes restricted free agency standoff got a little ugly, but credit to Grimes for showing up in great shape and acting like a pro upon his return to the team. By all accounts, the team understood the business side of it and welcomed him back with open arms.
As mentioned, this likely all starts with Embiid. Him being in a positive headspace has trickled down the roster. The youthful energy of guys like Maxey, McCain and Edgecombe has also been a massive help. The young guys who are just joining the Sixers have already been enjoying the culture, talking about how helpful the veterans have been and how the coaching staff is empowering them.
Vibes are not tangible. Who knows if any of it will lead to more wins … but it certainly couldn’t hurt!
