We’re officially one week away from the Sixers opening the regular season in Boston against the Celtics.
But we still don’t know a whole lot about what the 2025-26 Sixers will look like to start the campaign.
Rotation players like Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona should be out there. Veterans Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry, along with two-way guys Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker and rookie Johni Broome, should be available. Jared McCain will not be. It doesn’t sound like Trendon Watford will be either.
The two biggest question marks are Joel Embiid and Paul George.
Same as it ever was, a great poet once said.
The good news is both Embiid and George participated in most of practice Wednesday, according to the team. Especially notable for George is that he participated in 3-on-3, full-court, which marks the first time he’s been involved in live sessions. Embiid participated in those sessions as well.
Dare we say, things are trending in a positive direction?
“I don’t know, I thought he looked really good,” Nick Nurse said of George. “For live practice one, and the pace he was going, I think it was a challenge conditioning-wise and some of those things, but he looked good, played through it. You still see this like incredible shotmaker. You see it. I think he was moving very well. He didn’t seem tentative to me. … Positive steps from him today.”
On Tuesday, Nurse didn’t rule out the possibility of Embiid suiting up for the final preseason game Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Wednesday, he said the plan is to play his regulars. How much is still left to be determined.
The fact that we’re even in a world where there’s a chance Embiid and/or George could play on opening night is …. something. We’ll see what happens over the next week.
McCain speaks
As mentioned, we already know McCain will miss the start of his second NBA season because of surgery on the UCL in his right thumb. This after the dynamic guard’s rookie season was cut to just 23 games because of a torn meniscus. It’s been a tough 10 months or so for the charismatic 21-year-old.
He spoke to reporters on Wednesday for the first time since his injury occurred. He mentioned how it happened — a freak play where he was tagging a roller and got his thumb caught. He said he basically knew right away something was wrong. He got the results of his MRI on his way home from the practice facility and said he had to pull his car over. He called his mom and his psychologist through tears.
“The universe is throwing haymakers at me,” he said Wednesday. “It’s all a part of the process, I got to just continue to trust. It happens for a reason.”
To no one’s surprise, the 21-year-old is itching to get back out on the floor and join a backcourt loaded with talent.
“Being able to play off other guards is just something I’ve been able to do my whole life,” McCain said. “So I’m excited to just finally get back out there and play with them.”
McCain was an infusion of life both on and off the court for a team going through a nightmarish season last year. While the team would prefer to have him out on the floor and playing games, he’s still around the team as much as possible.
Though he’s still another two weeks away from being reevaluated, McCain has been doing on-court work using only his left hand and has been able to keep his conditioning up. Whenever he’s healthy enough to play, he’ll be ready.
“All I know is I get here pretty early in the morning and he’s usually already out on the floor doing something,” Nurse said. “And he’s continuing to have this ‘I’m not going to be denied’ attitude.”
Beauchamp arrives
The Sixers announced the signing of MarJon Beauchamp on Tuesday night. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, a source tells Liberty Ballers, so expect the young wing to spend a great deal of time in Delaware with the Blue Coats.
Beauchamp is an interesting lottery ticket. He was a first-round pick of the Bucks in 2022 after playing for the now-defunct G League Ignite. After two-plus seasons in Milwaukee, Beauchamp had stints with the LA Clippers and New York Knicks to close out the 2024-25 season. He turned 25 years old this past Sunday and has intriguing athletic tools and length, with a wingspan over 7-feet.
So, what does he believe he could bring to the Sixers?
“I feel like I just bring good energy,” Beauchamp said. “My length, athleticism, I can shoot the ball, run out in transition and just play fast.”
Certainly fits the “younger and more dynamic” criteria. It’s worth noting that Beauchamp played under Adrian Griffin for a bit during his rookie year. Griffin was one of Nurse’s top assistants with the Toronto Raptors.
One thing this organization has done well in recent years is find guys on the margins. Perhaps Beauchamp fits into that category.
