The 2025-26 Philadelphia Sixers have made a surprising start to the season, boasting a 6-4 record despite struggling with several key issues. This marked a stark contrast from last year's team, which was often plagued by adversity and ultimately failed to find consistency.
One of the most significant storylines surrounding this season is Joel Embiid, who has been a force to be reckoned with. After opening the season with just four points in 20 minutes on 1-for-9 shooting from the field, Embiid has turned things around significantly. Despite playing under a strict minutes restriction, he has consistently scored at least 20 points per game and has shown improvement in his driving and foul-drawing skills.
However, Embiid's defensive limitations remain a concern. His immobility makes it difficult for him to keep up with quicker opponents, resulting in the Sixers' defensive struggles whenever he is on the floor. While this is an inherent issue that cannot be easily rectified without further development and conditioning, it has undoubtedly posed challenges for Nurse.
On the other hand, Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a full-fledged superstar, playing like a different player altogether from last season's plateaued form. He has taken his game to new heights, averaging over 30 points per game while also growing as a playmaker and defender. The three-guard units featuring VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes have been an impressive sight, boasting an outstanding 121.8 Offensive Rating during their minutes.
Edgecombe himself has proven to be more than just a scoring machine, demonstrating remarkable comfort slowing down the pace of the game and showing exceptional maturity in his decision-making. His ability to control the tempo of games and make impactful plays on both ends of the floor is truly impressive for a 20-year-old rookie.
The Sixers' rebounding efforts have also been commendable, particularly Andre Drummond's resurgence, which has provided much-needed lift to their performance. However, their defensive rebounding percentage remains one of the worst in the league, largely due to the need for smaller lineups and a lack of depth.
On the other hand, Kelly Oubre Jr. has been an absolute model of consistency, starting all 10 games while demonstrating remarkable tone-setting defense, helpful rebounding, and reliable rim pressure. His three-point shooting has also been on point, setting him up for what could be his best shooting season in years.
The Sixers' struggles during third quarters, however, remain a pressing concern. Despite showing flashes of brilliance throughout the game, they often find themselves on the wrong end of routs as the clock ticks down. Nurse has yet to identify any common threads behind these troubling trends and will need to get creative to right this ship.
Overall, while the Sixers face significant challenges ahead, their early-season results have provided a positive indication that they are capable of overcoming adversity and finding success with their young core in place.
One of the most significant storylines surrounding this season is Joel Embiid, who has been a force to be reckoned with. After opening the season with just four points in 20 minutes on 1-for-9 shooting from the field, Embiid has turned things around significantly. Despite playing under a strict minutes restriction, he has consistently scored at least 20 points per game and has shown improvement in his driving and foul-drawing skills.
However, Embiid's defensive limitations remain a concern. His immobility makes it difficult for him to keep up with quicker opponents, resulting in the Sixers' defensive struggles whenever he is on the floor. While this is an inherent issue that cannot be easily rectified without further development and conditioning, it has undoubtedly posed challenges for Nurse.
On the other hand, Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a full-fledged superstar, playing like a different player altogether from last season's plateaued form. He has taken his game to new heights, averaging over 30 points per game while also growing as a playmaker and defender. The three-guard units featuring VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes have been an impressive sight, boasting an outstanding 121.8 Offensive Rating during their minutes.
Edgecombe himself has proven to be more than just a scoring machine, demonstrating remarkable comfort slowing down the pace of the game and showing exceptional maturity in his decision-making. His ability to control the tempo of games and make impactful plays on both ends of the floor is truly impressive for a 20-year-old rookie.
The Sixers' rebounding efforts have also been commendable, particularly Andre Drummond's resurgence, which has provided much-needed lift to their performance. However, their defensive rebounding percentage remains one of the worst in the league, largely due to the need for smaller lineups and a lack of depth.
On the other hand, Kelly Oubre Jr. has been an absolute model of consistency, starting all 10 games while demonstrating remarkable tone-setting defense, helpful rebounding, and reliable rim pressure. His three-point shooting has also been on point, setting him up for what could be his best shooting season in years.
The Sixers' struggles during third quarters, however, remain a pressing concern. Despite showing flashes of brilliance throughout the game, they often find themselves on the wrong end of routs as the clock ticks down. Nurse has yet to identify any common threads behind these troubling trends and will need to get creative to right this ship.
Overall, while the Sixers face significant challenges ahead, their early-season results have provided a positive indication that they are capable of overcoming adversity and finding success with their young core in place.
I mean, to see Tyrese Maxey playing like this is just insane! The way he's taking over games on both ends of the floor is a game-changer for us. And Edgecombe, wow, that kid's got some serious juice 
He's controlling tempo, making clutch plays... he's basically the real MVP right now 
20+ points a game is insane! Of course, his defense is still a work in progress, but I think Nurse has got this. And when we get our big men healthy, we're gonna be UNSTOPPABLE 
I was worried he'd never regain form after last season, but here we are, with him dominating the glass and protecting the paint like a boss 
We need Nurse to figure this out ASAP, or we'll be watching our leads slip away all season long.
It's gonna be a wild ride, that's for sure 
. Joel Embiid is on fire, and his turnaround storylines are everything. But, you know, he still got work to do on D 
. Can't have him dominating on offense but getting torched by quicker opponents all night.
. VJ Edgecombe is another story altogether - that kid's got game 
. Kelly Oubre Jr.'s been consistent all over the court, which is great to see. But those third quarter struggles... I don't get it 
. They're so close to finding success, and then they just shut down.
. They've got a young core with some amazing talent, and with Nurse at the helm, I think we can expect big things from them 
.
edgecombe's got skills too, nice to see him stepping up as a leader 
and kelly oubre jr's been consistent all season 
they need to figure out how to keep those quick opponents at bay without relying on maxey all the time 
, but Tyrese Maxey taking his game to the next level is what I'm really hyped about 
! And Andre Drummond stepping up on defense is a major win for them. But, third quarter woes got me 
Still, overall vibe is positive and I'm here for the ride 
. Andre Drummond's resurgence has been a game changer for them too! 
but those third quarter struggles gotta be addressed ASAP 
coach Nurse needs to come up with a plan to stop the routs in the last 12 minutes of the game. still, overall i'm super hyped about this team and their young core 
. And Maxey is taking it to the next level 
. His maturity level is insane for someone his age, I'm obsessed with how he controls the tempo of the game.
. Their defensive struggles when Embiid is on the court are a concern, and those third quarter meltdowns are cringeworthy 
and Edgecombe's growth as a player is crazy impressive. But let's be real, defense has gotta step up or they're gonna get burned 
, but their def is still a major issue 
I think Joel Embiid's improvement is super encouraging, but we gotta remember he still has some work to do on D 
️
and kelly oubre jr's defense is top notch 
i do think they need to figure out why they struggle in the third quarter tho, other than that tho...i'm hyped for what this season holds 
