Coming into the season, no one had any expectations for the Philadelphia 76ers. Most thought that the Eastern Conference contenders were the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and the Orlando Magic, with the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Boston Celtics seen as fringe teams that could be frisky.
The Sixers were viewed as an afterthought because no one knew about the health status of their franchise player, Joel Embiid. It has been challenging for Embiid to stay on the court the last two seasons due to his knee issues, and Philadelphia completely fell apart without him last year in their 58-loss season.
Fast forward to this year, and not only is Embiid healthy and rounding into form, but Philly as a whole look ready to make some noise in the East, led by their dynamite backcourt duo.
Sixers have Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe to thank for their hot start
Maxey has shown that he can be an All-Star level guard in this league, but to start the year, he seems ready to take that All-NBA leap. Maxey is averaging 33 points per game, five rebounds, and eight assists on 47 percent shooting and 44 percent from three-point range.
He has been efficient at all three levels as a scorer, his playmaking has taken a big jump, and even though he plays at a million miles an hour, the game seems to be slowing down for Maxey and that is a scary sight.
Edgecombe, who has been as good as advertised to start the year, plays like a veteran guard. The uber-athletic shooting guard has been the perfect backcourt mate for Maxey due to his shooting, his ability to create off closeouts, and his defense.
He is averaging 16 PPG, six rebounds, and four assists, while knocking down 37 percent of his threes. He is also averaging nearly two steals per game. Edgecombe has looked very comfortable initiating offense, and playing both on and off the ball, which is tough for most rookies to do.
The Sixers must be taken seriously as contenders in the East
It has only been ten games, and the Sixers are 6-4. They have lost three of their last four games (Embiid didn’t play in two of them), but nonetheless, they are starting to get healthy. They just got Jared McCain back this week, and Paul George has yet to play this season, but should be returning to the lineup soon.
Last year, Philly wasn’t built to survive without Embiid, and even when he did play, the team didn’t have enough to compete. With their explosive backcourt leading the way, their improving health, and a weak East, don’t be surprised if The Process finds itself back on track.