Sixers Developing Surprising Identity With Young Backcourt
The NBA offseason headlines in Philadelphia focused mostly on drama surrounding Joel Embiid and swirling rumors about a new arena project. Skepticism was inevitable after a 24-58 season. However, the…
The NBA offseason headlines in Philadelphia focused mostly on drama surrounding Joel Embiid and swirling rumors about a new arena project. Skepticism was inevitable after a 24-58 season.
However, the chatter didn’t give enough credit to the promising young backcourt Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers have assembled.
The Sixers have stormed out of the gates with their guards injecting energy into a passionate sports market that desperately needed it. Blossoming star Tyrese Maxey, upstart rookie VJ Edgecombe, and emerging difference-maker Quentin Grimes have distracted Sixers fans from early-season injury questions.
Bill Colarulo was already infected by the "contagious personality" of positivity when Tyrese Maxey joined Unfiltered.
Have the Sixers already turned the page past the flood of negativity that persisted through a disastrous 2024-25 season?
“We’ll play our tails off every single night, no matter who’s out there on the court. Coach (Nick) Nurse has done a good job. We’ve done a good job of building the culture. Everyone knows the one thing you have to do to step on the court, to put the Philadelphia 76ers uniform on right now, and that’s to play hard. If you’re not going to play hard, you’re not going to play. You’re not going to be on the court.”
3 Young Guards Powering Upstart Sixers
Maxey’s continued ascension into NBA stardom has catapulted the Sixers into realistic contention in an Eastern Conference picture that’s looking less threatening than in recent seasons.
The 6-foot-2 guard leads the league in scoring average through four games at an outrageous 37.5-point clip. He also sits on top of the leaderboard through four games averaging 43 minutes, thanks to a heroic performance in an overtime victory over the Washington Wizards.
Photo by Colin Newby | BBGI PhiladelphiaThe pieces surrounding Maxey in the backcourt have inspired even more optimism for the future of the Sixers. The Sixers expect second-year guard Jared McCain to return from UCL surgery in the coming weeks. Edgecombe has excelled while Grimes has pushed into the rotation after an awkward preseason contract situation.
Nurse spoke with Kincade & Salciunas about the excitement surrounding the young backcourt and their ability to compensate for size disadvantages in some matchups.
“I think that the character and the work ethic, the competitiveness, I think all three of them (Maxey, McCain, Edgecombe) have it. And the talent. There’s innate athleticism there that goes along with this work ethic and character. Maybe from McCain, it’s more (that) he’s just a super competitor. That’s his number one calling card… I throw Grimes in there too. He’s explosive and can score buckets.”
Edgecombe made an early impression on Philadelphia fans. His 34 points in the 2025-26 opener broke Allen Iverson’s franchise scoring record for a rookie debut, and he did it against the hated Boston Celtics. However, the third-overall pick actually made an impression on Nurse much sooner.
“He was everywhere we asked him to be from the minute we drafted him this year. He had a few things planned that he rearranged and changed around. He was in the gym early. He was super coachable. We did a bunch of just kind of early stuff with him that we noticed that we needed to get on right away. He just has a high motor to work every day. He’s not overwhelmed by the workload in the slightest.”
Edgecombe has already soared toward first-overall pick Cooper Flagg in NBA Rookie of the Year odds. While the 20-year-old is due for an inevitable return to Earth, he’s quickly inspired optimism for a bright future in the Sixers backcourt.
Nick Nurse Encouraging Pace
Nurse and the Sixers have prioritized a faster style of play in 2025-26. Joel Embiid, whose style doesn’t flawlessly mesh with the goal, has begun the season with load management considerations that will significantly limit his availability even if he doesn’t suffer any additional injuries.
Embiid’s lack of availability sunk the 2024-25 Sixers. Nurse recognized during the preseason that Philadelphia's inability to develop an identity without Embiid – and seemingly countless teammates – can't continue in 2025-26.
“We've got to – all of us, myself, staff, players – have to realize that this (Embiid's limited availability) is a reality. This is a reality of who we are, and I don't think we can let him not being there affect us as much as maybe it has, right? But I will say this too. I feel like it wasn't only him last year. It was always four or five other guys too.”
Nurse also mentioned his experiences with the Toronto Raptors during the interview. Kawhi Leonard missed 22 games in Toronto’s championship season in 2018-19, but the Raptors managed an impressive 15-7 record without their centerpiece. Nurse credited Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet for the success, while the 2024-25 Sixers conversely didn’t have comparable secondary contributors healthy last season.
If the Sixers can lean on a more formidable identity with Maxey, Edgecombe, and the backcourt playing a faster tempo, they’ll survive more games without the advantage of Embiid’s superstar skill set. Adem Bona has already shown promise as a frontcourt option who plays with good pace to spell Embiid and account for his teammate’s absences.
McCain and Paul George already started the season on the sidelines. Losing a promising 21-year-old and a nine-time NBA All-Star will undoubtedly drag any roster down, but the Sixers hope to develop the resiliency required to overcome what looked like dire circumstances entering the season.
