3 Sixers Takeaways: Is Everyone (Finally) Healthy?

The Philadelphia 76ers returned home after Disney On Ice booted them from Xfinity Mobile Arena for a five-game holiday road trip. A depleted opponent on Monday and a struggling opponent on Wednesday set the Sixers up to cruise with a suddenly healthy lineup.

That's why they play the games.

The 2023 NBA champs traveled to Philadelphia with a shorthanded lineup, but they took roster decisions to an extreme.

The Nuggets dressed only nine total players. Without Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray to lean on, they somehow jumped out to an 8-2 start. The Sixers passed on opportunities to shake themselves awake and recover.

Jalen Pickett dropped 29 points in Denver’s stunning overtime upset.

Tyrese Maxey wasted an opportunity for a dramatic game-winning shot in the final seconds. He dribbled too much of the remaining game clock away with the shot clock unplugged. He never drove toward the basket and instead left the seemingly easy victory up to an overtime coin flip.

Philadelphia fans took out their negative energy on a bizarre national television broadcast that seated color commentators along the sidelines with fans.

The 10-25 Wizards didn’t seem to pose much of a threat either. The Sixers learned their lesson, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and forcing Washington into an early timeout.

Nick Nurse flashed an interesting rotation with potential to continue given a healthy Sixers lineup. The home team cruised to victory behind Joel Embiid. The Big Fella led all scorers with 28 points on an impressive 10-14 final line from the field.

It had been over two calendar years since the 76ers had a clean injury report.

Nick Nurse optimistically awaited Kelly Oubre Jr. And Trendon Watford returning to the lineup against the Wizards. Although the two rotational players will face minutes restrictions in the upcoming games, a full lineup helped the head coach breathe easy.

Maxey, Embiid, and Paul George have played five consecutive games together. The Sixers are unsurprisingly 4-1 with the advantage of good health from their big three for the first time since George signed in the summer of 2024.

VJ Edgecombe has progressed through a nagging calf issue in the early part of his rookie season to emerge with the big three as a lineup centerpiece.

Nurse is developing the flexibility to make decisions without handcuffs. A healthy Embiid – like at so many other points in franchise history – monumentally impacts the team’s outlook. The embattled seven-footer has allowed Maxey to control the ball as Philadelphia’s go-to guy. Embiid has also focused on a play-making role. He’s racked up 23 assists during his streak of five consecutive starts.

The chatter about Maxey’s outstanding first half of 2025-26 usually centers around his scoring or his incredible workload. He sits third in the NBA with 31.0 points per game behind only Luca Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The sixth-year guard leads the Association averaging 40 minutes through 32 games.

Nick Nurse, however, shifted the focus to another aspect of the game.

When Maxey first broke into the NBA in 2020-21, he struggled to meet the physical demands against grown men at the professional level. While his athleticism and offense pushed him into Philadelphia’s rotation almost immediately, questions about his defensive limitations followed him through the early years of his career. Meanwhile, two-time All-NBA defender Ben Simmons sat at the top of the depth chart.

A lot has changed since then.

Maxey has showcased his dynamic speed to force turnovers. He sits tied with OG Anunoby for fourth in the NBA with 1.8 steals per game. He’s narrowly above the NBA median with a 114.0 defensive rating, measuring points the Sixers allow per 100 possessions with Maxey on the floor.

The Sixers rank 14th in the NBA in team defensive rating, so their workhorse Maxey still has room for improvement in the frontcourt. However, a recent blockbuster trade provided possibly the best contrast to represent an alternate path that Maxey has avoided.

The Atlanta Hawks had trouble offloading defensive liability Trae Young despite a history of dynamic scoring. Young ranks 321st of 323 qualified players in defensive rating this season. He became a member of the Wizards just minutes after the clock hit zero in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

The schedule-makers handed the Sixers the perfect opportunity to visit Orlando, Florida during the January cold. If you're not as fortunate, head to Center City with Bill Colarulo for the Sixers-Magic watch party at Lucy's.

They'll bounce back north for a pair of two-game sets after the Friday night tip.

Advanced Stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and ESPN Analytics, through 32 games