After a down year, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to bounce back in a big way this season.
The team was hit with the injury bug last season as Jared McCain, Joel Embiid and Paul George all missed significant time.
Once the 76ers realized they weren’t going to make the playoffs, they focused their attention on the NBA Draft Lottery and tanked the rest of the way.
Philadelphia ended up lucking out and they received the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft where they selected guard VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe will step into a big role with the 76ers this season.
Tyrese Maxey says VJ Edgecombe ‘works his tail off’ and ‘wants to be good’
Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe will be a part of Philadelphia’s guard rotation for this upcoming season.
The 76ers hope the two of them can develop great chemistry and become a dynamic guard duo under coach Nick Nurse.
Maxey is already excited about playing with Edgecombe and he shared his thoughts on the rookie on the Philly Take with RB Podcast.
“I like him. His charisma is a good, he’s a good guy, a good kid, but he works his tail off, man.
“He asks questions. He wants to be good. And those are type of players you want to be around, players that really want to be great, want to win games, want to compete, want to do whatever it takes to help the organization become successful,” he added.
“We got blessed to be able to get him at three, and I think he’ll do something. I think the franchise will really appreciate him.”
Philadelphia 76ers’ playoff hopes hinge on Joel Embiid’s health
After a disastrous 2024-25 season, the biggest question heading into this season for the 76ers is the health status of Embiid.
The 2023 MVP has appeared in more than 65 regular-season games just twice in his career.
Most recently, he played in just 19 games as he was dealing with lingering left knee injuries which forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery in April.
However, the 76ers recently shared footage of Embiid practicing without a knee brace, which is a good sign ahead of training camp.
If Embiid can stay healthy, the 76ers have the pieces to make some noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
