CAMDEN, N.J. — By this point of a topsy-turvy season, it’s clear a large portion of the Philadelphia 76ers’ future rests in the hands of point guard Tyrese Maxey and rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe. It’s almost equally clear that the duo will have a chance to be one of the very best backcourts in the NBA, particularly when Edgecombe matures into his career.
When the Sixers begin their first-round matchup Sunday against the Boston Celtics, they will likely need that timeline to accelerate a bit. That’s if the series is going to be competitive. Overall, Philadelphia is facing a tall task. The Celtics have been one of the best teams in the league for a significant chunk of the year. They are a battle-tested, championship core, with a real chance of winning a second title in three years.
Without star center Joel Embiid for Game 1, a dynamic and young backcourt will be relied on like never before. Maxey and Edgecombe are Philadelphia’s best — and possibly only — hope at a matchup advantage, even if Boston’s backcourt is deep, talented and dynamic. The 76ers have been leaning on Maxey and Edgecombe all season. But, with the lights about to intensify, they will need to give even more.
“They have obviously had a huge responsibility for us on both sides of the floor this season,” Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said. “Those two guys are really important to what we do. They’ve developed a nice little synergy and chemistry together. They are going to have the ball a lot. They are going to take a lot of shots, and be at the center of a lot of our schemes. I think that’s a good thing for us.”
Nurse confirmed Embiid will miss at least Game 1, as he recovers from an emergency appendectomy. The 76ers are hoping he returns at some point in the series, but there isn’t anything concrete on his status beyond Sunday. He did make a surprise appearance at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday night, as the 76ers qualified for the playoffs with a 109-97 win over the Orlando Magic. He sat on the bench, adorned in a black sweatsuit, and appeared to be in good spirits.
Embiid would have been an important figure in a series against Boston because he would’ve been the one factor the Celtics didn’t have an answer for. Embiid’s ability to score, command defensive gravity and manipulate a game could have posed real problems for Boston. Without that dynamic, it puts more of an onus on Maxey and Edgecombe. And, it puts more of a responsibility on them to create additional advantages in a half-court setting.
Maxey has been terrific this season. He’s averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game. He’s on track to make All-NBA for the first time in his career. From day one, he has taken ownership of the roster and dragged the 76ers to success in a season that’s largely seen Embiid and Paul George sidelined. He’s been the heart of the Sixers. He’s had arguably the best season of any Philadelphia point guard since the 2001 version of Allen Iverson. Maxey was miserable last season, as the year went off the rails early and the 76ers were never able to recover.
His improvements this season were noticeable. He’s played to spots more than ever. He’s always been a walking paint touch off the dribble, but he’s now figured out how to be both fast and in control at the same time. He’s learned the cerebral side of the game from his mentor, James Harden. But his mentality and toughness this season have also come a long way.
“Being in the playoffs means everything,” Maxey said. “It means everything, man. The way last season went, I just didn’t want to have that feeling again. I challenged myself last summer, and I feel like I rose to that challenge. We’re here now, and we’re in the playoffs and that’s what matters the most.”
As good as Maxey has been this season, the upcoming series presents a new set of challenges. Harden is no longer with the 76ers, and Embiid is injured. George is 35 years old and not what he used to be. Edgecombe is still young and callow. So, Maxey enters a playoff series as the unquestioned No. 1 option for the first time in his career.
He did it in the regular season and achieved new heights. Now, against one of the best defenses in the league, and against perhaps the best coach in the league in Joe Mazzulla, Maxey is going to have to lead as the 76ers’ best player. After the Sixers practiced Friday morning, George downplayed the responsibility placed on Maxey and Edgecombe.
“It’s on all of us to put them in a good position to lead,” George said.
That’s a fair opinion. And, indeed, George will be tasked with a huge responsibility of his own, because he and Kelly Oubre will be the ones dealing with Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But when the 76ers need a big shot or a big play, it’s going to be Maxey with the basketball. When the 76ers need someone to take on possessions with Maxey off the floor, they will turn to Edgecombe. When the Sixers need a big defensive stop on the perimeter, George and Edgecombe will be tasked with getting it.
We still remember Edgecombe’s NBA debut at TD Garden, a 34-point masterpiece in the regular-season opener. Now, he makes his playoff debut on the same floor. He’s been one of the best three rookies in the league this season, and arguably the best rookie defender in the league. A year ago, team executive Daryl Morey deliberated between drafting Edgecombe or Ace Bailey, who eventually went to the Utah Jazz. A year later, Edgecombe has established himself as a player with a star ceiling. How he responds to his first playoff experience will say a lot about Philadelphia’s viability in the series. And as the 76ers begin another series as a significant underdog, Friday’s message was a simple one.
Go to Boston, compete, play as hard as possible, and go from there.
“That’s about it,” Nurse said. “We’re just zeroed in on trying to see if we can go in there and get ready to battle and fight and execute as best we can.”
