By Adam Aaronson

Copyright phillyvoice

Last week, we published our second annual PhillyVoice preseason Sixers survey, attempting to take the temperature of a frustrated fan base before another pivotal year for the organization.

The response was overwhelming, with 736 responses in all – more than double the turnout before last year’s nightmarish campaign.

Before the season begins with Media Day on Friday, we will have a pair of stories unpacking the results of the survey with analysis mixed in.

Up first: gauging the mood of fans when it comes to Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse, Quentin Grimes, VJ Edgecombe, Johni Broome and more…

Were you pleased or frustrated that the Sixers brought back President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse?

I was stunned to see more than two of every three respondents pleased to have Morey back, particularly because of how frustrated a large contingent of Sixers fans online has grown with the team’s lead decision-maker. About three in four respondents supporting Nurse’s return is less surprising; nobody was pleased with his performance last year but it would be difficult to argue a better coach would have gotten anything good out of that situation.

How much faith do you have in Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse being capable of leading the Sixers to a championship? (1: no faith, 5: complete faith)

I know this is a challenging question to answer and expected this sort of distribution. It would be imprudent to suggest they cannot do it; Nurse has won a championship before and Morey has gotten close as many times as anyone. But they are fighting an uphill battle now; the skew toward a lack of confidence makes sense.

How much did you pay attention to the Sixers in the final two months of the 2024-25 season?

God bless those 58 people.

How did you feel about the idea of the Sixers drafting VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before and after it happened?

There seems to be true optimism surrounding Edgecombe; perhaps the fact that he was the reward of such a miserable season that almost netted no first-round pick is part of the reason why. I would be intrigued to know which prospect about one out of four respondents would have chosen over Edgecombe. Perhaps Ace Bailey?

About two out of three respondents graded the Edgecombe pick in the A-range. What about the next player the Sixers drafted?

How would you grade the Sixers’ selection of Johni Broome at No. 35 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Given how frequently Sixers fans have clamored for the team to take NBA-ready players with impressive collegiate careers, I was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm surrounding Broome, a player who fits that description perfectly. Broome’s Summer League performances were not very good in games that people watched; by the time he got going most people had tuned out what was going on in Las Vegas.

How would you grade the Sixers’ signings in free agency?

Most people liked the Sixers’ first signing of free agency. They were not fond of the team bringing back a pair of veteran guards:

• Trendon Watford: two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with a team option in the second season

• Eric Gordon: one-year, veteran’s minimum contract

• Kyle Lowry: one-year, veteran’s minimum contract

How do you feel about Quentin Grimes as a player in the aftermath of his scoring breakout with the Sixers?

Media Day is in three days. Grimes is still unsigned. It is suboptimal. There is no doubt, though, that once the Sixers and Grimes find common ground the 25-year-old guard should slot into a critical rotation role. But there is plenty of skepticism that the dynamic three-level scoring chops he displayed with the Sixers will carry over into a more serious environment.

What is your level of concern that Grimes is still unsigned? (1: not concerned at all, 5: extremely concerned)

These responses reflect much less concern than I expected to see, and I still think it is a bit too much. Yes, Grimes still not having a deal this close to the season is very alarming, but everyone should remember that he remains a restricted free agent with no market. Unless he takes the qualifying offer in the next week or so, the Sixers will end up securing a multi-year deal with Grimes at a team-friendly rate.

How has your opinion of Grimes changed as his restricted free agency has dragged along for months?

I did my best in the weeks leading up to free agency to warn everyone about the potential for this situation to drag on for an excruciatingly long time (not that I expected Grimes’ free agency to last this long). It should not alter anyone’s perceptions of Grimes as a player that he is doing everything he can to maximize his first trip to free agency, even if the deck is stacked against him.