Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
The 76ers’ bench erupted in applause and several players turned toward Washington Wizards fans who had taunted them early in the final period of regulation. Their teammates, shepherded by Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes, had trailed by as many as 17 points before forcing overtime and earning a 139-134, come-from-behind victory in overtime Tuesday night. As Grimes later tweeted, the vibes were high. Coincidentally, so are the expectations now that the Sixers have done an about-face and sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. A big reason for that is the backcourt combination of Maxey, Grimes, and VJ Edgecombe along with the surprising health of Joel Embiid. Nothing about this season has played out as expected, so we decided to take a look at some of the numbers behind the Sixers’ surge. 25.3 New average age Daryl Morey was determined to get younger this offseason. The Sixers’ president of basketball operations had gone all-in on contending the previous year and leaned too hard on experience, bringing in veterans Paul George, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond, among others, in the summer of 2024. Players like Kyle Lowry were already on the roster. That group had an average age of 27.1, which was the 20th-oldest team in the league. The year before that, the Sixers had an average age of 28.4. The team is now being led by youth, with 24-year-old Maxey, 20-year-old Edgecombe and 25-year-old Grimes largely leading the team from the backcourt. Meanwhile, Trendon Watford, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, and Justin Edwards in the frontcourt are all younger than 25. 28 The expectation was that Embiid and George would take their time and play for the Sixers once they reached full strength. Embiid had given every indication that he felt rushed in previous years and did not plan to repeat that cycle. So it was surprising when he made his preseason debut on Oct. 17 and appeared primed to star in the Sixers’ Oct. 22 season opener. » READ MORE: The Sixers aren’t surprised by their hot start. But everyone else is — and for good reason. It appeared that Embiid had erred in judgment after his debut. He played 20 minutes in that game and produced only four points, shooting 1-for-9 and looking unprepared. He has recovered in his two games since, playing 21.5 minutes in each and collecting 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. What’s more, when adjusted, his per 36 minutes numbers mirror previous All-Star seasons. This is a small sample size and the season is still young, but Embiid has been productive in limited minutes. 37.5 Maxey showed during his rookie season that this was possible. Then a 20-year-old backup, he scored 39 points in the 10th game of his NBA career. He added a 30-point performance to end the season, then scored 16 against the Atlanta Hawks in a postseason win. He has since become a staple in Philly, earning the starting job, becoming an All-Star, and, now, leading the NBA in scoring at 37.5 points per game. In four games, he has scored 40-plus points twice and is averaging 43.0 minutes per game. Neither number is likely sustainable, but this start to the season has put the league on notice and placed Maxey in early MVP conversations. 41.9 This is a key stat for a team coached by Nick Nurse and constructed by Morey, a champion of analytics who pushed for players to focus on layups and threes and shunned the midrange game. In past years, Nurse likewise has pushed for his players to shoot more threes and do so at a high clip. Their enthusiasm hasn’t always translated to the court. The Sixers shot 34.1% from three last year and 36.3 in 2023-24. For now, they lead the NBA at 41.9% and every starter takes more than five three-pointers per game. In fact, of those five players, only Embiid is shooting below 40% from deep. 89 Edgecombe started off with a bang, creating a bit of history with his 34-point debut against the Boston Celtics, which was the most points scored in a player’s first game since Philly legend Wilt Chamberlain. He has produced 89 points in four games, which rates in the top 10 for points by a rookie in his first four starts since 1999-2000. Who is No. 1? Jared McCain from last season with 103. 123.8 Opponents’ points per game The Sixers could be even better. While they rate in the top five in most advanced offensive stats — including offensive rating, true shooting percentage and free throws per field-goal attempt — they sit near the bottom of the league on defense. Their opponents shoot a solid percentage and rarely turn the ball over. That should improve as Embiid returns to form and Edgecombe settles into his role as a two-way player. 150 Mad Maxey Finally, the stat that inspired this story. Maxey has played so well that he deserved more real estate. Maxey’s 150 points in four games to start the season placed the Sixers star in elite company. Other players to complete the feat: Michael Jordan, Jerry West, and Russell Westbrook. That’s it. That’s the list.
