Copyright phillyvoice
Only three teams in the NBA are undefeated with at least four wins after a week of action in the 2025-26 regular season. Not surprisingly, the defending champions are 5-0; it still appears nearly impossible to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. The San Antonio Spurs are 4-0 because it appears that Victor Wembanyama has solved basketball. And then there are the 4-0 Philadelphia 76ers, who have trailed by double-digits in the fourth quarter on three occasions already and come out on top every single time. The Sixers are making waves. Where are they landing in updated power rankings? Time to find out: NBA.com: 18 (no change from last week) No chance in ranking feels harsh, but to be fair to John Schuhmann, his rankings were published before the Sixers swept a back-to-back against the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. Schuhmann was right to focus on VJ Edgecombe and his historic NBA debut: "VJ Edgecombe’s 34 points in Boston were the most for a player in his NBA debut in the last 66 years. Over the [first] two games, Edgecombe shot 12-for-19 (63%) in the paint, a strong mark for a 6-foot-4 guard. It will be huge if he can keep his paint shooting over 60%, because he’s got some burst (in the halfcourt and in transition) and moves well without the ball." [NBA.com] After the Sixers' most challenging comeback yet, Schuhmann posted one hell of a stat: The Sixers have shown a level of resilience early on this season that very clearly did not exist last year, whether Joel Embiid is in the game or on the bench. Tyrese Maxey has played like a superstar tone-setter. MORE: Early returns on Sixers' three-guard lineups are strong ESPN: 9 (+10 from last week) Just a year ago, Tim Bontemps writes, the Sixers looked miserable as they endured a nightmarish start to what became a "doomed" season. Things have changed: "Now, the 76ers have possibly the league's most explosive backcourt in Maxey and Edgecombe. Embiid is playing (albeit on a minutes limit), Paul George (knee) and Jared McCain (thumb) aren't far away from returning, and the 76ers are leading the East with a pristine 4-0 record." [ESPN] How exactly Sixers head coach Nick Nurse fits in George and McCain without disrupting the flow of what the team has going right now will be critical, but both players should clearly be additive. The Sixers' defensive limitations are particularly obvious early on; the nine-time All-Star George should be a major help there. MORE: How will Sixers look when George and McCain rejoin rotation? USA Today: 13 (+7 from last week) Lorenzo Reyes is right to point out Embiid still not looking like his best self because, to a large degree, the Sixers' championship hopes hinge on him finding peak form again. That the Sixers are where they are with a limited version of their franchise cornerstone says a whole lot: "The best news for Philadelphia is that its solid play has come with Joel Embiid mostly limited. The bad news is that Embiid is still dealing with health issues, though his 25-point showing Tuesday was a positive development." [USA Today] Embiid's defense on Tuesday was clearly suboptimal, but it got a bit better as the game went on. His offense was far and away the best it has been across any of his three appearances this season. THE SIXERS ARE 4-0 (INSTANT OBSERVATIONS) Sixers 117, Celtics 116 | Hornets 121, Sixers 125 Magic 124, Sixers 136 | Sixers 139, Wizards 134 (OT) Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
