Copyright phillyvoice
CAMDEN, N.J. -- On Friday morning, the Sixers officially began their 2025-26 season by holding their annual Media Day, where the press had access to the team's roster as well as its two key decision-makers.Media Day always carries a classic "first day of school" sort of vibe, but the reality is nearly the entire roster has been in town getting work in for a few weeks now.With a truncated training camp caused by the team's upcoming preseason trip to Abu Dhabi, anything extra will help. And after the calamity that was the 2024-25 Sixers season, everyone is ready to turn the page.In the first Sixers soundbites of 2025-26, here's one quote to know from every person to speak at Media Day:• President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey on why he believes the team could benefit from better injury luck moving forward:“I think, frankly, some injuries are fluky, right? I mean, Jared's couldn't have been more fluky, you're going to have those, and we're still working with doctors to see when he'll be back. I think one of the reasons why it was good for you to hear from all the players -- we thought it was best for you to hear from all the players, especially our key players -- we're in constant consultation with them and doctors, and they're going to be -- they're working their asses off to get back out there. And there are still a few boxes to be checked, as you heard from them. But it won't be for lack of trying. They're going to be out there… Youth generally does help injuries. Obviously Jared’s yesterday, he’s young. But youth generally have fewer injuries, and we’re right there. I think we’re tied for number of players under 25 in the league at 10 or 11, something like that. So we did want to inject a lot of youth into this roster so we can manage through injuries better as well.”• Head coach Nick Nurse on how the team can better combat injuries when they do occur:"Almost every time there's another injury or something, a game missed or whatever it is -- I think that Daryl mentions the youth that we have. I think we talked about being a little more athletic, a little faster, a little younger, a little quicker up and down the floor, and maintaining a style of play, [regardless of] whether who's in or who's out. Next guy's got to plug in there and be able to fit in with the system and create the system like we want to do. We need to run better. I know that sounds kind of basic, but we need to be able to run back better so we can get our defense set. We need to be able to use that same speed and quickness to push forward better… Part two would be, I think mentally, everybody's got to understand this is where we are. We know there's going to be games missed. Every team has players missing games and we need to just be able to forge forward immediately… Let's make sure that the style of play and the effort, being prepared to go play the game, all that stuff stays at a really high level."• Joel Embiid on how much different he feels now than at this time last year:"Obviously, this time last year, I think, going into training camp, I didn't really know what was possible and what I was going to be able to do, which I didn't end up doing much. This time it's a different story. Mentally, I feel better. I got great people around me. That's all that matters. So they keep me up, staying positive, and obviously it helps when you're in a different situation than you were a year ago at this time right before training camp. So it's a good start. Yeah, and we’ve just got to keep going.”• Paul George on his comfort level playing more power forward:"If you asked me about this 10 years ago, I wouldn't have been a fan of it. But today's game, man, there's not real fours like there used to be. So, and at this point in my career, we [can] let the young guys go out and play the wing positions. We got great defenders in [Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes], you know? I know where I'm at in my career. I can adjust and play at the four spot, give extra ball-handling on the floor, better spacing. So I'm very comfortable playing at the four spot this year, with being kind of a point forward type of style in Nick’s offense.”• Tyrese Maxey on adjustments he has made personally since the end of last season:"The biggest thing that I've done personally is focusing on mental health... I'd never lost in my career, so it was good for me to go through that and become a better leader... This year, we definitely plan on being better."• VJ Edgecombe on recently meeting NBA legend Dwyane Wade, a player he has been compared to before:"Yeah, it was definitely my first time meeting him. He's a great person, you know. I've seen him before, but he obviously didn't see me. But to actually meet him for the first time, someone I looked up to my whole life, especially in the basketball world, it was like a kid moment for me. It was like my inner kid coming out. So, just smiles and all that. But he's a great person. He tells me anytime I need something to reach out, or any advice or anything like that. Like you said, I'’ve been compared to him a lot. But I learned from everybody and I just try to take bits and pieces of his game."• Johni Broome on his first impressions of Embiid:"He's great. He practiced the other day and I had to guard him. He kind of scored a couple in a row. But you know, that's what you would expect: you play good defense and he has better offense. That’s the type of player he is. But I'm glad that I'm going against him in practice and I'm going to have him on my side during the year because he's a great, great person to learn from. And he's very open to talk to you about things that you need to improve on and things like that."• Kelly Oubre Jr. on his adjustment midway through last season and playing at a slower pace as a driver:"My trainer, Drew [Hanlen], and I, we actually attacked that very hard this summer: just slowing down. Because he showed me a montage of my lowlights from last year, and it was all me just going 100 miles an hour, kind of brainless. So working on just slowing the game down, making the proper reads, shooting good shots, not bad shots, and just making my game look better, because I have the talent, I have the skill. It's just about putting it all together and slowing down in order for it to look digestible for fans and everybody. So, yeah, that's a big emphasis still, because that's the evolution of my game. I'm going into year 11, but I'm still developing like I'm in year one, which in my head, I'm always going to be a beginner to stay a student of the game."• Andre Drummond on what he's noticed from Adem Bona's development after taking the young center under his wing:"There was nothing wrong with Adem's game, it was more his confidence... [The difference between now and then] is night and day."• Adem Bona on the quote above:"Yeah, that's a great assessment by him. I think over the year, my confidence has grown [because of] the playing time, the belief of my coaching staff, and also just playing more games, being out there, it builds confidence. It gives you the sense of feeling that you belong, you know? So I would say that helped build my confidence."• Kyle Lowry on the Sixers' group of young players:"We have really good young guys and they have this, this open and happiness and the spirit that's just, like, pureness, right? They love basketball, they want to work, they get in the gym early, they listen to the coaches, they listen to the small advice I give to them. You know, even a guy like Bona, look what he just did. A silver medal for Turkey in EuroBasket, that was unbelievable experience for him. And these guys are just looking forward to how to get better. A guy like Trendon Watford, he's bounced around a little bit, but now he's trying to figure it out, he's starting to find his niche. These guys really want to play basketball, and they love the game of basketball, and they want to provide, win at a high level, and get an opportunity to, you know, get paid for doing their job."• Eric Gordon on his early impressions of Edgecombe from their international experience together:"When I knew he was going to be a high draft pick is when we played together for the Bahamian national team a couple of years ago. Superb athleticism, great kid, always looking forward to learning and trying to be the best. And he'll have his chance the way he keeps his attitude where it's at. And I think he's going to be a great player. Early on, before then, I knew he would be really good. But when we were teammates in the Bahamian national team, I was like, ‘he'll be here real soon.’"• Trendon Watford on reuniting with former teammate Jabari Walker:"It's just great to see him, three years later now, all used to the NBA now. And obviously he had three good years in Portland, and now he's looking to take advantage of his opportunity again. Just being his teammate back then, I know how hard he worked. Obviously, he's a great rebounder, energetic guy, can shoot it, can do a lot of things on the floor. So it's another full-circle moment with us being back on the same team."• Jabari Walker on reuniting with former teammate Trendon Watford:"Just him being a big guard, his pace, his physicality, never really rushed. I think that's something I'd like to take from his game. Just him as a person, goofy, we've always connected. So I think we just built that connection and he's somebody I can talk to."• Justin Edwards on how much more comfortable and confident he feels now than he did at this time last year:"I feel a lot more confident, honestly. I know what they expect from me. I know what I have to do for our team and for myself. So I feel a lot more confident going into training camp and this season."• Dominick Barlow on playing for a team so close to his home state of New Jersey:"Being so close to home, it's been surreal, having all of my family and friends call me and tell me they're coming to this game, they're coming to that game. So trying to figure that out now so that's not a thing during the season… It’s a blessing to be able to be so close to home where I grew up and play basketball here in this city."• Hunter Sallis on why he wanted to go undrafted and sign a two-way deal with the Sixers rather than get picked late in the second round:"Their history with other undrafted guys. Nurse is a great coach, a great guy. And there's just great people around this program, and that was something I wanted to be a part of."Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdamFollow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
