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  • Brandon Marsh learned a lot clawing out of his last slump. He’s relying on those lessons to get right again.

    Brandon Marsh learned a lot clawing out of his last slump. He’s relying on those lessons to get right again.

    MIAMI — While Don Mattingly dissected the Phillies’ loss Tuesday night in the visiting manager’s office at loanDepot Park, his postgame comments were periodically interrupted by the crack of bat meeting ball.

    The window next to his desk overlooked the batting cage, and behind the closed blinds, several Phillies players were getting in some extra swings. Brandon Marsh was one of them.

    The team had just fallen to the Marlins, 1-0, in a four-hit effort. Marsh had gone 0-for-4, dropping his batting average, which had once led the majors, to .280.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    That number next to his name has been in steady free fall since the All-Star break, as Marsh finds himself in the first prolonged slump of his season. In 82 at-bats in July, the left fielder has a .146 batting average and .442 OPS. His struggles have gone along with the Phillies’, as they have a 3-9 record since the break.

    Two weeks removed from being one of the Phillies’ three All-Star starters, Marsh has lost his everyday role. His struggles against lefties have returned; in July, he has a 48% strikeout rate and .330 OPS against left-handed pitching.

    “Marshy’s just been struggling. I mean, that’s pretty clear,” Mattingly said.

    Brandon Marsh was batting .301 going into his first All-Star Game on July 14. He’s hitting .116 since.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Marsh is not a stranger to this. Last April, he found rock bottom. It was a slump so deep it overshadowed the career season he went on to put together over the next five months. But as he clawed his way out of it, he learned a lot about himself.

    “Just keep grinding, man,” Marsh said. “Just gotta keep going. Baseball’s a hard game. Even the best fail more than they succeed, so you just gotta keep going.”

    Marsh couldn’t identify one thing that has been going wrong for him with his approach at the plate this month. But his line drive rate has dropped from 24.4% across the first three months of the season to 11.1% in July.

    Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    Accordingly, his ground ball rate (47.2%) and fly ball rate (41.5%) have spiked.

    It all contributes to a .176 batting average on balls in play this month. BABIP measures how often balls put in the field of play result in hits, excluding strikeouts and home runs from the calculation. And it’s been one of Marsh’s biggest strengths not just this season, but since he broke into the league.

    Luck can be one contributor to a high BABIP, but Marsh has sustained a .368 career marker, which places him behind only Ty Cobb (.378) among MLB hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances. The MLB average this season is .290.

    In other words, Marsh historically has a knack for hitting the ball where defenders aren’t, but it just hasn’t been happening for him in July. (The only month in his entire career in which Marsh had a lower BABIP than this one? That would be the aforementioned March/April 2025, when it was .115.)

    “Those pitchers are good, man. So you just gotta keep going,” Marsh said. “Yeah, maybe swinging a little bit too much out of the zone, could tone it back a little bit, but I’ve also hit a lot of those pitches in my career. Just going through a little grind right now. We’ll be all right.”

    After Marsh’s extra work in the cage postgame on Tuesday, he snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a single off Marlins starter Jacob Gusto on Wednesday. He chased a pitch well below the zone to do it, but it resulted in a line drive to center that found some grass.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    It contributed to the Phillies’ early six-run rally against Miami, which they ultimately coughed up to lose 8-6 in their latest deflating defeat. In his two plate appearances after the hit, Marsh grounded out and struck out on a fastball above the strike zone.

    “With him, like anybody else, we got to just keep working through it,” Mattingly said. “Probably his first prolonged struggle this year, so he’s going to come out of it, too. We just keep working and make sure he stays in a good head space, and keeps moving forward in this situation.”

    The work remains the same. That’s one thing Marsh learned from last season: to keep moving forward and not to dwell on failure, or even success. Earlier this year, when he was leading the majors in batting average, he reminded himself not to focus too much on it. The nature of baseball is that everyone cools off at some point.

    “Nobody’s going to remember this little stretch of his if he gets hot and down the stretch, he’s helping us win games,” interim manager Don Mattingly (right) says of Marsh.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    But just like he knew then he would slump again, Marsh knows now he will find his way out of it.

    “There’s going to be a light at this end of this, and it’s going to get going again,” Mattingly said. “So we got to make sure we stay in that space, and because he’s not getting anything that’s happened at this point back, good or bad. So it’s really what happens. Nobody’s going to remember this little stretch of his if he gets hot and down the stretch, he’s helping us win games. You get past it.”

  • How Bucks County pool player Steve Markle mastered the art of the trick shot

    How Bucks County pool player Steve Markle mastered the art of the trick shot

    At 13 years old, Steve Markle asked his parents for a not-so-typical gift for his age — a pool table. Bill Markle, his father, asked his son if he was going to use it, and Steve assured him he would.

    “Pool tables are good for storage and being in the way,” Bill recalled saying to his wife when Steve asked.

    The Bucks County native was first interested in pool after spending long summer mornings playing stickball. One of his friends had a pool table in his basement, and they would play in the afternoons to cool off.

    Steve eventually convinced his father to get him a pool table, so Bill took him to Kmart and bought him a seven-foot wooden table. Steve and his friends started making trick shot videos and posting them on YouTube. One night, Steve showed his parents one of the videos.

    Steve Markle began practicing trick shots at the age of 13.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    “We were taken aback at what he did,” Bill said. “We were like, ‘Did you really do that?’”

    That shock and surprise continued for the Markles as Steve’s career has taken off in ways they could have never imagined.

    “This game has been able to open up so many doors for me that I never thought would be open,” Steve said.

    Steve Markle, now 34, is Pennsylvania’s only professional artistic pool player and is ranked No. 1 in the United States by the Billiard Congress of America and No. 9 in the world by the World Pool Association. His trick-shot videos on social media have garnered more than 175 million views.

    Starting pool

    The Archbishop Ryan graduate’s introduction to artistic pool was random, he said.

    He was shooting pool with his dad at a restaurant in Penndel when an older gentleman approached him and showed him a trick shot where he made four balls in one shot.

    That same day, he ran over to his friend’s house and showed him the trick.

    “I brought that back to him and was like ‘You’ve got to see this; look what I just learned,’” Markle recalled.

    From national champion to pro lacrosse star: Delco’s Andrew McMeekin excels beyond the faceoff

    Before long, he was spending nearly every day practicing on his pool table and filming videos with his friend. By 16, he competed in his first trick-shot tournament in New Jersey.

    Artistic pool is one of the sport’s smallest niches, Markle said. Professional pool players must master 124 designated trick shots, with just three attempts allowed at each shot during competition.

    Markle’s sketches of his new trick shots. He is organizing the 2026 WPA World Artistic Pool this fall.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    “To be good and consistent and give yourself a chance to win these tournaments, you really have to be consistent with all 124 shots because at a tournament you only get three attempts at each,” Markle said.

    The sport features six federations across the world, with the Billiard Congress of America in the U.S. The sport has two smaller events, U.S. Nationals and the Premier Billiards Masters Artistic Pool Championship, which are open tournaments and anyone can compete. Competitors qualify for the World Championship through smaller tournaments before earning a spot in the competition, which Markle compared to the Super Bowl for artistic pool players.

    Taking a break

    Markle competed professionally from 2008 to 2016 before deciding to take a break to join the police academy for Temple’s Ambler location.

    “Police academy teaches you a lot about people and life skills,” Steve said. “The physical training you have to go through, it pushes you a lot.”

    Markle worked part-time police jobs in Solebury Township and Bristol Borough before joining the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, where he still actively serves.

    Steve Markle competed professionally from 2008 to 2016 before deciding to take a break.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Living in a one-bedroom apartment without room for his pool table and working a demanding job made competing professionally nearly impossible, he said.

    In 2023, he and his wife bought a house with enough room for his pool table, so he picked it back up. That break made all the difference in his professional career.

    Getting back into it

    The seven-year break was pivotal for his development, he said. In his second tournament back — the 2023 U.S. National — he ended up winning.

    “I never expected to come back and the same year end up winning a tournament,” Markle said. “That was something I had been trying to do since 2008, and when I won I was like all right, I’m back and definitely stronger.”

    Much of his growth was in the mental side of the game. He credits his time away from the sport and his experience as a police officer in strengthening his composure under pressure.

    Steve Markle’s medals from professional trick-shot competitions.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    “Patience and composure are the two things this sport has really taught me,” he said. “That correlates to life as a police officer because we have to stay calm in a lot of situations.”

    During June’s U.S. Nationals in West Virginia, Markle had to make one last shot to force a playoff for a chance to win the tournament. He missed the shot twice, and had one more attempt. He made the third attempt and went on to win the tournament.

    “I’m more calm,” he said. “If I miss a shot, I don’t let it get to me because my mental game is a lot stronger now. I stay more composed. Back in the day if a crucial shot came up, I may have missed it and I would’ve let it get to me, now I just brush it off.”

    Making the game go viral

    For many people, pool is synonymous with smokey dive bars, Markle said, but it has grown into so much more. The sport has continued to expand through amateur organizations, like the American Poolplayers Association, while major networks have begun streaming professional events.

    “If ESPN wants to tag along with pool, that just means that the sport is continuing to grow,” Steve said.

    Part of that growth has come through social media, where Steve has gone viral with over 20,200 followers on Instagram and 34,700 on TikTok.

    He initially posted three-to-four minute trick-shot videos on YouTube, but realized as social media began to evolve, audiences wanted shorter, more engaging content. He adapted by posting individual trick shots and combining multiple shots into fast-paced videos.

    His most popular video, called “Man’s Best Friend Jump,” features his 85-pound golden retriever sitting on the pool table while Markle jumps a ball over the dog. One of his videos, he said, has gained more than 36 million views.

    The popularity on his social media comes from the accessibility and uniqueness of the sport, Markle said.

    “Trick shots are universal,” he said. “You don’t have to know a single thing about pool to understand what I’m doing in these trick shots. It’s entertainment.”

    Coming to Philadelphia

    Markle was supposed to compete in the 2026 world championship in South Africa, but logistical issues involving exporting the tournament’s pool tables forced organizers to find another location.

    “The door was open for me, and I’ve always thought about bringing the world championship to Philadelphia,” Markle said.

    He is organizing the 2026 WPA World Artistic Pool and WPA World Freestyle Artistic Pool championship at Bluegrass Billiards in Northeast Philadelphia from Oct. 1-4. The competition will feature competitors from 10 different countries.

    Hosting the event is significant for Markle because he will have the opportunity to compete for a world championship in his hometown while introducing something new to the Philadelphia sports scene.

    “For people who are pool players that follow me, they’re used to your normal eight or nine ball matches. But this is something different that I’m bringing to the city,” he said. “It’s fun, it’s engaging, and it’s different for them.”

  • Bryce Harper took the wrong approach. But that’s not saying he wasn’t completely right.

    Bryce Harper took the wrong approach. But that’s not saying he wasn’t completely right.

    Bryce Harper was right to be frustrated.

    He had the right diagnosis. He had the right prescription. He had the right motivation.

    He took the wrong approach.

    The first four of those things are the only ones that should matter to anybody invested in the Phillies’ approach to this year’s MLB trade deadline. That goes for the fan base and the members of the media, both social and mass.

    To the bloggers, the Twitterers and the TikTokers, the radio gabbers, the ink-stained goobers still typing with two hands, and to anybody else who has spent the last couple of days displacing their aggression upon a guy who desperately wants to win and has served honorably on the mission … let’s all heed the words of QB1 and “keep the main thing the main thing.”

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    The main thing is this: Harper is right.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper told reporters earlier this week. “But you know, I think we’ve proved pretty much all year we’ve done a pretty good job. But anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    The Phillies need all the help they can find. Rarely does a World Series contender arrive at August with this many holes. Dave Dombrowski will be doing his roster a massive disservice if he operates in triage mode. Starting pitching? Relief pitching? One outfielder? Two? Yes and yes and yes and yes. If the Phillies want to escape the slippery slope they are currently sliding down, they can’t afford to treat the deadline as an either-or proposition.

    “I think both,” Harper said when asked whether the Phillies need an arm or a bat. “Obviously, everybody knows what we need …”

    Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber has been one of baseball’s best power hitters. But the question is, how long can he sustain this?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Is it unrealistic to think that the Phillies can acquire everything they need over the next three days? Maybe. But they darn sure need to try. Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler — all are at points of their career where they may never be as good again as they are right now.

    Factor in Jesús Luzardo and Jhoan Duran and Cristopher Sánchez and the Phillies almost certainly will never have another season with this much individual dominance among their stars. That group alone is enough to give the Phillies a near-even chance in practically any playoff series. But they need to get there, and they need to do it with enough depth to win three or four series in a row.

    Brandon Marsh learned a lot clawing out of his last slump. He’s relying on those lessons to get right again.

    Unrealistic? Maybe not when considering how low the bar for improvement is. The Phillies entered Thursday with the lowest on-base percentage in the majors. There’s no mystery why they seem to struggle to score runs. The fewer men a team puts on base, the fewer of them can score.

    Harper sees it. Think about your frustration level when watching it on TV. Now think about how you’d feel if you were watching it from the dugout, or the on-deck circle, or while standing on second base.

    Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (right) has been a consistent threat but is in the throes of a slump.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The five most discouraging words in the human language are, “Now batting fifth, Edmundo Sosa.” The seven most discouraging words: “Now batting sixth, Bryan De La Cruz.” The Phillies lineup right now is Harper and Schwarber and a bunch of replacement-level players.

    That’s almost literally true, by the way.

    Besides Schwarber and Harper, the only two regulars with a positive offensive WAR are Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. The Phillies entered Thursday with MLB’s fourth-worst aggregate WAR among position players. That’s especially damning when you consider how good Harper and Schwarber have been. The only teams worse are the Mets, Rockies, and Reds. Just ahead of them are the Blue Jays and Angels. All will be selling off their rosters over the next few days.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    The Phillies shouldn’t need to bankrupt their system to bring in a line change at the trade deadline. Four years ago, they acquired Marsh, David Robertson, Noah Syndergaard, and Sosa midseason. Two years ago, they landed Austin Hays, Carlos Estevez, and Tanner Banks. Last year, they traded for Duran and Harrison Bader and also signed Robertson. Quantity is rarely an issue.

    Rarely has it been so sorely needed.

    The trade deadline’s dirty little secret is that it doesn’t matter nearly as much as everybody dreams it does. Baseball is too fluky a sport to expect two months of game-changing impact simply because you paid a high price. I would venture to guess that Dombrowski’s results haven’t been better or worse than the average GM.

    Former Phillies prospect Hao-Yu Lee, who was traded to Detroit for Michael Lorenzen is hitting is hitting .307 in his last 51 games for the Tigers.David Banks

    He won the Marsh deal, marginally lost the Hays deal, and more or less got what he paid for in aggregate. One exception could be the 2023 trade for starter Michael Lorenzen. Prospect Hao-Yu Lee is hitting .307 with an .817 OPS in his last 51 games for the Tigers. He bats right-handed, by the way.

    The overarching point here is the process. The smoke signals are at least promising. The Phillies scouted Mets righty Clay Holmes’ rehab outing earlier this week. He’s a guy who would make a ton of sense, both as a rotation stabilizer in the present and as a potential postseason swingman in the future.

    A report from the New York Post had the Phillies interested in Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho. The son of former Phillie Gary Varsho, he had five extra-base hits in the Blue Jays’ American League Division Series win over the Yankees last October. He’s left-handed, but, again, the Phillies need help everywhere. Plus, he can play center field.

    Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho (center), son of former Phillies outfielder Gary Varsho, is a player some say the Phillies are looking at.Nathan Denette

    The broader point about Holmes and Varsho is they are the guys the Phillies should be targeting. Each is a couple months way from free agency. Dombrowski and John Middleton both have a history of taking big swings on players with years of club control beyond the present season. Duran and Marsh both fit that profile.

    Before them: Hunter Pence, Cliff Lee, etc. The Phillies’ needs are broad enough that they can’t afford to pay a premium price for any single player. Rentals sure look like the way to go for a team in their situation. Add the Orioles’ Taylor Ward to the list.

    As for Harper? From at least one perspective, the debate about his comments is much ado about nothing. There’s nothing less consequential than a player’s relationship with his front office.

    From another perspective, Harper would be wise to reconsider his approach. Nothing that he says is going to change a thing about how the Phillies operate at the deadline. It’s far more likely that his outspokenness ramps up the pressure on the guys whom he has implicitly deemed to be not good enough.

    The issue is not so much clubhouse chemistry as it is individual psyche and its impact on performance. Sure, some guys need a kick in the butt. But many others need a comfort zone. Whatever Harper’s evaluation of the talent around him, however accurate it is, the Phillies are likely going to need at least one or two of them to perform to win a World Series.

    Next time, he’d be better off keeping his honesty off the record and taking comfort in the fact that the rest of us already know exactly what the Phillies need to do.

  • Jihaad Campbell’s second season with the Eagles comes with positional clarity and a clear role. What’s next?

    Jihaad Campbell’s second season with the Eagles comes with positional clarity and a clear role. What’s next?

    A second consecutive offseason shoulder surgery forced Jihaad Campbell to miss most of the on-field portion of the Eagles’ spring program. Campbell’s time away from football during chunks of this offseason was somewhat forced, but also intentional, the 22-year-old linebacker said Thursday.

    College football at Alabama bled into the pre-draft process. Then came his left shoulder surgery following the scouting combine, an injury that likely caused him to slip a little bit in the draft before the Eagles traded up a spot to pick him at No. 31 last year.

    Then came that rehabilitation process, rookie minicamp, gearing up for his first NFL season, his first NFL training camp, and a rookie season that saw him filling in as a starter for the recovering Nakobe Dean, taking snaps as an edge rusher when the Eagles were banged up, and eventually finishing the season as a backup.

    Campbell, a South Jersey native, said he spent some time during the offseason and after his right shoulder surgery — which he called “a little fix-up thing” — doing some “spiritual grounding” and “self-critiquing” in an effort to “double down on myself and understand how I can be the best version of myself.”

    He’s now two practices into his second NFL training camp. He should feel more comfortable now, more secure in his role, than he did one year ago, considering there is little doubt whether he is the starter or not. He will line up next to Zack Baun, and he does not have a Nakobe Dean-like player looking over his shoulder, working his way back from an injury to take snaps away.

    Campbell’s own ailments, he hopes, are in the rearview.

    Campbell (then wearing number 30) watched drills during OTAs and minicamp while recovering from shoulder surgery.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    He showed up to camp this week a little bigger than he had been. Baun noticed. Campbell said he put an emphasis on getting stronger as he recovered from surgery. Baun said Wednesday, after the first practice of camp, that he can see Campbell’s growth not just in his body, but in the meeting rooms, where Campbell has a better understanding of the defense, having played in it last year at multiple positions.

    “I’m just glad he’s working hard and knows he’s still got some room for improvement,” Baun said.

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio talks Jonathan Greenard absence, safety battle, and Zack Baun’s green dot

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Thursday, though, that Campbell playing a few games primarily on the edge stunted his development at inside linebacker last season. The days of Campbell cross-training on the edge are over. He may blitz some, sure, but he’s an inside linebacker.

    Asked if he agreed with Fangio’s assessment of last season, Campbell said: “Whatever Vic says, right? He’s the big dog. I believe in Coach Fangio, his process, his understanding of how he actually wants things to look like for his defense.”

    Fangio’s defense is being stressed a little more in camp so far. The Eagles have a new offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion, and they’re implementing a new scheme, one that the Eagles typically have only seen against select opponents in the past. Baun said playing linebacker against an offense that runs from under center and utilizes more play action and wide-zone blocking in the running game requires “good eyes.”

    Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) celebrates with Jihaad Campbell after breaking up a pass against the Cowboys in 2025.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Practicing against this type of offense should help the Eagles prepare for some of their opponents. The Eagles play principles of the Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan scheme, and their schedule includes matchups against offensive coaches that hang from branches of that tree (Arizona, Houston, Jacksonville, Seattle).

    Campbell said he feels more comfortable in his second season, even against a new offense, dissecting formations and understanding what an offense is running and what it’s trying to do.

    Campbell wasn’t playing poorly when Dean — who now is with the Las Vegas Raiders — supplanted him as the starter last season. He forced a fumble in his first NFL game, had an interception in Week 4 in Tampa, piled up a season-high 11 tackles in Week 5 vs. Denver, had solid reps in coverage, and, later in the season, while filling in for Dean in Buffalo in Week 17, showed his speed when he raced past multiple players to recover a Josh Allen fumble.

    He finished the season with 80 tackles in 17 games (10 starts). Pro Football Focus grades are far from gospel, but Campbell was the sixth-ranked off-ball linebacker through eight games before Dean took over, and he finished the season graded 14th overall among players at his position.

    The offseason then featured another surgery, clarity on his role when Dean left in free agency, and a return to the No. 11, a number he wore in high school and college.

    What’s next?

    “When you’re a young linebacker, you want to improve on so many things,” Campbell said. “You want to grasp information from a lot of different things, a lot of greats, kind of steal their game, watch film. That’s what I’ve been doing during the offseason.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Eagles football right here!
  • The Big Picture

    The Big Picture

    While LeBron James to Philly has still very much enraptured the collective consciousness of this sports-crazed city, there are other things to be overjoyed over. Eagles football kicked off this week, and the other fútbol in Chester, courtesy of the Union, is reveling in back-to-back wins. In all of that, Inquirer photographers were there to capture it, compile it, and deliver this weekly curated wrap-up of the best in Philly sports images. Enjoy.

    Eagles players warm up during the first day of training camp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Eagles linebacker Deontae Lawson carries his teammates’ helmets during the first day of training camp on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Eagles fans, including Santa, wait for autographs at training camp on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts takes the field during the first day of training camp on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fakes a hand off to running back Saquon Barkley.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Eagles guard Micah Morris carries Ritas for his teammates.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    The LeBron James mosaic on 8th and Market Street on Tuesday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
    The Phillies’ Justin Crawford reaches first base on a bunt as Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt attempts to catch the ball on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    The Yankees’ Cody Bellinger breaks his bat hitting into a double play on July 24.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    The Phillies’ Bryson Stott celebrates his home run against the Yankees on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Phillies shortstop Trea Turner after hitting a triple against Yankees on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    The Phillies’ Kyle Backhus pitches against the Yankees on Saturday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Young fans with hopes for autographs hold out baseballs and Sharpies on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Andy Thomas punches the ball with teammate forward Osaze de Rosario against Union defender Neil Pierre on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Union forward Ezekiel Alladoh goes after the ball against Seattle Sounders defender Stuart Hawkins on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Villanova guard Brady Muller passes the ball during an open practice in Finneran Pavilion on Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    The Villanova men’s basketball team practices in Finneran Pavilion on Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
  • Cups of Coffee: Quarterback Marty Horn remembers his single NFL game… when he suited up for the Eagles

    Cups of Coffee: Quarterback Marty Horn remembers his single NFL game… when he suited up for the Eagles

    Inspired by Pro Football Reference’s “Cups of Coffee” database, The Inquirer identified more than two-dozen living players who appeared in just one NFL game — and played that game as an Eagle. We’re seeking to tell some of those stories in our semi-regular Cups of Coffee series.

    Marty Horn stayed ready.

    After four record-setting seasons as Lehigh’s quarterback, Horn had his sights set on the NFL. The North Jersey native was brought to training camp twice by his hometown New York Jets, but didn’t make the roster in 1986 or 1987.

    Horn kept training, hoping for another opportunity in the NFL, which was essentially the only game in town. The USFL had just folded, leaving a massive void in secondary football leagues until NFL Europe debuted three years later in 1989.

    “No one really had anywhere to go,” Horn remembers.

    Soon after, the league’s largest-ever labor dispute gave him his big break. The NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) went on strike after Week 2 of the 1987 NFL season, protesting the absence of free agency for players. Five years prior, the union went on strike for improved revenue sharing, and seven games were wiped out. This time, team owners played hardball. As rumblings of a potential strike grew louder, it became clear that the NFL’s full slate of games would be played, regardless of who was playing in them.

    It was against that backdrop that Horn’s phone rang. On the other end was Eagles general manager Harry Gamble, who was familiar with Horn because of his time coaching Lafayette, Lehigh’s bitter rival. It all happened in an instant. Days after Week 2’s conclusion, hundreds of retired NFLers, ex-training camp signees, CFL players, and former college standouts had jobs in the league. Just over a week later, they took the field.

    The roster turnover the league experienced was completely unprecedented. Approximately 15% of the union’s players decided to suit up through the strike. Two teams didn’t have any players cross the picket line — one of which was the Eagles.

    Marty Horn’s impression of then-Eagles coach Buddy Ryan remains ingrained in his memory. Jerry Lodriguss / Staff Photographer

    On Horn’s first day on the job in South Philadelphia, he entered a locker room with 44 players just as new to the team as he was.

    “It was kind of fun getting to know all of these guys,” said Horn. “There were all different walks of football life. It was pretty cool.”

    But what Horn remembers most from his first day is the presence of head coach Buddy Ryan… or rather the lack thereof.

    “He didn’t even coach us for the first two weeks. He said, ‘We’re not going to play a game; you guys aren’t going to play a game,’ so he didn’t coach us. And then when we got to game week and the team said we’re going to play the game, he was like, ‘Oh, you know what, we better start coaching these guys.’”

    Across the Eagles’ three “replacement” games, only their first, a matchup with the Mike Ditka-led Chicago Bears, took place in Philadelphia. To describe the level of fan excitement as apathetic would be generous. While nearly every team saw a dip in attendance, nowhere saw one more dramatic than Philadelphia. The NFL averaged over 17,000 fans during week one of the strike games, but just over 4,000 fans entered the Veterans Stadium gates to see the Bears dominate the replacement Eagles 35-3. Horn believes that the biggest factor in the low attendance was Philadelphia’s identity as a union town, which he got a good look at when observing the scene outside of Veterans Stadium on gameday.

    Picketing Eagles (from left) Junior Tautalatasi, Reggie White, and Brad Booth blocked the entrance to the Vet in 1987.United Press International

    “It was crazy, you know. They circled the stadium with truckers’ unions and all that, and made it really difficult for people to get in,” said Horn. “We had to switch hotels in the middle of the night because they were going to block the buses from going in.”

    As Horn arrived to practice the day following the loss, he noticed a shift in Ryan’s attitude toward the team. As the players gathered in the locker room, they realized that none of them had received their game checks. Once Ryan caught wind of the situation, he issued the team stern instructions.

    “He was like, ”Don’t set foot on that field until you get your paychecks.’”

    Once Ryan told management why practice had yet to begin, the paychecks suddenly materialized.

    “It was funny because Buddy Ryan was such a players’ guy, and once he realized we had to play the games, [his] player-coach mentality took over.”

    Regardless of how hard the Eagles practiced, their next game against Dallas would be an extreme challenge. The difference between the two weeks was night and day; Dallas had 21 players cross the picket line, including four Pro Bowlers. In Irving, things were business as usual, and over 40,000 fans made their way to Texas Stadium to see the Cowboys play the Eagles.

    As expected, the Cowboys cruised to a relatively stress-free win. But the lopsided 41-22 score provided Horn the opportunity to make his NFL debut. With 6:51 left in the fourth quarter, it was the North Jersey native jogging in from the sideline, which signaled an informal concession by the Eagles. Dallas didn’t get the memo and kept all of their starters in.

    “I found that a couple of years ago … there is a picture of me getting sacked by Too Tall Jones. That was my claim to fame,” joked Horn, who was featured on the front page of The Inquirer’s Monday sports section.

    Marty Horn’s sack by Ed “Too Tall” Jones late in the Cowboys game was immortalized forever in The Inquirer.Inquirer Staff Photographers

    Jones, who stood 6 foot 9, made three Pro Bowl teams and totaled 106 sacks across a 15-year career.

    Besides getting to play against Dallas, one of Horn’s favorite memories from his month as an Eagle was practicing with the non-replacement team. The league and the NFLPA came to an agreement before the next scheduled game against the Green Bay Packers, but the replacement players were kept around as it was too late for the union’s players to get into game shape and play that Sunday.

    As the “real Eagles” began to arrive back to the facility, their biggest objective was to help their replacements win a game that held the same importance as any other.

    The Birds ended up losing that game in overtime, 16-10, and it spelled the end of the road for Horn and nearly 1,000 other replacement players across the NFL. Looking back on his experience, Horn couldn’t have enjoyed the five weeks more.

    “They bused us into practice every day, and you know, we just partied at night and hung out with the guys, and people didn’t really care,” Horn said. “We were just young football players having a good time.”

    His biggest regret? Not taking his jersey.

    “At the end of the game, you all throw your dirty uniforms in a pile… and the equipment guy came in, and he was like, ‘If anyone steals their jersey, if it’s not in this pile, we’re gonna dock your paycheck $350 bucks,’” Horn recalled. “I should’ve kept my jersey, but I didn’t.”

    Marty Horn’s (14) cup of coffee as an Eagles quarterback lives on in the game footage he keeps on his computer of the 1987 meeting with the Cowboys.provided by Marty Horn

    Following his playing career, the former Eagle picked up work in a variety of fields. Primarily, he returned to his family’s restaurant business in North Jersey, eventually owning the two properties alongside his brothers Don, Peter, and Jimmy.

    On the NFL side, Horn has remained a fan of the Eagles long past his playing days. In addition to playing for the Birds, Marty’s son, Shane, attended Alabama, and he enjoys rooting for Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and the team’s other ‘Bama alums.

    Horn also had a reunion with his alma mater, Lehigh, serving as the football color commentator for 20 years. But the broadcast side wasn’t the only connection the Millburn High School alum maintained to football. Horn worked as an assistant coach at Madison High School for 20 years before stepping away after the 2025 season. Horn always enjoyed seeing the reactions of his players who found out he made it to the league.

    “Every once in a while they’d come in when they do a Google search on [my] name, and they were like, ‘Coach, I didn’t realize you played in the NFL.’ And I said, ‘Well, you know, I played during the strike. I never made an active roster,’” recalled Horn. “But they got a kick out of that. It gives me a little more street cred.”

  • Phillies Extra with Bobby Dickerson

    Phillies Extra with Bobby Dickerson

    No matter what moves the Phillies make before the trade deadline Monday, they will have to fix some of their issues internally. Chief among them: Trea Turner’s defense at shortstop. And that’s where infield coach Bobby Dickerson comes in. Dickerson sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss Turner’s struggles, the problems with analytics in measuring defense, his unique coaching style, and more. Watch here.

  • 🔮 Forecast the future | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🔮 Forecast the future | Sports Daily Newsletter

    We’re one week in from the news that LeBron James is coming to Philadelphia, two days of Eagles training camp in the books, and a few days away from Monday’s MLB trade deadline.

    That means we’ll continue to ponder how each of these teams will look in the coming weeks.

    Maybe the Phillies will have addressed their need for a fifth starter or secured a right-handed hitting outfielder. (Or get help from their stars, more on that below.)

    We’ll also begin to see how the Eagles’ offensive scheme works under coordinator Sean Mannion and the depth chart on defense. One area of clarity is Jihaad Campbell’s role. Now healthy, the former first-rounder looks poised to take a leap in his second year as an Eagle. Jeff Neiburg tells us why.

    For the Sixers, there are still two months to go until we’ll see how this star-studded group meshes together. What we do know is that this is now a team with legitimate championship aspirations.

    However, it’s going to take a lot more than individual talent to win. Gina Mizell analyzes what the Sixers will need from each of their five starters to get there.

    — Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    State of the defense

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio met the media for the first time in 2026 training camp on Thursday, touching on a range of topics.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio noted on Thursday that it “remains to be seen” if star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard will return to the practice field before Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. Still, Fangio didn’t express too much concern over Greenard’s absence from practice.

    “He’s a veteran player, so he knows the league, knows how to play,” Fangio said. “But we’re going to be asking him to do some different things that he hadn’t had to do in his career, and that’s really what he’s going to be missing with this time off. He’s going to miss a good bit of camp.”

    Fangio also spoke about the rest of the defense, including the battle for a starting safety job and Zack Baun winning “green dot” honors.

    What we’re…

    🔍 Observing: How did Day 2 of Eagles training camp shake out? Don’t worry, Jeff McLane has you covered.

    🏀 Reading: If you’re following the LeBron James train to Philly, here’s the ultimate Sixers fan guide you’ll want to know.

    📱Learning: About a La Salle rower who created an app that’s changing the way athletes train — and the future of rowing.

    🤔 Wondering: What has Isabeau Levito been working on? Ellen Dunkel caught up with the South Jersey figure skater to find out.

    Need help from stars too

    Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (left) has been vocal about the need for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to make some moves to improve the roster.Monica Herndon and Yong Kim

    Nine losses in 12 games over a span of 14 days have an effect on people, especially when the trade deadline is bearing down.

    It caused Bryce Harper to channel John Lennon.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper told reporters in Miami — and that was before the Phillies gagged a 6-0 lead into an 8-6 loss Wednesday, the worst gut punch at the worst time.

    Harper isn’t wrong, but no matter what Dave Dombrowski does before 6 p.m. Monday, Harper’s plea for help must extend to his teammates, too. Because although he’s right about the need for reinforcements, it’s really the stars — three hitters, in particular — that must shine brighter.

    Next: The Phillies open a series tonight in Baltimore at 7:05 p.m (NBCSP).

    Mastering the trick shot

    Steve Markle is a professional artistic pool player who has become famous on social media for his trick-shot videos.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Bucks County native Steve Markle first became interested in pool at 13 years old, when he and his friends started making trick shot videos and posting them on YouTube.

    Now Markle, 34, is a professional artistic pool player who’s ranked No. 1 in the United States. His trick-shot videos on social media have amassed more than 175 million views. He’s recently helped organize the WPA World Artistic Pool & WPA World Freestyle Artistic Pool championships, the biggest professional pool trick shot event in the world, coming to the area in October.

    He’s done all this while serving as a police officer for the Lower Makefield Township Police Department. Get to know Markle and his craft.

    Cups of Coffee

    Eagles players
    Reaching the NFL field for one even one game is a feat that requires years of dedication. Anton Klusener/ Staff Illustration; Getty Images; AP Images

    We’re starting a new series — inspired by Pro Football Reference’s “Cups of Coffee” database — where The Inquirer has identified more than two-dozen living players who appeared in just one NFL game and played that game as an Eagle.

    In our first story, Ethan Kopelman caught up with Marty Horn, a former star quarterback at Lehigh.

    Marcus Hayes’ take

    LeBron James is the latest player on a short list of stars to choose Philly.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    LeBron James chose a franchise that hasn’t won an NBA title in 43 years, has only one title in almost 60 years, and hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 25 years. James chose the underdog city — home of “insufferable winners” — just like Bryce Harper, Pete Rose, and Saquon Barkley did, writes Marcus Hayes.

    What you’re saying about the Phillies

    We asked: While there’s plenty of reason to hope regarding the Sixers and Eagles, is it time to panic about the Phillies? Among your responses:

    Its past time to panic about the Phillies. Anyone who watches the team on a regular basis knew by the end of May that the bullpen was not major league caliber. With the exception of Duran the bullpen is pedestrian at best and its absolutely shocking when they get out of a jam without giving up a run or two or six. And please don’t torture us fans with having to watch Alvarado anymore. He’s almost as bad as Jordan Romano was last year. I think it’s pretty obvious Middleton tightened the purse strings this year when he let Ranger and Bader leave and the free agents they brought in were pretty much found on the clearance rack. Lifetime .220 batting averages tell you exactly what to expect but the Phillies sign them anyway looking for a rebound. The organization took a chance and the results are what we’re witnessing on a pretty much nightly basis. — Bob A.

    Yeah I’m worried. When they get decent pitching, they can’t hit. When they get decent hitting they can’t pitch and field in general like AA. — Bill M.

    Panic should have set in after game 6 on October 23, 2023 when we only scored 1 run. Major panic had to be after game 7 on Oct. 24, 2023. Scored a whopping 2 runs as they blew a chance to the World Series. Home field advantage. Bats went dead as they did in 2024 & 2025 post season. Why panic now? Same dead bats! Same guy who pays for the dead bats! They should have blown it up in 2024. All the Phillies have to do is look across the street. Make a change at the top and in less than 60 days on the job we can’t wait for the 76ers opening game. AND “Go Birds” Maybe Howie would be interested in a summer job to turn it around. — Ronald R.

    It is indeed time to panic regarding the Phillies. Poor general management, poor farm system, poor judgement by those who manage the draft. Phillies passed on drafting Aaron Judge. Where are the Dominican players who are shown every morning as hitting the hardest and longest home runs etc? How did Murakami, the player the Phillies most needed, end up with the White Sox? Don’t expect the trade deadline to save us, we really have not much to trade with. Mattingly’s magic can only go so far, Phillies need hitters and pitchers asap. — Everett S.

    Yes, it’s time to panic. Their starting pitching lacks depth, their offense is inconsistent, and their bullpen is a shambles. Could they get hot and win a series or two in the playoffs (assuming they make it)? Of course. Will they? Not likely. One telling stat. is run differential. In 2025, they were +132. So far this year: -15. — Doug R.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Mia Messina, Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Conor Smith, Ellen Dunkel, Ethan Kopleman, and Lauren Jones.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for closing out the week with me. Have a wonderful weekend. I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella

  • Eagles practice observations: Tank Bigsby and run game juice; expendable cornerbacks; Jake Elliott’s pressure

    Eagles practice observations: Tank Bigsby and run game juice; expendable cornerbacks; Jake Elliott’s pressure

    The Eagles held the second practice of their 2026 training camp on Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. These were my observations from Day 2 (and this reminder of Day 1):

    Kicking and redeeming

    I’m going to start with how practice started: Jake Elliott kicking field goals. It might not be as sexy as the new offense or how the rookies look, but the Eagles need Elliott to return to form this season. He’s coming off back-to-back down years, and yet the team didn’t add competition in camp. Kickers are essentially competing with whoever is on the street. But special teams coordinator Michael Clay’s comment about Elliott during the spring — that his job was to help the 10-year veteran “fall in love with the game again” — made me wonder if Elliott could have benefited from additional pressure.

    Eagles punter Braden Mann (left) talks with kicker Jake Elliott during the second day of training camp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Thursday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    His camp got off to a solid start in windy conditions. He made 6 of 7 kicks, hitting from around 33, 35, 37, 43, 43 and 46 yards. He hooked a 40-yard try wide left. Elliott has a natural tendency to draw the ball, and the wind was blowing in that direction, so it was a tough kick from the right hash mark. Nevertheless, he has more riding on this summer’s performance than he has in years.

    Running it up

    The Eagles’ best (offensive) seasons during the Nick Sirianni–Jalen Hurts era have come with a dominant run game. Last season’s regression on the ground can be attributed to many factors, but the switch to the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme could be just the medicine needed for a unit that has many of the same returning parts. There were positive signs on Day 2 with running backs Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby bolting into space on outside zone runs.

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio talks Jonathan Greenard absence, safety battle, and Zack Baun’s green dot

    There was one stretch when Barkley jetted through a gaping hole off the left only to be followed by Bigsby a play later turning the corner on the right. There was success up the middle, too. Bigsby benefited from wide receiver Makai Lemon’s misdirection motion and had a seam through the front seven into the secondary.

    The defense is still limited in terms of contact without pads. So I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But clearly the offensive line is already taking to the increased usage of wide zone blocking. How Hurts fits into the equation remains to be seen, but I can’t see the Eagles completely abandoning him as a plus-one factor in the run game.

    Some of the new looks should benefit quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offensive line. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Marrying kind

    That being said, there’s likely going to be less of Hurts on the ground on designed runs because of the marrying of the run with the pass off under-center plays. A perfect example of its effectiveness came off a play-action fake to the left as Hurts rolled naked to the right and hit a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a short crosser. These aren’t just layups for the quarterback, but also for the offensive linemen, who don’t have to necessarily block at the point of attack.

    There were still struggles in the pass game. Hurts completed just two passes on his first six dropbacks. He tucked the ball and scrambled on two pass plays and once threw the ball away — not necessarily “bad” decisions — but there was a toss to receiver Darius Cooper that linebacker Zack Baun deflected from underneath and a wounded duck to a double covered-Smith that fell short.

    Passing through

    Hurts and Smith had more chemistry during 7-on-7s. In fact, it looked like child’s play, even with the receiver up against Quinyon Mitchell. Smith flashed late hands near the sideline on a pass thrown just out of the All pro cornerback’s reach. Lemon has often lined up in the slot, but he motioned outside during one repetition, and caught a pass underneath corner Riq Woolen during 7-on-7s. Woolen nearly had an interception a play later, but Hurts’ forced throw sailed through his hands.

    The pass offense had some nice moments late in the workout. Hurts sidestepped a rusher and hit receiver Dontayvion Wicks at the second level in team drills. And Wicks ended the main portion of practice by high-pointing a jump ball his quarterback threw up for grabs.

    Mac McWilliams (22) and Riq Woolen (2) are part of a deep cornerback group. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Cornering the market

    The Eagles’ starters at cornerback are set, but they also have depth and could be open to moving players like Kelee Ringo or Jakorian Bennett if some youngsters develop and trade partners open up. Here’s how I see the depth chart at the position (knowing several players are cross training at outside/slot cornerback and safety):

    Safety plan

    Vic Fangio confirmed that the safety job opposite Andrew Mukuba very much remains a competition, although it will likely be a by-committee approach with Cooper DeJean at the spot in base personnel and maybe more than one guy filling the role in nickel.

    Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II have taken turns working alongside a combination of DeJean and Mukuba. Sometimes it’s just been the two of them at safety with the first unit. I think the best I can say about each of them is that neither has made a glaring mistake or busted a coverage.

    Fangio said both starting safeties — whoever they are — will take over the departed Reed Blankenship’s responsibility as the main communicator on the back end. Baun will once again wear the “green dot” on his helmet and call plays for the entire defense.

    Jonathan Greenard’s absence puts Nolan Smith Jr. and others under increased scrutiny. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Greenard days

    Fangio wasn’t as sanguine about the injured Jonathan Greenard as general manager Howie Roseman was the day prior. The Eagles don’t expect the outside linebacker, who recently strained a pectoral muscle, to be out long term. But what exactly does that mean? They wouldn’t have placed him on PUP if there wasn’t at least a chance he’d miss part of the regular season.

    No Greenard by Week 1 would likely mean the Eagles are back to where they were a year ago when it was clear they lacked a top-end edge: with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt starting. Both have shown obvious promise, and there are options off the bench. But Fangio threw some cold water on the notion that all is well with Greenard.

    A few of the reserve edges stood out on Thursday. Arnold Ebiketie shed a block and stopped Barkley at the line on a run play. A.J. Epenesa was Johnny-on-the-spot after a Cole Payton pass deflected off receiver Danny Gray’s hands to him.

    Jalen Carter got his money. The Eagles have to hope he has grown up enough to earn it.

    Payton planning

    Payton had a rough day. While the Epenesa pick was hardly his fault, he tossed two other interceptions. Linebacker Chance Campbell undercut a seam route by tight end Dae’Quan Wright for one, while rookie linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby had the other on a poorly thrown pass during the developmental period.

    Carson Steele has gotten his share of handoffs, but not as a fullback. It’s unclear how much coordinator Sean Mannion will feature the position in his offense. Tight end Cameron Latu handled the job at times last season, but veteran tight end Johnny Mundt could fill the role. He’s been the primary second blocking tight end in “12″ personnel so far.

    Tanner McKee (16) has some competition for the No. 2 job from Andy Dalton. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Quarterback view

    Payton’s potential could factor into whether the Eagles feel comfortable enough to trade Andy Dalton. I can’t see Tanner McKee being on the market, although the two quarterbacks continued to split snaps with the second unit.

    Dalton hooked up with receiver Quez Watkins and rookie tight end Eli Stowers on short passes in team drills. Latu couldn’t hang onto a heave into traffic later in the set. McKee found receiver Britain Covey alone off play-action and later in the soft spot of a zone during 7-on-7s.

    Saquon Barkley says he loves the challenge of ‘learning a new language’ in Sean Mannion’s offense

    Extra points

    The Eagles had their first injury of camp when second-year tackle Cameron Williams went down during team drills. He waved off a cart, then walked off the field with trainers. Williams never returned after a visit to the medical tent. … Fangio said rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who never played organized football, was on the “PP plan — lots of patience, lots of persistence.” You don’t have to be an expert to see the native of Nigeria is extremely raw. … Eagles legend Brian Dawkins was in attendance and watched practice. … Friday’s walk-through is closed to reporters. We’ll be back at the Jeff for Saturday’s session.

  • What the new-look Sixers need from each star, including Joel Embiid’s health and LeBron James’ championship habits

    What the new-look Sixers need from each star, including Joel Embiid’s health and LeBron James’ championship habits

    About two months still remain before the 76ers get their first crack at putting together their star-studded puzzle, when training camp opens with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on the roster.

    The Sixers now boast four players who have made at least one All-NBA team, and two former MVPs in James and Joel Embiid. Their fifth starter, VJ Edgecombe, is coming off a fantastic rookie season.

    Though this is now a team with legitimate championship aspirations, it will take individual sacrifice and adaptability to combine these talents on the court. Here is what the Sixers need from each of their five starters:

    Tyrese Maxey

    A healthy pinkie finger

    Maxey is coming off his second consecutive season with a sprain in the same pinkie, which impacted his shooting and ball handling. Though he admirably returned exactly three weeks after sustaining the injury in early March, he acknowledged he periodically aggravated it throughout the regular season’s stretch run and playoffs.

    He went 3-of-19 from three-point range in the Sixers’ second-round sweep to the New York Knicks, and matter-of-factly said after the season-ending Game 4 loss that the finger “just hurt.”

    Now Maxey is getting the offseason to heal that injury. Was it just horrible luck that he hurt the same finger two seasons in a row? Or is there any preventative treatment or protection that can make it less vulnerable this season?

    Sixers center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey have a two-man game that will still be an asset this season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    More play off the ball

    Maxey already was talking in May about using his offensive “gravity” while off the ball more frequently, and drilling those scenarios with Edgecombe as the primary ballhandler. Now, Maxey will have the opportunity to be on the receiving end of one of the best passers of all-time in James.

    Maxey should be able to find plenty of moments to set screens, cut, and come off screens to attack with momentum or find space to launch three-pointers. Coach Nick Nurse said earlier this month that he also wants Maxey to keep exploring ways to score with his midrange game.

    The Franchise

    Embiid bestowed that nickname on Maxey years ago. He has earned it with his on-court ascent into an All-NBA player and, more importantly, the tone-setter and leader in the locker room.

    The Sixers are adding two stars with championship experience and overall gravitas. But Maxey is the one who has been here through the roller coaster of the past six-plus years. That holds immense value while building a team aiming for a long-awaited breakthrough season.

    Joel Embiid

    Health

    Well, duh.

    Embiid, who has played in only 96 games the previous three seasons combined, was optimistic during his end-of-season news conference that he and the Sixers have figured out how to manage his surgically repaired left knee. Bob Myers, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president, reiterated that in early June, noting Embiid had no offseason surgeries planned. Embiid then reportedly reinforced that he feels healthy to James in his pitch to join the Sixers.

    Actions over words, of course. Knee management could not negate Embiid getting popped in the oblique or appendicitis, the main culprits for his absences late last season. But when Embiid was able to play consistently from late November through early February, he looked like an All-Star.

    Pick your spots

    The Sixers are no longer going to run their entire offense through Embiid. The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player also probably will not see as many double-teams, given the star power surrounding him.

    The middle of the post should still be an area where Embiid can be fed the ball and operate. And dominate whenever the matchup dictates. It will be interesting to track the type of chemistry he can establish with James and Brown, after already creating a lethal two-man game with Maxey. Being able to complement his automatic midrange jumper with a more consistent three-pointer — he shot 33.3% from long range last season — also would provide a big boost.

    Embiid said last season that he wants the ball to move and to keep teammates involved. Time to put that into practice for an entire season.

    Defensive improvements

    It is unrealistic to expect Embiid will ever return to his stature as an NBA Defensive Player of the Year contender. In recent seasons, he was deliberately not jumping as much for rebounds and to block shots in an effort to protect that knee.

    LeBron James chose underdog Philly like Bryce Harper, Pete Rose, and Saquon Barkley. He chose us.

    But can Embiid regain his mobility in space while defending the pick and roll, after the Knicks attacked him in those actions throughout that playoff series? That would benefit the aggressive defensive playmaking approach of Maxey and Edgecombe on the perimeter, and James while he likely conserves his energy on that end of the floor.

    Jaylen Brown

    Buy-in as a co-star — again

    It’s easy to get hung up on Brown repeatedly calling last season with the Boston Celtics his “favorite” so far in the NBA. Sure, it was because he was the bona fide top scorer. But he also spoke publicly about helping teammates, whom outsiders expected to take a gap year while fellow star Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery, exceed expectations by finishing second in the Eastern Conference standings.

    Could Brown get the same type of satisfaction in helping the Sixers finally clear that second-round hurdle? In elevating Maxey and Embiid and Edgecombe, even if it means taking a slightly more complementary role?

    Unlike James, Brown did not choose the Sixers as his new playing destination. He also has not yet answered questions on this topic in a formal introductory news conference. But Brown was already calling new teammates Maxey and Edgecombe during his first Twitch live stream after the trade.

    Jaylen Brown will team up with the Sixers this season after battling them in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    Catch and shoot — and run

    Brown is excellent at using his blend of athleticism and strength to go 1-on-1 and generate his own shots. But with the ball theoretically being more spread around with this roster makeup, Brown also should have opportunities to immediately fire off the catch.

    Could we see an uptick in his three-point efficiency, after connecting on 35.8% of his 5.3 attempts per game throughout his career?

    An underrated part of Brown’s game, meanwhile, is that he ranked 14th in the NBA last season in fastbreak points (3.6 per game). He can help spearhead the Sixers’ effort alongside the electric Maxey and Edgecombe — and, yes, James, who last season led the NBA in that category (5.7 per game).

    Perimeter defense

    Brown might not be the Sixers’ best perimeter defender, a title that belongs to fellow newcomer Dean Wade. But Brown is regarded as a two-way player. Assuming the Sixers close with their starting lineup when fully healthy — aka, will not have Wade on the floor — Brown (and Edgecombe) likely will be tasked with guarding prolific offensive players.

    The Sixers now boast LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. How do they stack up in the loaded East?

    If Brown’s workload dips on the offensive end — he ranked third in the NBA in usage rate last season (35.1%) — he should have more energy to dedicate on the opposite side of the floor.

    LeBron James

    The connector

    There already is outside hubbub about ESPN’s Shams Charania’s reporting defining James as the Sixers’ point guard. But that is how a team leverages James’ still-elite skill, as a legendary passer even while becoming the league’s all-time scorer. The 7.2 assists he averaged last season do not capture James’ role as a connector.

    James thrived in that type of facilitating role last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, paving the way for in-prime stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to carry the scoring load. And that playmaking and basketball IQ will hold up even as his body continues to age throughout this two-year contract with the Sixers.

    LeBron James, left, has a deep bond with Tyrese Maxey, right, that played a part in his decision to come to Philly. Chris Szagola / AP
    Pace yourself

    James is about to enter his NBA-record 24th season, and is choosing the grueling push for another championship. He also takes maniacal care of his body, though some freak injuries cannot be fully prevented.

    Like Embiid, it is most important that James is healthy for the playoffs. So don’t be surprised by the rest days, or even if his in-game minutes are slightly limited to gear up for that postseason run.

    Championship habits

    The internet is already getting glimpses of James’ 5 a.m. workouts and gym time with Maxey, his longtime friend and fellow Klutch client.

    But his new Sixers teammates and staff are about to get an up-close view at how James moves through every single day. How he attacks practices and games. How he recovers on off days. How he spends down time on road trips. How he communicates in the locker room. How he handles the fanfare and media circus that follows him wherever he goes.

    Those habits matter on a championship quest. And the players who have not reached the NBA’s pinnacle — even fellow stars Maxey and Embiid — should have plenty to learn.

    VJ Edgecombe

    Coast-to-coast

    Even before the Sixers landed James, Nurse said he wanted Edgecombe to seize more opportunities to grab the rebound and take it all the way to the basket on the opposite end. The second-year guard is an unreal athlete, and this is a way he can get easy buckets even when plays are not frequently run for him in the halfcourt offense.

    Improve shooting

    As a rookie, Edgecombe already flashed an uncanny fearlessness to shake off slow shooting starts and still knock down crunch-time shots. He tied for sixth in the NBA with 12 three-pointers in “clutch” time, and shot an eye-popping 54.5% from long range in such situations.

    The next step? More consistency in those opening three quarters. He is likely to get open looks, with defenses focused on the Sixers’ more proven stars.

    This Delco man sunburned LeBron James’ jersey into his back in Sea Isle. He called it an act of ‘Philly toughness’
    Patience

    Yes, the Sixers’ blockbuster additions are going to move Edgecombe down the pecking order after a fantastic rookie season when he immediately brought two-way production and rare maturity in charged road environments.

    But he also will play in lineups with reserves, and more scoring chances. It also is reasonable to expect Edgecombe to get increased opportunities when Embiid and/or James inevitably miss games. Even when his team was fully healthy during last season’s playoffs, Edgecombe still found a way to rise in massive moments.

    Edgecombe’s time is coming. But second-year players — especially who were drafted this high — rarely get to experience the stakes of the season that awaits. And don’t underestimate what Edgecombe, who has deep respect for the game’s history, already expects to glean from being around James and Brown.