Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Tag: VJ Edgecombe

  • Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    LAS VEGAS — Nick Nurse’s view entering the 76ers’ offseason was similar to the outside consensus — that his team did not have much financial “wiggle room” with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all on max contracts.

    Then the Sixers pulled off the stunning blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. They surrounded that big swing with complementary moves, adding Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Ariel Hukporti in free agency and drafting Labaron Philon Jr. The Sixers are now among the threats in a deep Eastern Conference.

    “Sitting here right now,” Nurse told a small group of reporters from a Las Vegas hotel Saturday, “I think, obviously, we’ve had a really good summer so far. … It was some good teamwork, some good maneuvers.

    Dominick Barlow is back in Las Vegas, as a success story for the summer Sixers

    “I’d like to think we got better at several positions: younger, faster, depth, shooting, rebounding. There [were] a lot of areas to address, and I think we addressed some of them.”

    One giant potential free-agency domino could still fall, of course, if all-timer LeBron James chooses to sign with the Sixers. Nurse did not comment on that possibility, since he does not hold the front office’s role in recruitment and negotiation. Bob Myers, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president, already made his pitch as a guest on Game Over podcast hosted by James’ agent, Rich Paul.

    Nurse, though, lauded the early collaboration with new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, saying he could “feel a good organizational blueprint” entering the offseason. The coach has long been impressed by Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, his year-by-year improvement, and his winning resume as an NBA champion and Finals MVP.

    “He’s sitting in his prime,” Nurse said of Brown. “It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

    Now Brown joins the dynamic backcourt of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, along with the 2023 MVP (though oft-injured) Embiid. The goal is for this configuration of top-end talent to be healthy enough to gain consistency — Embiid, Maxey, and George played only 36 games together in two seasons — while building enough depth “to have some more gas in the tank to make a longer [postseason] run.”

    Jaylen Brown (right) will join the Sixers’ dynamic backcourt, including leading scorer Tyrese Maxey.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    After a thrilling comeback to upset the Boston Celtics in the first round, the Sixers were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. Nurse acknowledged he “pushed all the chips in [for] Game 2 in New York,” and that it was difficult to rebound after they lost that down-to-the-wire matchup.

    “It’s a hell of a lot longer tournament than one round,” said Nurse, who won the 2019 NBA title with the Toronto Raptors. “ … We were tired as hell Game 1 [in New York]. We were spinning from that. They were on a heater of beyond proportions, and it was like, ‘We’ve got to knock them off this heater,’ and Game 2 was our chance to do it.

    “Unfortunately, we didn’t make enough shots in the fourth quarter, because they were wide open. … The gas tank was pretty low. We just need some more depth. We need a little bit more experience. We need to not be totally drained out of that after one round.”

    Labaron Philon Jr. shines in Sixers’ first summer league game: ‘He’s a gamer’

    Here are three more takeaways from the wide-ranging offseason conversation with Nurse.

    Other newcomers

    Nurse reiterated that he would not hesitate to immediately insert Philon into the rotation, a belief rewarded by the crafty guard’s terrific start to Summer League play. He totaled 24 points and six assists in the Sixers’ overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon at Cox Pavilion, after compiling 18 points and seven assists in Thursday’s opening win over the Detroit Pistons.

    “I just feel like he’s talented enough,” Nurse said. “I think we liked him enough as a staff. … I think he’s going this direction [up] quickly. I think he’s got some confidence to him that I don’t think he’ll be afraid. I think he’ll make the most of the opportunity.”

    Nick Nurse said that he believes first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. will “make the most of the opportunity.” Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Nurse offered similar (and warranted) trust in Edgecombe to become a Day 1 starter last season, and in then-rookie Jared McCain to instantly contribute before his 2024 knee surgery.

    Wade, meanwhile, is what Nurse called an “opportunity scorer” and, more importantly, a rebounder and versatile defender at 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. Hukporti’s addition means a competition with Adem Bona for the backup center job — which becomes a starting role when Embiid is sidelined — is “all in play, as of now,” Nurse said. The coach also believes Simons, in addition to his high-volume shooting, can handle the ball and play in the pick and roll.

    “We may be a touch small at times [or] whatever,” Nurse said of the guard group. “But I’ll certainly take the speed and athleticism. Then it’s just up to our staff to put them in the right spot.”

    New Sixer Jaylen Brown is ‘going to push’ Joel Embiid, Mike Gansey says in local radio hit

    Next steps for Maxey and Edgecombe

    Though Brown has become the Sixers’ flashy offseason addition, much of their present and future will be fueled by Maxey, an All-NBA third-team selection last season, and Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific NBA Rookie of the Year ballot.

    When asked where Edgecombe can most develop in his second NBA season, Nurse highlighted extending his three-point range — he connected on 35.4% of his 5.6 attempts, but had a knack for crunch-time makes — to provide more spacing for teammates. Nurse also wants to see Edgecombe progress toward becoming a lockdown perimeter defender, and to go coast-to-coast more frequently when he gets the ball in transition.

    “Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

    Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe grew into a dynamic backcourt for the Sixers last season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    For Maxey, Nurse again emphasized the midrange game between his explosive drives to the basket and deep three-pointers.

    “He’s got that in his game,” Nurse said of Maxey, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season (28.3 points per game). “He’s just so good at the other stuff [that] he doesn’t hardly ever get put in those positions. But I think it’s an area of growth for him.”

    Optimism for Embiid?

    At Embiid’s end-of-season news conference, he expressed optimism that the Sixers’ medical and training staff had “figured out” how to manage his knee following multiple surgeries. He expects that will make him more available after logging 96 total games the past three seasons. Last month, Myers reiterated that Embiid had no procedures scheduled, allowing him to spend more time on basketball work.

    Hayes: LeBron James signing with the Sixers could save Joel Embiid’s career

    When Nurse was asked Saturday if he shared Embiid’s optimism that the big man will be able to play more in 2026-27, Nurse said, “I do” but did not elaborate much further.

    “I think that he’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse said. “I think he’s working pretty hard right now. So I do think I share his optimism.”

  • Five things that have kept the Sixers in the LeBron James sweepstakes

    Five things that have kept the Sixers in the LeBron James sweepstakes

    The 76ers are reportedly among LeBron James’ top three preferred free-agency destinations as teams continue to court him deep into the summer. The other options are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

    Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has deep Ohio ties, said the pendulum appears to be swinging toward the Cavaliers, but the Sixers and several other NBA franchises are not counting themselves out.

    How do the Sixers stack up as a LeBron James destination? Breaking down his reported top 3 contenders.

    So you’re telling the Sixers there’s still a chance? They’ve been here before, vying for James’ services most recently in 2018 as he considered teaming up with a young Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Now the Sixers once again have an attractive roster centered around Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe.

    It could be a while before we learn James’ final decision, but here are five things that make the Sixers attractive to the 41-year old.

    LeBron’s quest for a new challenge

    James has done all there is to accomplish in basketball. He has four NBA titles, 10 Finals appearances and he owned the Eastern Conference for a decade. And there’s even lore surrounding those titles, as he brought one championship to his home state and resurrected franchises in Miami and Los Angeles.

    He holds the NBA’s all-time record for scoring, minutes played, games played, and more. All-time greats in sports are constantly looking for new challenges, and James is running out of options. So if he’s looking for a place to retire, the Cavaliers hold the sentimental edge and Florida is the retirement capital of the country. But only the Sixers offer new territory.

    Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid battled in last year’s first-round series between the Celtics and Sixers. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The Jaylen Brown trade

    Prior to the Brown trade, folks in Philly saw James’ departure from the Lakers on the news ticker and kept moving along. The addition of Brown created a potential starting lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid. And while Dean Wade was a great free-agency addition, James could look at that lineup and slot himself in at power forward and see a real title contender. That’s the moment “everything changed” for the Sixers’ chances of landing James, according to James’ agent and Klutch Sports owner Rich Paul.

    The Eastern Conference has also presented a level of parity that could benefit the Sixers. While the East has won two of the last three titles, no team has made a repeat Finals appearance since James’ Cavaliers made it four straight times. Brown’s Celtics made the Finals in 2022 and won in 2024 and he knows how to get back. Famously, the Sixers haven’t made it past the second round since 2001, but it’s a notch in their belt to have someone who understands that process.

    Tyrese Maxey’s Klutch ties and infectious personality

    Maxey’s rise continues. Originally selected with the 21st pick out of Kentucky in 2020, Maxey had to wait his turn for the Sixers. He played behind Simmons and competed with Shake Milton for minutes. But once given a full-time role, Maxey’s star took off. He became a starter, then an All-Star and then an All-NBA performer. Now, Maxey is one of the pillars of the Sixers’ pitch to James after averaging 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists and leading the Sixers to the postseason.

    Brad Stevens says he would rather have not traded Jaylen Brown to Philly, but the Celtics did what they had to do

    There’s also the personality piece, because Maxey’s infectious persona and work ethic have been lauded by everyone in the Sixers’ organization. And, of course, as Klutch Sports clients with deep ties to Paul, James is familiar with both sides of Maxey. And Paul has repeatedly said that James “loves” Maxey.

    The greatness of peak Joel Embiid

    That it took this long to get to Embiid should say something about the state of things. Embiid played only 38 games last season and called that a success because he learned more about managing his knee that could benefit the Sixers going forward. Of course, it was to some extent because he played only 19 games the year before because of knee surgery. And when available, Embiid was exceptional in 2025-26, including a stretch where he looked like his old MVP self. He averaged 26.9 points on 48.9% shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 38 games.

    Then, when he appeared primed for a healthy postseason, Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis and missed multiple games in the Sixers’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics. But then he showed flashes once again, powering the Sixers to a series win after they went down three games to one. He averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in four games and the Sixers were 3-1 in games he played. And then he was drained as the Sixers were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The highs and lows with Embiid are stark, but the highs are great enough that even a player like James could hold out hope.

    Mike Gansey (second from left) and Jameer Nelson (right) have been busy filling out the Sixers’ roster this summer.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Competence in the front office

    Previous iterations of the Sixers tried to land James, but they weren’t always taken seriously. They had talent with Simmons and Embiid in 2018, but weren’t stout up top as Brett Brown served as interim president of basketball operations and head coach. Former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey took big swings in recent years but saw trades for Paul George and James Harden fail to lift the team.

    Things appear to have taken a turn this summer. Mike Gansey, Bob Myers and Jameer Nelson are at the helm and appear to be building a team that will compete in the Eastern Conference. Moves to bring in Brown, Wade, Ariel Hukporti, Anfernee Simons and rookie Labaron Philon Jr., have started to add balance to the Sixers roster and are a good sign for the forthcoming Sixers season. And there’s still a chance one big name could be added to the bunch.

  • The Jaylen Brown trade benefits VJ Edgecombe, who will now have the time he needs to develop

    The Jaylen Brown trade benefits VJ Edgecombe, who will now have the time he needs to develop

    Jaylen Brown loves attention, which is why he went on Twitch to talk about his feelings just hours after releasing a statement on social media expressing his feelings about being traded from the Celtics to the Sixers for a PED cheat and four speculative draft picks.

    While Twitch-ing, or whatever it’s called, Brown got a phone call from the coworker who probably is happiest to have him aboard: VJ Edgecombe.

    It was just 30 seconds of Gen Z acknowledgment and ego stroking, but there was a real vibe of Thank God you’re on my team so now I don’t have to play every minute of every game.

    Later, on that Twitch stream, Brown announced:

    “‘The Process is back f— on.”

    Not really.

    Call it Process 2.0, and understand that Edgecombe, properly nurtured, will be as important to its success as anyone.

    That nurturing process got a lot smoother when the Celtics gave Brown away on Wednesday.

    It could get even smoother if King James arrives.

    On Thursday, LeBron James’ camp let it be known that he would consider playing next season in Philadelphia now that Brown has joined Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Edgecombe. The King, now 41, is hunting a fifth NBA title, and Philly has become a viable contender within the last few days, even though the Sixers currently can pay him only the veteran minimum, just under $4 million. This would be a $48 million pay cut from last season with the Lakers.

    Don’t hold your breath.

    As insane as landing LeBron would be, shedding a bad contract and landing a superstar is even nuttier. And fishier.

    Something is amiss when the smartest organization in basketball gives away a top-10 player and asks in return for a broken-down PED cheater and two first-round picks that probably aren’t going to be that good anyway.

    At any rate, the Celtics on Wednesday traded Brown, a five-time All-Star, who is 29, to the Sixers for Paul George, who is 36, and who has had just one good season since he was 29. The Sixers also sent first-round picks in 2028 and 2031 and two second-round picks to Boston. The most significant aspect of the deal is that it erased the worst contract in the history of the franchise; George has two more seasons left on a four-year, $211 million deal, and he hasn’t been worth one-tenth of it.

    The move also made the Sixers an immediate NBA title contender, since Brown is everything the Sixers wanted George to be: a shot-creating athlete at all three levels who can play and defend multiple positions.

    The deal also delivers an invaluable byproduct.

    It gives Edgecombe time.

    Time to develop.

    Time to learn.

    Time to rest.

    Edgecombe not only led rookies at 35 minutes per game, he ranked 11th in the entire league and averaged the eighth-most minutes for a rookie guard in the last 17 seasons. As the Sixers dealt with injury absences of Joel Embiid as well as the early load-management strategies and the late PED suspension of George, Edgecombe proved himself too good to not protect.

    “VJ is going to be a lot better in the long run with J.B. around,” said an NBA source who is intimately familiar with the 76ers. “At the end of last season, he was pretty worn out.”

    Outside of a diminished three-point shooting percentage, the wear and tear didn’t really show up in his other raw stats. They dipped in the playoffs, but then, Embiid and George were back on the court for much of the late season and postseason. But his decision-making became errant, his shot selection more questionable, and he tended to disappear. He needed help that his big-money vets were not there to provide.

    The absence of Paul George (8) had a trickle-down effect at times on VJ Edgecombe. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Combined, they missed 89 of 164 games, more than half. This has been the norm for both of them for the past few seasons.

    Brown plays about 20 more games a season than Embiid and George.

    That means that when Embiid misses his 30 or 35 games this season, Brown will be there to carry the load, whereas George was not.

    That also means that when Embiid plays, Edgecombe will not have to serve as the second or third offensive option, using moves he shouldn’t be making and taking shots he shouldn’t be taking for at least another season or two. When the Sixers drafted him third overall, most projections cast him as a superior athlete with unlimited defensive potential but with limited plug-and-play offensive ability. He learned fast, averaged 16 points per game, and made the All-Rookie team, but, man, there were some ugly nights and some ugly shots.

    Brown will also help Maxey get off his feet a little more. Maxey led the NBA at 38.0 minutes per game in an MVP-caliber season, but he wore down, too. Both were affected by the early injury absence of Jared McCain, and then by McCain’s exit at the trade deadline, as well as the lack of consistent contributions from guard Quentin Grimes.

    Edgecombe and Brown don’t play the same position, exactly, but they will combine with Maxey, and possibly rookie Labaron Philon Jr., to manage the primary backcourt duties.

    Brown will arrive motivated to make the best impression possible.

    He’s in line for a two-year, $140 million extension that will put him under contract for the next five seasons. He will be a more focused defender and rebounder, play-make with more alacrity, and, inevitably, he will assume the role of mentor to Edgecombe that George served last year.

    He said in Thursday‘s social media post that he was “Excited and disappointed at the same time” to be leaving Boston, where he won a title, and coming to the Sixers, who bounced him from the playoffs this spring.

    It was delivered with Brown’s typical class and polish.

    The Twitch stuff? Less classy, less polished, but just as real.

    The Celtics, meanwhile, immediately started planting narratives about how zero-time All-Star guard Derrick White is a more valuable player than Brown. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst also reported that the Celtics, after consulting their analytics, considered it imperative to get backup center Mitchell Robinson off the court when they played the Knicks. Then, on Wednesday, they signed Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million deal.

    No wonder the Sixers knocked them out in the first round.

    There is always the possibility that this trade is not as lopsided as it seems. The Celtics certainly didn’t see the value in retaining a guy who can make more than $320 million if he’s offered an extension.

    The pocket protector crowd loves to cite and manipulate undependable metrics that diminish Brown’s obvious talent, skill, value, and performance. They insist that his playmaking fluctuates, his defense is overrated, and his shot diet doesn’t regularly generate the most efficient looks for him or his teammates.

    Remember, analytics is an industry, and it has to feed itself and convince its consumers of its necessity.

    Therein lies an irony. As much as analytics have torpedoed the Sixers’ plans, execution, and hopes over the past 14 years of “The Process,” it appears that analytics now have delivered an unexpected reward — in the form of Jaylen Brown.

    Bonus: LeBron James?

    Benefit: VJ Edgecombe.

  • Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    At the broadest, most general philosophical level, Mike Gansey aced his first test as Sixers president on Tuesday night. He looked at his draft board, saw a player he’d graded as the best talent by a significant margin, and then he selected that player. The process was sound.

    As insignificant as it may seem, plenty of front offices mess it up. They prioritize things like roster construction or positional fit and they allow motivated reasoning to cloud the reality that all of the perfect players are long gone by the 22nd pick in the NBA draft. You must defy the odds just to select a player who ends up deserving a spot in a playoff rotation, let alone one who can make a decisive impact at a position of need. In Labaron Philon Jr., a sophomore guard from Alabama, the Sixers saw a talent so obvious that they didn’t feel like there was a choice to make.

    “He’s someone that fell into our lap, so to speak,” Gansey said.

    The Sixers ‘couldn’t pass up’ Labaron Philon Jr. after he ‘fell in our lap’ at No. 22 overall in NBA draft

    Of course, the real test is whether they are right. Not just about Philon, a dynamic ballhandler and shooter who averaged 22 points per game last season and who some mock drafts had going in the top 15. Gansey and his front office must also be correct in their evaluations of the players they could have drafted instead of Philon. Zuby Ejiofor, Chris Cenac Jr., Joshua Jefferson, to name a few. Each of those three possesses the size that Philon lacks and that a roster like the Sixers’ will eventually need on the wing alongside Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Each went off the board in the six picks after Philon. Two of them went to Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls (Ejiofor to the Hawks at No. 23, Cenac to the Celtics at No. 27). History will be written by the teams that got it right.

    All you need to know about how the Sixers feel about Philon can be derived by the fact that they saw fit to draft him despite the overlap in skill sets with Maxey and Edgecombe and also the player they traded away for the pick they used to draft the Alabama guard. When Daryl Morey dealt Jared McCain to the Thunder with ownership’s approval, the thought was that the 2024 first-round pick’s long-term utility would be capped by his inability to play alongside two other smallish guards. He and Philon are hardly carbon copies of each other. Philon is a little longer in terms of standing reach and wingspan, and he is a quicker, more dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. But they both exist in the same general bucket, with the same limitations with regard to Maxey and Edgecombe.

    Sixers first-rounder Labaron Philon Jr. averaged 22 points in his final season at Alabama.Kyle Phillips

    Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of Tuesday’s first round, Gansey and Sixers coach Nick Nurse both spent a lot of time talking about how similar Philon is to Maxey and Edgecombe.

    “He’s another fast, kind of exciting guy that kind of plays a lot like Tyrese and VJ,” Nurse said. “It’s another guy with the speed, athleticism, quickness, deep range, some creativity with the ball. He’s a pretty good pick-and-roll player already, probably more advanced than a lot of guys coming out. I think he sees all the pieces of the pick-and-roll.”

    Nurse and Gansey both hemmed and hawed when asked whether they envisioned using all three of their young guards on the court at the same time.

    “I don’t see a lot of minutes, but maybe in certain situations we can,” Gansey said, while also deferring to Nurse.

    Nurse sounded equally skeptical.

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    “I think it’s a little early to answer that,” he said.

    Both downplayed the significance of the question. Games are more than long enough to accommodate three guards playing starter minutes at staggered intervals. Maxey and Edgecombe both finished among the league leaders in playing time last season, perhaps counterproductively so. In a world where each averages 32 minutes per game, that would leave another 32 where one or the other is on the bench.

    “My mindset is he’s talented,” Nurse said of Philon. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to get him on the floor.”

    Nick Nurse and Mike Gansey saw a lot of similarities between new Sixer Labaron Philon Jr. (right) and VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey.Rogelio V. Solis

    The Sixers will have a good problem on their hands if Philon ends up good enough to warrant more minutes than are available. It will mean the minutes he does play are valuable. The Knicks won an NBA championship with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Jose Alvarado. The Spurs had Dylan Harper playing starter minutes off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. The Thunder had a slew of guards contribute, including the smallish McCain and Cason Wallace.

    “You look at our roster, we need help at every position, one through five,” Gansey said. “Obviously, we have the big four, and I think he fits. He’s another guard so now we can kind of focus in other areas on the roster.”

    However Philon turns out, the pick does offer us a little more evidence on what to expect out of Gansey and this Sixers roster. They didn’t use the No. 22 pick to select a player who might someday help alleviate the roster’s clearest current need (size on the wing). They didn’t trade it for a veteran who might’ve made them better in the short term. They didn’t use it to entice a team to take on Paul George’s contract. They did what a team in their position should be doing. They had an opportunity to draft a player they think will someday belong in a championship-caliber rotation, and they availed themselves of that opportunity. That is how it is going to need to be done: piece by piece.

  • First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    NEW YORK — The 76ers entered the NBA draft fresh off a playoff series that exposed their roster shortcomings.

    That decisive second-round sweep by the New York Knicks showed that the franchise needed to double down on what it received from cornerstones Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. They needed more speed, more scoring, more shooting, more rebounding, more everything.

    The Sixers’ first attempt at improving came with the selection of Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall on Tuesday, christening the Mike Gansey era as president of basketball operations.

    Sixers select Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick

    Let’s take a closer look at Philon’s career at Alabama, how he fits with the Sixers, and other areas of the Sixers’ roster that can still be addressed.

    What Philon brings to Philly

    Philon arrived at Alabama as a homegrown talent who proved to be a big-time scorer, earning Alabama’s Mr. Basketball high school honors.

    Before leaving town for Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season, Philon played three seasons at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a junior. That scoring ability didn’t immediately translate to college in his freshman season at Alabama, when he averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 37 games.

    Alabama’s Labaron Philon (right) averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds and 3.8 assists in 37 games as a freshman.Vasha Hunt

    Philon realized that he didn’t put together a strong enough campaign to enter the NBA. He went through the process and returned to school for another year, where his tape was more undeniable. As a sophomore, Philon averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5 assists. That was good enough to get buzz as a lottery pick before dropping to the Sixers at No. 22.

    Philon’s skill set features a crafty handle, ability to finish at the rim, and shooting range from deep. He can function in the screen-and-roll and is creative in open space. He made 57.4% of his two-pointers and 39.9% of his three-pointers last season, and those numbers are made more impressive by the fact that Philon was often the center of attention for Alabama and created a large share of his own shots.

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    Most important, Philon’s numbers weren’t empty calories. His production contributed to winning in both seasons for the Crimson Tide, as he helped direct a team that made the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 this past season. Each time his team met a No. 1 seed, losing to Cooper Flagg’s Duke team in 2024-25 and eventual champion Michigan in 2025-26.

    How Philon fits in Philly

    The Sixers have too many holes to fill in one draft. They entered Tuesday with voids in the backcourt and frontcourt. The franchise hit on Maxey and Edgecombe in recent drafts, but those stellar guards were near the top of the league in minutes played. Paul George and Embiid played inspired basketball at times when available, but they were not healthy nearly enough. George played only 37 games because of injury and suspension and Embiid called his 38 games played a “successful season” after he managed 19 games the season before.

    From AJ Dybantsa’s Paris-made suit to monochromatic looks, here were the best outfits from the NBA draft

    There were several players on the board who could have helped the Sixers when the 22nd pick rolled arrived. And several of them were names that slipped down the board as Arizona’s Koa Peat, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., and Philon were available. The Sixers appeared to take the best player available, as president of basketball operations Mike Gansey intimated that they would.

    During the draft process, Iowa sharpshooter Bennet Stirtz, who was picked 16th and joined former Sixer Jared McCain with the Oklahoma City Thunder, made a poignant statement. He said every team can use more shooters and ballhandlers. That’s what Philon will bring to Philly, another player who can create and score when Maxey goes to the bench.

    He’s adept at getting downhill and making buckets in the midrange and over bigger bodies, which will be needed on a Sixers team that received most of its scoring from four players. That he is a strong three-point shooter will be a bigger boon for the Sixers after trading McCain at the deadline in February and struggling to make shots from deep in the postseason.

    Alabama guard Labaron Philon (right) shot 39.9% from three as a sophomore.Vasha Hunt

    The Sixers also trotted Edgecombe out as a secondary ballhandler often in his rookie season. But that typically amounted to him creating offense for himself or initiating and getting out of the way. There wasn’t much in between as he continues to improve his ballhandling. Philon can take some of that pressure off Edgecombe and do more to find Embiid and George, who have grown more dependent on their teammates to get them the ball at this time of their careers.

    What the Sixers still need to address

    Rebounding was a major issue for the Sixers last season. As was on-ball defense and communication. As were turnovers. Those things won’t all be addressed in the draft or free agency. The Sixers can add reinforcements at forward to lower the usage of a smaller lineup around Embiid. They can also retain Kelly Oubre Jr. or Quentin Grimes to keep depth and talent on the wings.

    But because of their contract obligations, there are some things that can only be fixed from within. Maxey, George, and Embiid are all on max contracts, limiting who the Sixers can add to the roster. That means those players will have to do more. It’s hard to ask Maxey to be better than he was during the regular season, when he carried the franchise to the playoffs and earned All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors. That leaves George and Embiid, whose availability will remain the biggest factor in this team’s success.

  • Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture: ‘I want fountains, not drains’

    Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture: ‘I want fountains, not drains’

    The 76ers need to establish an identity, Bob Myers said Monday.

    That’s the central task ahead of new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who will look to bring the Sixers past the second-round hump and build them into a true championship contender.

    When asked if the franchise was committed to Joel Embiid in the long-term, Gansey said that he considers Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George the four tentpoles of the roster in the short-term.

    “We have those four and we’ve got to maximize those four,” Gansey said. “Obviously [Edgecombe] and [Maxey] are younger, but [George] and [Embiid] can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played, and obviously in the playoffs, coming back from Boston. We’ve got to rely on those four, and obviously keep them on the floor, and then just build around them.”

    The Sixers were not elite offensively or defensively last season — they ranked in the middle of the league in both offensive (17th) and defensive (16th) rating — and the new leadership group wants to change that.

    Mike Gansey will have one big question to answer as his Sixers tenure begins | David Murphy

    But getting their stars on the floor at the same time is easier said than done. Myers cosigned that to establish a team identity, the Sixers need to have their top four guys, namely Embiid and George, who both missed significant chunks of the last two seasons, all on the floor together.

    “In order to see what we are, we’ve got to be on the floor, right?” said Myers, president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and the head of the search that led to the Sixers hiring Gansey. “You have to have a consistent product on the floor, and maybe that’s not good enough, or maybe it is, but we’ve got to figure out what are we, what can we stand on as a team.”

    Mike Gansey (center) was introduced to the Philadelphia media Monday by managing partner Josh Harris (left) and president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Bob Myers (right).Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Myers referenced Embiid’s comments that the season was “successful” because he felt like he’d worked past the knee issues that hampered him for several years. Embiid has no scheduled surgeries this summer and the Sixers hope he can use the offseason to build instead of recover.

    But Embiid has missed more games than he’s played in his NBA career, partially due to just exceptionally bad injury luck, like last season’s appendectomy, or an orbital fracture or a bout with Bell’s palsy. Embiid has never played 70 games in a season, and hasn’t played more than half the games in a year since his MVP campaign in 2022-23.

    “He’s too important, and we are a top heavy team, right?” Myers said. “That’s just what it is. Look at the contracts. We need those guys to play, and you need depth underneath it. The league has changed, so we need both, but to experience what this team is, we need a healthy roster in training camp.”

    New Sixers president Mike Gansey has a tall task ahead. His former WVU teammates, coach, and even bus driver say he’s ready.

    The other aspect of building a team identity is through the internal culture of the organization. Gansey said explicitly that the Sixers roster is not championship caliber as it stands, but “we’re going to do everything we can to bring in players that fit” in order to build that roster.

    “I want guys that want to be in Philly, first and foremost,” Gansey said of his roster construction philosophy. “… I want fountains, not drains. I want guys with high character, guys with high work ethics, and guys that want to be in Philadelphia.”

    Gansey also said it was “a sticking point” for him to keep Jameer Nelson on and promote him to executive vice president of basketball operations. As a Chester native and former St. Joe’s star, Nelson knows the culture of basketball in the city in a way no one else in the organization does.

    Mike Gansey speaks to the Philadelphia media Monday as his wife Amy and their four children sit in the front row.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    With the draft at the end of the month, Gansey’s first big task will be to add another piece that can hopefully make an impact for the Sixers next year. Gansey did not delve too deeply into his draft philosophy, but said that at No. 22 he would consider both best fit and best player available.

    But it’s not just about getting the pick right. It’s also about what the Sixers do from there. The team has come under scrutiny recently for its struggles in keeping and developing players. This year’s NBA conference finals featured several ex-Sixers, including former draft picks Jared McCain, Landry Shamet, Isaiah Joe, and even Mikal Bridges, though he never suited up for Philly.

    From the ‘Nova Knicks to a Sixers castoff turned Spurs starter: All the Philly connections to the NBA Finals

    Now in Philly, Gansey hopes to fix that — starting with some of the players already on the roster.

    “The big part is just internal development, with Tyrese, VJ, and some of our other young guys, like they’ve got to get better too,” Gansey said.