The 76ers’ 8-1 start has done a nice job of hiding a real issue: the three-point shooting just hasn’t been there.
Philadelphia has won eight of its first nine games, with the lone loss coming on the second night of a back-to-back and without two starters. That kind of record usually smooths over a lot of rough edges. This one has covered up a long-range problem that’s still sitting there in plain sight.
The numbers aren’t disastrous, but they’re not where they need to be either. The Sixers are hitting 11.4 threes per game, which ranks fifth-lowest in the NBA, and their 34.4 percent mark from deep is only middle of the pack. The bigger concern is how uneven that production has been.
Three of Philadelphia’s top four shooters by percentage are coming off the bench: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade. Among the starters, only Jaylen Brown is above 35 percent from three, sitting at 44.4 percent.
LeBron James is at 26 percent, and Joel Embiid is down at 11 percent. As a starting group, the Sixers are shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc and making just 7.2 threes per game, which ranks 24th in the league.
For now, the team has found ways to win anyway. But that kind of imbalance is hard to sustain, especially with so much shooting talent in the first five. The expectation is that this number should move up, not stay buried near the bottom third of the league.
Embiid has taken the brunt of the attention because of how far off his shot has been. He even joked recently that he might stop firing away from deep altogether.
"I think I might just give up on shooting threes myself," Embiid said. "[We] can’t make any as a team.
We shot pretty good tonight [against Indiana], but overall, since the season started, it just hasn’t been it - starting with me. So yeah, I quit."
Joel Embiid: “Tonight might’ve been the last three I ever take.” He’s 3-for-26 from three this year pic.twitter.com/jbZLpazjk5
Of course, Embiid isn’t actually going to stop. His ability to stretch the floor matters too much to Philadelphia’s offense. Nick Nurse made that point clear when he talked about what a big man who can step out and shoot does for an attack.
"I think it’s hard to guard when you’ve got a big that can go out and pop," Nurse said. "...
It’s a lot of game-planning and all that kind of stuff. I think it will open up the driving lanes for some of those other guys."
Embiid hasn’t made a three since Oct. 22, and his slump has been the loudest one, but he’s not the only starter who can do better. Every Sixers starter besides Brown is shooting below his career mark from long range so far this season.
That’s the part that should keep Philadelphia optimistic. If those numbers start drifting back toward normal, the offense gets a lot harder to defend in a hurry.
In Other News...
Pistons Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After Embiid Incident
The night in Detroit had the feel of a routine road win for Philadelphia until Joel Embiids physical play turned the focus elsewhere. In the middle of the game against the Pistons, Embiid kicked Jaden Cunningham in the groin on a play that drew no immediate whistle, a sequence that quickly became the kind of moment the home crowd was never going to let go.
Embiid later picked up a technical foul for pushing Tolu Smith, and the league eventually retroactively assessed the earlier kick as a Flagrant 1. He still finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds as the 76ers moved to 8-1, but the box score only tells part of the story from a game that left Detroit with plenty to gripe about after the fact. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers May Have No Choice With Joel Embiid Against Cleveland
Adem Bonas cervical spine sprain has quickly complicated the Sixers frontcourt picture heading into the matchup with Cleveland. After taking an elbow to the head in the recent game, Bona is listed as doubtful, and Philadelphia suddenly looks thin behind Joel Embiid at a position where depth was already going to matter against a Cavaliers team that can punish teams inside.
Embiid has been on a minutes restriction, but he was needed for 33 minutes in the last game once Bona went down. If Bona cannot go, the Sixers may not have much choice but to lean more heavily on Embiid again, even with the long-term caution that has guided his workload. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Front Office Just Made One Bet Fans Need To See
Mike Gansey wasted little time putting his stamp on the Sixers after the 2026 NBA Draft, and the early message from the new President of Basketball Operations is clear: this roster is going to look different. Philadelphia chose not to retain Quentin Grimes or Kelly Oubre Jr., then moved to add Dean Wade on a four-year deal while also pursuing Anfernee Simons as part of a broader push to improve the teams three-point shooting.
Wade has already voiced confidence in Gansey and in the fit with Philadelphia, which matters for a team trying to reset its rotation and sharpen its identity heading into next season. The bigger question now is how far Gansey is willing to go in reshaping the group around that vision, and whether the Sixers recent moves are the start of a cleaner, more balanced roster or just the first step in a longer overhaul. [Read more 🡒]