The 76ers are sitting at 9-2 and alone in first place in the Eastern Conference, but Joel Embiid’s latest comments cut straight through the early-season glow. Philadelphia’s new-look offense is still settling in, and Embiid made it clear he does not feel fully at ease in it yet.
After the loss to the Cavaliers - the 76ers’ second defeat of the season - Embiid didn’t dress it up. He said that " everything feels crowded," a blunt read on how the offense has looked around him.
That game was rough by his standards: six points, no makes on nine shots, and he missed both of his attempts from deep. He bounced back some against the Bulls with 18 points, but the efficiency was still shaky, as he hit just seven of 19 shots and missed both of his threes.
The issue, as it stands, is that Embiid is being asked to play a different kind of role. With the addition of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, the 76ers’ holdovers have had to adjust, and Embiid has made some of the biggest changes of anyone. Instead of functioning as the dominant post scorer who can take over on his own, he’s become more of a secondary option, helping score and facilitate from the high post while also spacing the floor for teammates.
That shift has not come with much room to breathe. Philadelphia’s struggles from beyond the arc have made the floor feel even tighter, and Embiid’s reduced chances to hunt his own shots have left him operating without much rhythm. On top of that, he is not touching and directing the ball as much as he used to, which only adds to the discomfort.
There’s no reason for the 76ers to settle for this version of things. Embiid remains too gifted for the team to accept inefficient shooting and cramped spacing as the norm. The coaching staff has time to sort out how to get him into better positions and which lineups can better support his scoring.
For now, the bigger picture is simple: Philadelphia will go as far as Embiid can carry it. But if the offense keeps boxing him in, the edge he gives this team can start to fade.
In Other News...
Former 76ers First-Rounder Just Got A Brutal NBA Reminder
The Thunder made a quick roster move this week, sending two future second-round picks to Sacramento to land Nique Clifford and clear a spot for a team still trying to keep its footing through a wave of injuries. For Oklahoma City, the deal was about adding another body to a roster that has had to stay competitive while managing the wear and tear that comes with a long season.
To make room, the Thunder waived Dalen Terry, who had been signed less than a week earlier on a non-guaranteed deal. It was a sharp reminder of how thin the margin can be for young players trying to stick in the league, and for a former first-rounder like Terry, it leaves another uncertain stop in a career that has yet to find real traction. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Shrugged Off A Pregame Troll And Kept Rolling In The East
Before the ball was even tipped, Benny the Bull was already working the crowd, playfully poking at LeBron James during the 76ers starting lineup introductions by offering wine cups. It was the kind of pregame bit that can set a tone in an arena, but Philadelphia had little interest in getting pulled into the sideshow. The Sixers handled the moment the same way theyve handled most things early this season, with poise and enough firepower to keep control once the game actually started.
Philadelphia still had to earn it, though, in a 127-121 win over Chicago that featured five players in double figures and another steady night from James, who finished with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. The victory pushed the Sixers to 9-2 and kept them atop the Eastern Conference standings, a reminder that the punchline in Chicago ended up being the same as it has been for much of this stretch: Philadelphia keeps rolling, no matter whats happening around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Browns New 76ers Role Is Getting Harder To Ignore
Jaylen Browns arrival in Philadelphia came with a clear backdrop: after a career-high season in Boston and a 56-win run while Jayson Tatum was sidelined, he was traded to the 76ers after reportedly wanting to be treated more like a franchise player. That kind of move naturally invites scrutiny, especially for a player stepping into a new locker room and a different hierarchy. In Philadelphia, Brown has had to find his footing alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, and the adjustment has been as much about fit as it has been about production.
What has made his early stretch with the 76ers harder to overlook is how quickly he has become part of the teams recent success. Brown is no longer being asked to carry the same kind of load he did in Boston, but his influence is showing up in important moments as Philadelphia sorts out how its stars can work together. For a team with big expectations, that evolving role matters, and it is starting to look like Browns presence is becoming central to how the 76ers want to function going forward. [Read more 🡒]