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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Liberty Ballers -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Honestly have no idea what we’re arguing about anymore.</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50717/lb-fav.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2025-07-06T11:56:16-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.libertyballers.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2025-07-06T11:56:16-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2025-07-06T11:56:16-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Edgecombe shines, Bona slams and more in Sixers vs. Jazz Summer League highlights</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League - Philadelphia 76ers v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/64WdFqtHgxJs-KyvZpHxg3U6J5U=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74164841/2223117629.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;The Philadelphia 76ers started their 2025 Summer League campaign on Saturday night, with VJ Edgecombe and Adem Bona filling highlight reels. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="kT87F5"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Philadelphia 76ers&lt;/a&gt; — well, the Summer League version — got out on the court Saturday night for their first game of the seasonal schedule. It was the first chance to catch Sixers’ rookies VJ Edgecombe (No. 3 overall 2025 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft"&gt;NBA Draft&lt;/a&gt; pick) and Johni Broome (No. 35 overall) as well as check back in with returning players like Adem Bona, Justin Edwards and more. &lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="adKguI"&gt;The Sixers ultimately fell to the &lt;a href="https://www.slcdunk.com"&gt;Utah Jazz&lt;/a&gt; 93-89, but if you ask me, the real meat of these Summer League games comes from watching the individual plays within the games, not so much the final scores. So, let’s take a look at some of the Sixers’ highlights from their first summer outing of the year.&lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="g6HqET"&gt;If you’re looking for a full recap of Saturday night’s contest as well as a breakdown of which Sixers players stood out the most, you can &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462270/sixers-jazz-final-score-2025-nba-summer-league-vj-edgecombe-justin-edwards-ace-bailey"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;check that out here&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="NA7Qm1"&gt;Spoiler alert: there is a lot of Edgecombe and Bona video coming up, but it’s warranted. Let’s get to the clips!&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;h3 id="e4Lfqz"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Adem Bona slams it home off pick-and-roll&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  25. &lt;div id="9lIzm4"&gt;
  26. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  27. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Sixers Summer League highlights vs. Jazz quick thread here!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Adem Bona is back doing Adem Bona things! Slams this one home off the PNR. Bona looked strong and aggressive (but controlled/efficient) out of the gate last night. &lt;a href="https://t.co/40oSICzOGG"&gt;pic.twitter.com/40oSICzOGG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886360886890604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  28. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  29. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  30.  
  31. &lt;/div&gt;
  32. &lt;p id="WwipCr"&gt;Adem Bona looking strong and aggressive out of the gate, emphatically slamming this one down off a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. &lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;h3 id="c8XZvL"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. VJ Edgecombe with a quick triple assist for Johni Broome &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  34. &lt;div id="mahCKq"&gt;
  35. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  36. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;VJ Edgecombe didn't waste much time before showing off his playmaking potential - he pulls two defenders at the top of the key and quickly passes out to fellow rookie Johni Broome for the smooth 3PT.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(NBA Summer League, Sixers vs. Jazz) &lt;a href="https://t.co/IEyTXjJMmz"&gt;pic.twitter.com/IEyTXjJMmz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886363198001254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  37. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  38. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  39.  
  40. &lt;/div&gt;
  41. &lt;p id="tcOPgm"&gt;No need to over-complicate things! Edgecombe pulls the attention of two defenders and quickly passes out to fellow-rookie Johni Broome for a triple.&lt;/p&gt;
  42. &lt;h3 id="peV9V9"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Edgecombe makes a difficult jumper look easy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  43. &lt;div id="seEGwx"&gt;
  44. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  45. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;VJ Edgecombe hit a number of silky smooth jumpers throughout the game, but this one especially impressed me. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(NBA Summer League, Sixers vs. Jazz) &lt;a href="https://t.co/RrKIPQuEpI"&gt;pic.twitter.com/RrKIPQuEpI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886365374841173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  46. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  47. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  48.  
  49. &lt;/div&gt;
  50. &lt;p id="hQ8lJ8"&gt;This is one of those Tyrese Maxey type shots — the kind where you think “wow, he made that look a &lt;em&gt;lot&lt;/em&gt; easier than it is”. It nearly looks like Edgecombe is about to trap himself on the baseline with two defenders in tow, but he instead pulls up for this silky smooth bucket. &lt;/p&gt;
  51. &lt;h3 id="HtWMry"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Edgecombe takes it coast to coast&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  52. &lt;div id="T3YvSe"&gt;
  53. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  54. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Not much needs to be said about this one - VJ Edgecombe with a coast-to-coast that has everyone else looking like they're moving in slow motion. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(NBA Summer League, Sixers vs. Jazz) &lt;a href="https://t.co/PV32DFTmYj"&gt;pic.twitter.com/PV32DFTmYj&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886367564272110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  55. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  56. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  57.  
  58. &lt;/div&gt;
  59. &lt;p id="aAfeJk"&gt;Not much to say here. Edgecombe simply has everyone else on the floor looking like they’re wearing lead shoes. &lt;/p&gt;
  60. &lt;h3 id="h4QVuN"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. Bona muscles home assist from Mark Armstrong&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  61. &lt;div id="cT7v0N"&gt;
  62. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  63. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Adem Bona with another emphatic slam, this time using his strength / fearlessness to muscle his way into the paint. Really nice heads-up pass from Mark Armstrong on the assist, too.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(NBA Summer League, Sixers vs. Jazz) &lt;a href="https://t.co/qfIBPRvM9M"&gt;pic.twitter.com/qfIBPRvM9M&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886369741111373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  64. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  65. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  66.  
  67. &lt;/div&gt;
  68. &lt;p id="MFiNfK"&gt;More Bona doing Bona things! He hangs just outside the paint to give a driving Mark Armstrong a passing option, then muscles his way under the rim and up with the ball for the dunk. Armstrong had a rough game overall, but this was a nice heads-up play from him as well. &lt;/p&gt;
  69. &lt;h3 id="bTSg4A"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. VJ Edgecombe threads needle with assist to Adem Bona&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  70. &lt;div id="P5soPp"&gt;
  71. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  72. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;VJ Edgecombe showing off the playmaking skills yet again - lets Jalen Hood-Schifino cut in and pull the defender just enough to slip a pass through to Adem Bona for an easy dunk. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;(NBA Summer League, Sixers vs. Jazz) &lt;a href="https://t.co/ki0CAGWVCo"&gt;pic.twitter.com/ki0CAGWVCo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/eringrugan/status/1941886371813081158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  73. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  74. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  75.  
  76. &lt;/div&gt;
  77. &lt;p id="57wZEG"&gt;Edgecombe’s flashiest highlights from his Summer League debut might have been his dunks or scoring, but his playmaking potential needs to be taken note of as well. For this assist, Edgecombe is patient at the elbow despite being trapped out of his dribble and is able to stall for a moment as Jalen Hood-Schifino cuts through from the top of the key. The moment JHS pulls Bona’s defender away, Edgecombe slips the pass through for an easy Bona dunk. &lt;/p&gt;
  78. &lt;p id="Tjn0zy"&gt;Which play impressed you the most from the Sixers’ first Summer League game of 2025? Let us know in the comments!&lt;/p&gt;
  79.  
  80. </content>
  81.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/6/24462469/nba-highlights-sixers-philadelphia-summer-league-vj-edgecombe-johni-broome-adem-bona"/>
  82.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/6/24462469/nba-highlights-sixers-philadelphia-summer-league-vj-edgecombe-johni-broome-adem-bona</id>
  83.    <author>
  84.      <name>Erin Grugan</name>
  85.    </author>
  86.  </entry>
  87.  <entry>
  88.    <published>2025-07-05T23:37:46-04:00</published>
  89.    <updated>2025-07-05T23:37:46-04:00</updated>
  90.    <title>VJ Edgecombe mighty impressive as Sixers fall to Jazz in first Summer League game</title>
  91.    <content type="html">  
  92.  
  93.    &lt;figure&gt;
  94.      &lt;img alt="NBA Salt Lake City Summer League - Philadelphia 76ers v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K_NiVNvfrPNsjYOqVarBu7yY17c=/0x0:4716x3144/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74164361/2223107791.0.jpg" /&gt;
  95.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  96.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  97.  
  98.  &lt;p&gt;VJ Edgecombe recorded a double-double and looked like the best player on the floor as the Sixers fell to the Jazz in their first Summer League game in Utah.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="habCTS"&gt;What better way to kick off Summer League than with a moral victory? &lt;/p&gt;
  99. &lt;p id="uQsnyl"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Sixers&lt;/a&gt; fell to the &lt;a href="https://www.slcdunk.com"&gt;Utah Jazz&lt;/a&gt; 93-89 despite an excellent debut for VJ Edgecombe. &lt;/p&gt;
  100. &lt;p id="rfdEY2"&gt;He led all scorers with 28 on 13-of-27 shooting, but just missed the game-tying three. He also had 10 rebounds, four assists and three stocks. &lt;/p&gt;
  101. &lt;p id="fix1Wz"&gt;Justin Edwards and Johni Broome finished with 13 points apiece while Adem Bona finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.&lt;/p&gt;
  102. &lt;p id="PmzOnA"&gt;Ace Bailey finished with eight points on 3-of-13 shooting. Kyle Filipowski led the Jazz with 22. &lt;/p&gt;
  103. &lt;p id="9FfF9W"&gt;We’ll be focusing on the starters tonight. There are plenty of interesting names deeper down on the roster, and it’s pretty likely they’ll be getting the bulk of these minutes in the coming games. &lt;/p&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="gZts7y"&gt;Here are some thoughts at the buzzer. &lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;h3 id="9GgB46"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VJ Edgecombe &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  106. &lt;ul&gt;
  107. &lt;li id="xXgYTU"&gt;His athleticism first showed itself in how he would attack rebounds. The Sixers just haven’t had someone who aggressively hunts rebounds in quite some time now, but he was doing just that. He even nearly stole a putback from his own teammate in Broome, but was able to sail out of the way in time. &lt;/li&gt;
  108. &lt;li id="lwQpoQ"&gt;It took him a few minutes to get a jumper to fall, but it was clear he was focused on getting up as many shots as he could. His 26 shot attempts were a team-high. He only got one three-pointer to go down, but he was able to get himself open midrange pull-ups at a very high frequency. Seven of his 13 makes on the night were jumpers from that area. Between using screens and his athleticism, he was able to get to his spots without much of a bag. Perhaps even more encouragingly though, when he attacked in the fourth quarter, he started to get all the way to the basket. &lt;/li&gt;
  109. &lt;/ul&gt;
  110. &lt;div id="AIZewD"&gt;
  111. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  112. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;smooth as butter.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/qoLAf6U3cb"&gt;pic.twitter.com/qoLAf6U3cb&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1941688020987461778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  113. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  114. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  115.  
  116. &lt;/div&gt;
  117. &lt;ul&gt;
  118. &lt;li id="AoztJ1"&gt;While his handle still needs a lot of work, he did better handling defensive pressure than most of his teammates. Perhaps just as importantly, he made some nice reads on passes into the post, specifically in the first half. He was frequently looking to find someone in the dunker spot. &lt;/li&gt;
  119. &lt;li id="dtn2ed"&gt;And of course, he comes just as bouncy as advertised. &lt;/li&gt;
  120. &lt;/ul&gt;
  121. &lt;div id="MvSsp9"&gt;
  122. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  123. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR VJ EDGECOMBE ✈️ &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The No. 3 overall pick for the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@sixers&lt;/a&gt; is showing off his skills on ESPN! &lt;a href="https://t.co/c0dGlNEptB"&gt;pic.twitter.com/c0dGlNEptB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NBA (@NBA) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1941678712627278147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  124. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  125. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  126.  
  127. &lt;/div&gt;
  128. &lt;h3 id="zoDnrd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johni Broome &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  129. &lt;ul&gt;
  130. &lt;li id="Szdlyz"&gt;He definitely did not reach the impact of his fellow rookie, but he made a good first impression. Broome is a guy who seems to know where he’s always supposed to be, which will go a long way for success in Summer League. He was able to wiggle his way into some offensive rebounds and short roll opportunities. &lt;/li&gt;
  131. &lt;li id="tKefaq"&gt;He did smoke a handful of layups. Pairing that with shooting numbers in college, his touch could be a concern. At the same time, he did knock down a couple of threes on the night and they looked pretty good. &lt;/li&gt;
  132. &lt;/ul&gt;
  133. &lt;div id="htFITL"&gt;
  134. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  135. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Johni for 3️⃣ &lt;a href="https://t.co/Te3XCzh1Ez"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Te3XCzh1Ez&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1941690506603336138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  136. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  137. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  138.  
  139. &lt;/div&gt;
  140. &lt;h3 id="CjhO2F"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adem Bona &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  141. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li id="lB5gFs"&gt;Bona picked up right where his rookie season as he started this game by dunking on Filipowski. He was quiet for much of the game as the rotation expanded, but he got active again towards the end of the game. He had another monster dunk while trying to push Filipowski around on the other end. The two of them got into it quite a bit in this game. Bona doesn’t have much to prove this summer, but he’s still a fun watch nonetheless. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
  142. &lt;div id="Mj4P6U"&gt;
  143. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  144. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Adem Bona slams are back.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/CDBC9lHHFH"&gt;pic.twitter.com/CDBC9lHHFH&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1941670567989407799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  145. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  146. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  147.  
  148. &lt;/div&gt;
  149. &lt;h3 id="4JPD9x"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Justin Edwards &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  150. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li id="x97i2I"&gt;Again, Edwards doesn’t have a ton to prove this year, but he also got off to a hot start. He cut through the paint for a couple early baskets and drilled down a three well behind the perimeter. He cooled off much more than Bona as the game progressed, but he was able to knock down a couple jumpers in the fourth quarter to get his shooting line back to 5-of-13. He wasn’t able to get a last shot up down the stretch though as he accidentally stepped out of bounds first. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
  151. &lt;p id="hqMFnV"&gt;The summer Sixers will be back in action Monday night when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. That game will once again be on ESPN. &lt;/p&gt;
  152.  
  153. </content>
  154.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462270/sixers-jazz-final-score-2025-nba-summer-league-vj-edgecombe-justin-edwards-ace-bailey"/>
  155.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462270/sixers-jazz-final-score-2025-nba-summer-league-vj-edgecombe-justin-edwards-ace-bailey</id>
  156.    <author>
  157.      <name>Josh Grieb</name>
  158.    </author>
  159.  </entry>
  160.  <entry>
  161.    <published>2025-07-05T22:00:00-04:00</published>
  162.    <updated>2025-07-05T22:00:00-04:00</updated>
  163.    <title>Summer League, Sixers-Jazz: Second Half Thread</title>
  164.    <content type="html">  
  165.  
  166.    &lt;figure&gt;
  167.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Jc4L0LrepxGywG2F2woZcC60ycU=/216x0:2529x1542/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74164317/SecondHalfThread.0.jpeg" /&gt;
  168.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  169.  
  170.  &lt;p&gt;The Sixers kick off their Summer League campaign on Saturday night facing the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3 id="i8FtNE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Summer) Sixers vs. Jazz Game Details&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  171. &lt;p id="zNvYfm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Saturday, July 5, 9:00 pm ET&lt;/p&gt;
  172. &lt;p id="YKnkrk"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT&lt;/p&gt;
  173. &lt;p id="6ZJuJa"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch: &lt;/strong&gt;ESPN&lt;/p&gt;
  174. &lt;p id="ycwnql"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://twitter.com/Liberty_Ballers"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;@LibertyBallers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  175. &lt;p id="41EUf2"&gt;Below is the roster of players you can expect to see for the &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Philadelphia 76ers&lt;/a&gt; throughout Summer League, as well as the rest of their seasonal schedule.&lt;/p&gt;
  176. &lt;div id="7tI02B"&gt;
  177. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  178. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;get ready for your summer sixers!   &lt;a href="https://t.co/bnHQhvyvi8"&gt;pic.twitter.com/bnHQhvyvi8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1940105723045634129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 1, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  179. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  180. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  181.  
  182. &lt;/div&gt;
  183. &lt;p id="vwpH40"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  184.  
  185. </content>
  186.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462194/summer-league-sixers-jazz-second-half-thread-philadelphia-utah-nba-discussion-free-agency"/>
  187.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462194/summer-league-sixers-jazz-second-half-thread-philadelphia-utah-nba-discussion-free-agency</id>
  188.    <author>
  189.      <name>Erin Grugan</name>
  190.    </author>
  191.  </entry>
  192.  <entry>
  193.    <published>2025-07-05T20:45:00-04:00</published>
  194.    <updated>2025-07-05T20:45:00-04:00</updated>
  195.    <title>Summer League, Sixers-Jazz: First Half Thread</title>
  196.    <content type="html">  
  197.  
  198.    &lt;figure&gt;
  199.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IazcmEf9197AUZHo86JHDBTvF7A=/154x0:1849x1130/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74164273/FirstHalfThread.0.jpg" /&gt;
  200.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  201.  
  202.  &lt;p&gt;The Sixers kick off their Summer League campaign on Saturday night facing the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3 id="i8FtNE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(Summer) Sixers vs. Jazz Game Details&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  203. &lt;p id="zNvYfm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Saturday, July 5, 9:00 pm ET&lt;/p&gt;
  204. &lt;p id="YKnkrk"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT&lt;/p&gt;
  205. &lt;p id="6ZJuJa"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch: &lt;/strong&gt;ESPN&lt;/p&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="ycwnql"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://twitter.com/Liberty_Ballers"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;@LibertyBallers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  207. &lt;p id="41EUf2"&gt;Below is the roster of players you can expect to see for the &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Philadelphia 76ers&lt;/a&gt; throughout Summer League, as well as the rest of their seasonal schedule.&lt;/p&gt;
  208. &lt;div id="7tI02B"&gt;
  209. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  210. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;get ready for your summer sixers!   &lt;a href="https://t.co/bnHQhvyvi8"&gt;pic.twitter.com/bnHQhvyvi8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1940105723045634129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 1, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  211. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  212. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  213.  
  214. &lt;/div&gt;
  215. &lt;p id="aJmA3O"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  216.  
  217. </content>
  218.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462191/summer-league-sixers-jazz-first-half-thread-philadelphia-utah-nba-discussion-free-agency"/>
  219.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24462191/summer-league-sixers-jazz-first-half-thread-philadelphia-utah-nba-discussion-free-agency</id>
  220.    <author>
  221.      <name>Erin Grugan</name>
  222.    </author>
  223.  </entry>
  224.  <entry>
  225.    <published>2025-07-05T08:36:29-04:00</published>
  226.    <updated>2025-07-05T08:36:29-04:00</updated>
  227.    <title>Sixers begin Summer League play today in Salt Lake City</title>
  228.    <content type="html">  
  229.  
  230.    &lt;figure&gt;
  231.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Draft - Round One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tnra8Y_TqhP6-iLCQfK1C1tdV5s=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74163570/2221399204.0.jpg" /&gt;
  232.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by David L. Nemec /NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  233.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  234.  
  235.  &lt;p&gt;We get our first look at 2025 draft picks VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome as they and the rest of the Summer Sixers face the Jazz.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="LY49L4"&gt;It feels like just yesterday we were rooting for the Philadelphia 76ers to lose basketball games to increase their lottery odds. To continue this stilted metaphor, it seems like just an hour ago those odds paid off, with the Sixers getting the third overall pick and selecting VJ Edgecombe. Well, now we can once again root for the Sixers to win basketball games, as Edgecombe, 35th overall pick Johni Broome, and the rest of the Summer Sixers face the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. &lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;p id="tA8n1Z"&gt;As a reminder, here’s the full roster for the Sixers as they head into Summer League play.&lt;/p&gt;
  237. &lt;div id="rhFuXI"&gt;
  238. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  239. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Your 2025 Summer Sixers &lt;a href="https://t.co/hwTz6YaHaQ"&gt;pic.twitter.com/hwTz6YaHaQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1940106455111045271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 1, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  240. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  241. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  242.  
  243. &lt;/div&gt;
  244. &lt;p id="2ei0pi"&gt;Edgecombe is undoubtedly the headliner, as we get a first glimpse of his tremendous athleticism and two-way prowess in a Sixers uniform. It seems like the focus for VJ this summer is enhancing his on-ball capability. While we won’t need to see much “Point VJ” during the regular season with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid around (not to mention Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes), this is the perfect setting for Edgecombe to work on that area of his game.&lt;/p&gt;
  245. &lt;p id="6VbEOw"&gt;Broome had a highly successful college career, and the biggest question for him is how well his below-the-rim game will translate at the NBA level. I’m not sure whether we’ll find those answers in a Summer League environment, as it could be a case where he continues to excel against AAAA-type players. But it would obviously still be encouraging to see Broome stand out here.&lt;/p&gt;
  246. &lt;p id="ojvSsv"&gt;Second-year players Justin Edwards and Adem Bona are also getting some run, and the hope is that they look like “Too Good for Summer League” guys. We might see Bona take some more outside shots than he does with the big club, as that’s an area of his game he has been working on and this is the perfect sandbox in which to see some results.&lt;/p&gt;
  247. &lt;p id="XLCgmz"&gt;On the opposing sideline, here’s what the Utah Jazz are rolling out for Summer League action.&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;div id="d1dNuL"&gt;
  249. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  250. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;We have added Adama Sanogo to our Summer League roster ⤵️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/RSH5pBffAx"&gt;pic.twitter.com/RSH5pBffAx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/1939808310443876539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  251. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  252. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  253.  
  254. &lt;/div&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="lEPnUw"&gt;Many eyes will be on fifth overall pick Ace Bailey, following all the drama around his pre-draft process. The oddness there has continued to Summer League, with Omar Cooper Jr., son of Bailey’s not-actually-certified agent, serving as a guest coach. Elsewhere, I’m bullish on the prospects of 18th overall pick Walter Clayton Jr., and excited to see him at the next level. Former Sixer Jaden Springer is also on the roster. He appeared with the Jazz for 17 games last season after Boston traded him to Houston, where he was then waived and signed with Utah.&lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;p id="hJfvf0"&gt;Anyone else you’ve particularly excited to watch? Maybe two-way signing Hunter Sallis or Delaware Blue Coat Judah Mintz? Let us know in the comments.&lt;/p&gt;
  257. &lt;h3 id="XraV9Z"&gt;(Summer) Sixers vs. Jazz Game Details&lt;/h3&gt;
  258. &lt;p id="zNvYfm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Saturday, July 5, 9:00 pm ET&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch: &lt;/strong&gt;ESPN&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://twitter.com/Liberty_Ballers"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;@LibertyBallers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="yk4vxc"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  260.  
  261. </content>
  262.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24461950/sixers-begin-summer-league-salt-lake-city-philadelphia-76ers-utah-jazz-nba-vj-edgecombe-ace-bailey"/>
  263.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/5/24461950/sixers-begin-summer-league-salt-lake-city-philadelphia-76ers-utah-jazz-nba-vj-edgecombe-ace-bailey</id>
  264.    <author>
  265.      <name>Sean Kennedy</name>
  266.    </author>
  267.  </entry>
  268.  <entry>
  269.    <published>2025-07-03T21:23:19-04:00</published>
  270.    <updated>2025-07-03T21:23:19-04:00</updated>
  271.    <title>Sixers to sign Jabari Walker to two-way deal </title>
  272.    <content type="html">  
  273.  
  274.    &lt;figure&gt;
  275.      &lt;img alt="Portland Trail Blazers v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IFUT5NdTAADrXrJkX3evIf043d4=/0x0:4507x3005/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74161911/2208815386.0.jpg" /&gt;
  276.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  277.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  278.  
  279.  &lt;p&gt;With their second two-way deal of the summer, the Sixers take a flier on a wing with some NBA experience.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="16UVPJ"&gt;Hey, look at that, a wing signing. &lt;/p&gt;
  280. &lt;p id="TDJkCP"&gt;ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that the &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Sixers&lt;/a&gt; will be signing Jabari Walker to a two-way contract. &lt;/p&gt;
  281. &lt;div id="feDF1p"&gt;
  282. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  283. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Free agent forward Jabari Walker has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, source tells ESPN. Walker spent his first three NBA seasons in Portland, appearing in 188 games.&lt;/p&gt;— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1940937123588460775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 4, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  284. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  285. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  286.  
  287. &lt;/div&gt;
  288. &lt;p id="bkUeXZ"&gt;This is the second two-way deal Philadelphia has signed this offseason, reportedly using the first on &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/6/26/24456860/sixers-sign-wake-forest-hunter-sallis-two-way-deal-2025-nba-draft"&gt;undrafted free agent Hunter Sallis. &lt;/a&gt;With Alex Reese signed as well, the Sixers have all three two-way spots occupied. &lt;/p&gt;
  289. &lt;p id="AhZ4XL"&gt;Walker, a forward listed at 6-foot-9 on Basketball Reference, was a late second-round pick in 2022 who spent the first three seasons of his career with the &lt;a href="https://www.blazersedge.com"&gt;Portland Trail Blazers&lt;/a&gt;. He’s averaged 5.2 points per and 3.5 rebounds per game for his career. &lt;/p&gt;
  290. &lt;p id="HCtk9F"&gt;Per Cleaning the Glass, he spent the majority of his minutes at power forward his first two years in the league. Last season though, the Blazers moved him around a lot as he played 60% of his minutes at center as opposed to 40% at the four. &lt;/p&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="Jp0gMW"&gt;That would explain him averaging over 10 rebounds per 36 minutes in the last two seasons. He won’t protect the rim in the traditional sense though, averaging just 0.5 blocks per 36 for his career. &lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;p id="iAKIgz"&gt;Offensively, he is someone who’ll take the majority of their shots right at the basket, but he did shoot it well from outside last season, albeit on an extremely low volume. He’s only averaged 1.4 three-point attempts. After shooting in the low 20s from three in his first two seasons, he made 38.9% of the threes he took. &lt;/p&gt;
  293. &lt;p id="nU8dC9"&gt;As far as two-way swings go, Walker offers a nice blend of NBA experience and potential upside for Philadelphia. &lt;/p&gt;
  294.  
  295. </content>
  296.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/3/24461358/nba-free-agency-2025-report-sixers-sign-jabari-walker-two-way-deal"/>
  297.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/3/24461358/nba-free-agency-2025-report-sixers-sign-jabari-walker-two-way-deal</id>
  298.    <author>
  299.      <name>Josh Grieb</name>
  300.    </author>
  301.  </entry>
  302.  <entry>
  303.    <published>2025-07-03T15:35:49-04:00</published>
  304.    <updated>2025-07-03T15:35:49-04:00</updated>
  305.    <title>Trendon Watford is ready to show his versatile and fiery style of play to Philly</title>
  306.    <content type="html">  
  307.  
  308.    &lt;figure&gt;
  309.      &lt;img alt="Brooklyn Nets v Philadelphia 76ers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hc_mdFKsE2BWrHj5JO5Xc-fqeHQ=/0x0:6603x4402/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74161572/1983625831.0.jpg" /&gt;
  310.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  311.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  312.  
  313.  &lt;p&gt;Free-agent signee Trendon Watford has a combination of size, skill and intensity that should help the Sixers and play well with Philly fans.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="utvCVP"&gt;Trendon Watford is going to talk trash. &lt;/p&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="KYAlO1"&gt;It doesn’t matter if your his hated opponent or one of his best friends like Tyrese Maxey — if Watford gets the better of you, be prepared to hear about it.&lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;p id="KgQsgx"&gt;“It’s always been a part of my game, man,” Watford said during his first meeting with the Philly media. “Growing up, just me having an older brother — 10 years older than me, that played in college and professionally — so it wasn’t easy. I had to get it, so I think that’s just what’s in me. Being that guy that mixes it up and not afraid to take wherever we gotta take it to.”&lt;/p&gt;
  316. &lt;p id="HIONRy"&gt;Sounds like the type of player who will be at home in the City of Brotherly Love.&lt;/p&gt;
  317. &lt;p id="lwsiCl"&gt;Beyond the fiery style of play, Watford offers great size and versatility, two things the &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Sixers&lt;/a&gt; will miss with the departure of Guerschon Yabusele. The 24-year-old Watford stands at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. &lt;/p&gt;
  318. &lt;p id="ilp84O"&gt;While he started his career with the &lt;a href="https://www.blazersedge.com"&gt;Portland Trail Blazers&lt;/a&gt; as a small-ball five, he spent the last two years as a Brooklyn Net and getting minutes as the team’s backup point guard. That type of varied skillset was ingrained in him by his father. While he was growing up, his dad would never let him be a post player, even when he was the tallest kid out there.&lt;/p&gt;
  319. &lt;p id="FxvKjl"&gt;Watford also credits his first four years in the NBA with rounding out his game even further. As a rookie, he got to share the floor with nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard. In Brooklyn, his experience being the team’s de facto backup point guard only added more layers to his game.&lt;/p&gt;
  320. &lt;p id="ZMsbp7"&gt;He’s eager to play alongside Maxey and two other stars in Joel Embiid and Paul George.&lt;/p&gt;
  321. &lt;p id="jMrAqJ"&gt;“Just being able to use my IQ to play off of them,” he said. “I played with a great guard in Damian Lillard when I was in Portland, so just being able to play off some great players that I’ve played with already. And just valuing my IQ. … I think they’re obviously three great players and they’re going to be the three guys leading our team. I think it’s just finding where I can fit in, using my IQ and using what I can do to be out on the court.”&lt;/p&gt;
  322. &lt;p id="RLbYp8"&gt;In a bit of a surprise, it wasn’t Maxey who made the initial recruiting pitch. That duty went to head coach Nick Nurse, who called Watford immediately once the free agency period began Monday night. That spoke volumes to Watford, who was eager to come to Philly.&lt;/p&gt;
  323. &lt;p id="3TIefQ"&gt;The phone call from Maxey came immediately after.&lt;/p&gt;
  324. &lt;p id="NrrvAZ"&gt;Watford and Maxey have been friends since they met at a basketball camp in ninth grade. Their parents became friends and the players roomed together for the McDonald’s All-American Game back in 2019. Funny enough — even in that game — the two have never been teammates.&lt;/p&gt;
  325. &lt;p id="RNUNp2"&gt;It took four years into Watford’s NBA career and five years into Maxey’s to make it happen.&lt;/p&gt;
  326. &lt;p id="pKcYY5"&gt;But here we are.&lt;/p&gt;
  327. &lt;p id="BLdXW1"&gt;“Man, it’s great,” Watford said. “We can’t believe it, honestly. We’re still in shock. He called me right before this and was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe you’re in Philly and going to go to the facility.’ It’s crazy. It’s crazy to be on the team right now.”&lt;/p&gt;
  328. &lt;p id="kC4Cfc"&gt;Watford is by no means a 1-for-1 replacement for Yabusele. There’s some overlap, but you’d put Watford more into the category of a combo forward and Yabusele more as a combo big.&lt;/p&gt;
  329. &lt;p id="cAg39U"&gt;One commonality — they both wear their emotions on their sleeve on the court, something that endeared Yabusele to the Philly faithful.&lt;/p&gt;
  330. &lt;p id="ni2muq"&gt;“I can’t wait. I’m ready to get it going,” Watford said. “I know how much the team means to the city and talking to Tyrese, how the Philly fans are, so I think we’re gonna get along well and I look forward to bringing what I bring to the city.”&lt;/p&gt;
  331. &lt;p id="x7AI8q"&gt;Yeah, Watford should fit right in.&lt;/p&gt;
  332.  
  333. </content>
  334.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/3/24461089/trendon-watford-sixers-tyrese-maxey-2025-nba-free-agency-nick-nurse-guerschon-yabusele"/>
  335.    <id>https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/7/3/24461089/trendon-watford-sixers-tyrese-maxey-2025-nba-free-agency-nick-nurse-guerschon-yabusele</id>
  336.    <author>
  337.      <name>Paul Hudrick</name>
  338.    </author>
  339.  </entry>
  340.  <entry>
  341.    <published>2025-07-03T12:28:07-04:00</published>
  342.    <updated>2025-07-03T12:28:07-04:00</updated>
  343.    <title>Let’s calm down on the ‘Sixers back in contention’ talk</title>
  344.    <content type="html">  
  345.  
  346.    &lt;figure&gt;
  347.      &lt;img alt="Philadelphia 76ers Introduce VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome - Press Conference" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8f80RA7srRIoIUHIv7BgHS5SN5U=/0x0:5695x3797/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74161315/2221625792.0.jpg" /&gt;
  348.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  349.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  350.  
  351.  &lt;p&gt;Teams don’t often go fifth-worst to first, and despite some reasons to be excited about this Sixers group, I wouldn’t anticipate a season to remember.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="tCk64E"&gt;With the initial wave of &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-free-agency"&gt;NBA free agency&lt;/a&gt; behind us, a strange narrative is developing within the discourse: the idea of the &lt;a href="https://www.libertyballers.com"&gt;Philadelphia 76ers&lt;/a&gt; as Eastern Conference contenders. Yes, the same Philadelphia 76ers franchise that finished 24-58 last season, good for the fifth-worst record in the league. It’s true! Here’s an &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2025/7/1/24459997/sixers-championship-contention-joel-embiid-tyrese-maxey-nba-free-agency-injuries"&gt;article on SB Nation (a terrific site!) on Tuesday&lt;/a&gt;, titled, “The Sixers might have accidentally stumbled back into championship contention.”&lt;/p&gt;
  352. &lt;p id="M0i7XB"&gt;The national folks are spinning that same yarn, as well. On this recent ESPN segment covering the Sixers, Tim Legler says (4:18 mark), “The bottom line is, the talent is there and if they’re healthy, they’re going to make noise in the Eastern Conference.” Brian Windhorst later adds (5:38 mark), “With their level of talent, with Embiid, George, and Maxey...why shouldn’t this team be regarded as a contender in the Eastern Conference?”&lt;/p&gt;
  353. &lt;div id="fiOajX"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJeXw_Nkvz0?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  354. &lt;p id="JPK302"&gt;Now, I understand the argument. The Eastern Conference is absolutely off the rails. Boston, Indiana and Milwaukee have all lost stars to achilles injuries (with the Bucks even making the decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard). New York has a new coach. The pecking order in the East is basically Cleveland and then a collective shrug. Following productive offseason moves, people are pushing Orlando and Atlanta as big risers. Yes, the Hawks!&lt;/p&gt;
  355. &lt;p id="hte8NQ"&gt;So with the Sixers penciling in an All-Star, an All-NBA player and an MVP in their starting lineup, it’s tempting to squint and see the path forward for Philadelphia next spring. After all, just 12 months ago, we were all basically saying the Sixers were just a tier below Boston in the East with essentially the same roster. &lt;/p&gt;
  356. &lt;p id="gcxBGS"&gt;But let’s pause and really think through things. Joel Embiid only played 19 games last season, after just 39 games the year before. There’s a very real possibility that his knees are not going to consistently play NBA basketball at a high level ever again. Even an optimistic scenario for his return likely entails him taking a step back and doing less on the court in an effort to remain available for multiple games at a time. It’s extremely hard to envision Embiid carrying a team through a grueling playoff run. In a less drastic but similar vein, Paul George just turned 35 years old and has one year playing 60 or more games across the last &lt;em&gt;six&lt;/em&gt; seasons. It’s easy to say “if healthy” with these guys, but that phrase is carrying the heaviest bucket of water imaginable.&lt;/p&gt;
  357. &lt;p id="74i3q9"&gt;Then, from a pure roster construction standpoint, the Sixers are still very undersized, which was a huge problem last season when they were &lt;a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;amp;dir=D&amp;amp;sort=REB_PCT"&gt;dead-last in the league&lt;/a&gt; with a 47.1 rebounding percentage. They’re likely looking at a lot of three-guard lineups, and I imagine George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Justin Edwards will soak up plenty of minutes at the four spot, with new signing Trendon Watford getting some burn off the bench. Even at his peak, I’d argue Embiid was never an exceptional rebounder, and the recent version of him without a spring in his step is a below-average one. I don’t expect him, Andre Drummond, who will be 32 years old when the season starts, or young guys like Adem Bona and Johni Broome to overcome the size disparity elsewhere on the court and alleviate the rebounding concerns.&lt;/p&gt;
  358. &lt;p id="EWx2fA"&gt;Finally, the four guards (Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes whenever his agents realize literally no other team can pay him $25 million per year and they need to lower their asking price) will undoubtedly be the most exciting part of the team. And I love what that group could mean for the future of the franchise. But you’re talking about Grimes being the elder statesman at 25 years old. Oklahoma City just won the title with an extremely young roster, but that was more the exception than the rule. Guys generally need to go through some playoff growing pains, and other than Maxey and nine games for Grimes, this group hasn’t had that experience. Plus, McCain just had a major knee surgery, and I know we’re all supposed to be optimistic about the meniscus because he had the full repair, but it’s still something reasonable to be concerned about it.&lt;/p&gt;
  359. &lt;p id="fbdubZ"&gt;So will the Sixers be better than last year? Certainly. Nearly everything that could have gone wrong, did, and very few branches in the multiverse would see Philadelphia go through a season like last one again. Also, feel free to go ahead and be hopeful about the future of the franchise. The Sixers have a number of exciting young pieces and a decent collection of draft assets ahead. But contention this season? If the last two decades of Sixers basketball have taught me anything, I don’t see it in the cards.&lt;/p&gt;
  360. &lt;p id="l8vypq"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  361.  
  362. </content>
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  365.    <author>
  366.      <name>Sean Kennedy</name>
  367.    </author>
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