Sixers Beat: A Philadelphia 76ers, Nba Podcast

Where does Sixers' guard, Tyrese Maxey, rank among the best lead guards in the NBA, and can he rise on the list this season?  

From drafting Markelle Fultz to trading Mikal Bridges to letting Jimmy Butler walk, the Sixers have made repeated mistakes over the last decade. Which error would you undo, and how?

Who is best with a can opener? Is working at PHLY your dream job? Who is your favorite Sixers player of all-time? The PHLY Sixers podcast answers all of your questions about basketball and life.

Will Adem Bona beat out Andre Drummond for minutes? Can Justin Edwards steal time from Kelly Oubre? Is Quentin Grimes going to box out VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain? And more Sixers roster battles.

After John Wall’s retirement, Paul George is the last remaining member of the 2010 NBA Draft class still playing professionally. What can Nick Nurse, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey expect out of the veteran wing next season?

Will the Sixers’ best lineup feature Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe? Will it have Jared McCain running point? And will it include Joel Embiid or Paul George?

With the recent release of the NBA schedule, the PHLY Sixers podcast break down their most anticipated games for the 2025-26 season.  

Nick Nurse gave a positive update on Joel Embiid’s knee health ahead of training camp. Could the Sixers’ star be ready sooner than expected? Also, the Athletic put Jared McCain No. 3 in a 2024 NBA Draft re-draft. 

It’s NBA schedule release day and the Sixers’ full 2025-26 regular season schedule is out. Breaking down the toughest matchups, road trips, and when big names like LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, and Steph Curry come to town.

Daryl Morey has not been able to get the Sixers past the second-round hurdle. From extending Joel Embiid to signing Paul George to his fallout with James Harden, what mistake hurt Philadelphia the most?

The NBA is leaving the Sixers OUT of the picture when it comes to holiday games and opening night–the PHLY Sixers Podcast take a sneak peak at the prime time schedule release and discuss why they believe the Sixers were "snubbed."  

Was Ben Simmons or James Harden better with Joel Embiid? Is Jimmy Butler the best teammate the big man has played with? Does Tyrese Maxey make the starting five? And who was the best coach Embiid played for?

Joel Embiid and Paul George have health challenges to get ready for opening night. Tyrese Maxey struggles to use a can opener. Should VJ Edgecombe change his jumper? And more Sixers mailbag questions.

A report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said that there was buzz around the league that Quentin Grimes might take the qualifying offer from the Sixers, a move which would bring him back to the Philadelphia 76ers on a 1-year deal, but would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Is this a realistic possibility, or just a threat that Grimes and his camp are using for leverage on the Sixers? Plus, Derek and Rich go over what changes they would make to improve the NBA's on-court product.

There has been growing discontent with the NBA's product, with complaints ranging from teams taking too many 3s, to stars missing games due to load management, a convoluted salary cap which makes following the league increasingly difficult, and more. If you were given free reign to remake the NBA to improve the product on the court, what would you do?

For the Sixers to contend for a title this season they’ll need Joel Embiid to return to his pre-injury form. But has the growth of Tyrese Maxey, along with the additions of Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe, given the Sixers a strong enough base to build a contender out of down the line, even if Embiid is not able to return to his previously dominant self? And how bad of a spot are the Sixers actually in compared to their fellow Eastern Conference rivals?

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that there's growing concern around the league that Joel Embiid might not be ready for the start of training camp, citing several league sources outside of the Sixers who are sounding alarm bells on the likelihood of Joel Embiid returning to form. How much new information was actually revealed in this report, and is it something that should influence your expectations for the upcoming 2025-26 season?

Joel Embiid developed into a perennial MVP contender, and one of the best players in franchise history. Yet the Sixers don’t have even a Conference Finals birth, much less a championship, to show for it.What are some of the underrated reasons that the Philadelphia 76ers have come up short in their quest for a title during the Embiid era? 

From the Bryan Colangelo burnergate controversy, to the Sixers hiring Jerry Colangelo as an advisor and Kawhi Leonard's epic shot, the Sixers have been a chaotic mess for most of the Joel Embiid era. But which moments were the most surprising? Derek and Rich will provide their lists on today's show, ranking which events were the most shocking at the time, while offering first-hand perspectives from their time on the beat covering the chaos.

Could Jared McCain be an All-Star this year? Is it possible that Paul George is traded in an in-season move? How many minutes can you expect out of VJ Edgecombe this season? What kind of a role would Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey play on the 2001 76ers team that went to the Finals? That, and more, in this week’s Sixers mailbag.