Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse loves the Tyrese Maxey–VJ Edgecombe pairing. Early numbers do, too. But as Joel Embiid ramps up post-knee surgery, touches and rhythm for the rookie shrink. Friday’s one-shot fourth quarter vs. Boston told the story: the kids can fly—if the paint isn’t occupied by a usage magnet.
Nick Nurse didn’t hide it after the 76ers’ 109–108 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. Asked about pairing Maxey with rookie Edgecombe, he called it “a great combination,” praising their first steps, three-point gravity and ability to toggle on and off the ball. Five games in, the duo has been the Sixers’ best argument for what comes next.
Maxey’s counting stats jump off the page: team-high 26 points against Boston and season highs of 14 assists and two blocks, part of a start that includes a league-leading 35.2 points per game with 9.4 assists and 22 made threes. Edgecombe? The No. 3 pick has already logged the third-highest scoring debut in league history—34 points in Boston—while leading all rookies at 21.2 points, 5.4 assists and 40.2 minutes.
And yet October 31 spotlighted the tension inside Philadelphia’s plan. Joel Embiid, still easing back from April knee surgery—the second procedure on his left knee in 14 months—turned in his best line of the season: 20 points on 6-for-14, seven boards and two blocks in 25:04. Encouraging on paper. On the floor, the ripple effects were familiar. Edgecombe took one shot in the fourth quarter, a late three that cut the margin to two with 51.4 seconds left. For stretches, he drifted to the corners and watched the clock.
“Even though Edgecombe has the potential to be an elite combination guard, he won’t fully play to his potential alongside Embiid — at least not right now,” Wrote the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.
That’s the uncomfortable truth Philadelphia has to hold in one hand while the franchise icon works his way back with the other. Embiid is the 2023 MVP and the most decorated Sixer since Allen Iverson. When he’s right, he warps defenses and creates efficient offense. When he’s still finding timing and lift—he was scoreless in the second quarter and missed two late shots Friday, including a potential game-winner—his usage crowds the decision tree for everyone else.
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GettyVJ Edgecombe is an exploding talent in the Philadelphia offense as he searches for space alongside Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia’s best path might be the simplest: maximize overlap between Maxey and Edgecombe when Embiid sits and stagger the big man’s minutes so the rookie logs long, on-ball stretches. The rookie’s two quiet finishes this week weren’t about passivity so much as context. Tuesday in Washington, his first attempt didn’t come until 4:07 before halftime; Friday, he went 7-for-11 overall but took just one fourth-quarter shot. Those are usage patterns, not temperament issues.
Edgecombe’s shot profile screams scalability. He’s knocking down 43.8% from three and 49.4% from the field. He sprints into early offense, slips screens to force switches and can be the release valve when teams top-lock Maxey. But those strengths fade if he becomes a weak-side spectator while Embiid gets post touches and mid-post face-ups to test his legs. The offense slows, the read window shrinks and the rookie’s best skill—quick decisions with an open lane—vanishes.
This isn’t an indictment of Embiid. It’s an acknowledgment of reality after surgery: he needs reps to rediscover rhythm, and those reps carry a cost. Early-season priorities are colliding—fast-tracking a guards-first identity versus restoring a former MVP. That’s why Nurse’s praise matters; the staff sees a backcourt that can carry possessions, create rim pressure and spray to shooters without a post hub.
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GettyNick Nurse needs to figure out rotation tweaks designed to stagger Joel Embiid and feature Tyrese Maxey & VJ Edgecombe.
Staggering the young guards’ minutes with Embiid’s could be the formula.
The schedule offers a clean A/B test. Embiid is set to miss Sunday at Brooklyn for injury recovery, which should hand Edgecombe more touches and, ideally, late-game reps. If his usage spikes and the offense hums, Nurse has more evidence for deeper staggered looks when Embiid returns.
None of this diminishes Maxey, who’s playing like an All-NBA guard. In fact, staggering helps him, too. With Edgecombe initiating second-unit sequences, Maxey can toggle into more off-ball sprints, conserve energy and pop into clutch time with fresh legs and a hot catch-and-shoot rhythm. The numbers already say he’s lethal there.
Ultimately, the Sixers don’t need to choose between past and future—they need to sequence them. Keep Embiid’s ramp on track. Keep Edgecombe on the ball long enough to learn. Let Maxey do both. If Philadelphia gets that balance right, the end-of-game shot diet won’t look like Friday’s, and the conversation shifts from “fit questions” to “matchup problems.”
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