Sixers learning valuable lessons amid 0–2 start to preseason

While all of Philadelphia was counting down the minutes until the first pitch of Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday evening, the Sixers wrapped up their time in Abu Dhabi with a second preseason game against the New York Knicks.

No Joel Embiid. No Paul George. No Jared McCain or Quentin Grimes. 

The same starting five as the preseason opener. Hoping for glimpses of what VJ Edgecombe is capable of, and maybe a sneak peak at what the Sixers' supposedly new offense looks like.

To be clear, the first preseason game was forgettable for several box-score reasons. The team shot 3-for-35 from three. Johni Broome (plus-8) was the only reserve to play positive minutes.

The Sixers got walloped in the third quarter and never recovered.

But beneath the surface was something a little more jarring.

The offense looked very much the same as it did last season. Stagnant, too much side-to-side movement. Not enough progress toward the basket. It all looked worse because the shooting was abhorrent. But nothing creative to offer a life raft as the offense struggled to tread water.

They're not going to re-wire their habits in a week. The Sixers will need Embiid and George to actually play before they can really re-program this thing.

Because of that, the Sixers got a taste of what life will be like at times in the regular season, at least until Embiid and George are consistently suiting up.

For now, they're losing chemistry battles.

What would you expect?

The Knicks have a full season together. Their intimate knowledge of each other's tendencies and preferences is far more advanced than those bonds the Sixers have with each other.

Sometimes it will manifest more obviously, and other times more subtly.

Mikal Bridges threw a pass out to the wing as he leaned out of bounds and immediately cut behind Justin Edwards for a give-and-go. Two points courtesy of teammates simply having a feel for each other.

There were instances in which the Sixers were not prepared to get back on defense after dead balls, resulting in cross-matches against poor defensive floor balance. A subtle example of when your lack of chemistry hurts.

Some of it is difficult to parse through because there are players getting minutes who will almost certainly spend most of the season in the G League.

But there are rotation players who have not inspired thus far.

Edwards has struggled through two preseason games. He can't get shots to fall. There's a loose ball almost every time he attempts to dribble. It wouldn't be as concerning if his summer league didn't look eerily similar.

Kelly Oubre Jr., who told reporters at media day that he spent a lot of time working on decision-making this summer, is mostly not seeing teammates and taking low-quality shots.

It's too early to say it's too early. But these games are giving no-stakes reminders of the challenge ahead for Philadelphia: with the uncertainty surrounding two of the veteran pillars, there's a talent disadvantage in several of these matchups, and that's before you get to the chemistry disadvantage.

But it is not all doom and gloom.

Embiid, by his own account, seems far more prepared now than he was at this time last season. If he's good to go by the start of the season and can play at some level close to the peak of his powers, the Sixers will string together enough wins to steady the ship until George is ready. If George has to miss any regular-season time at the start, that is.

Drummond looked more like the player the Sixers hoped for when they reunited with him in the summer of 2024 in the second Abu Dhabi game. Perhaps it's the toe yoga?

Above all else, the offense looked more purposeful in Saturday's preseason game than it did in the opener. Being bad or mediocre is one thing, being those things and being boring is another.

Did it look great on Saturday afternoon? No.

Did it look better? Yes.

The Sixers showcased a bit of creativity on one of their first possessions of the game:

Nice dunk by Edgecombe.

More important: that was a nice little flair screen action to get him open and going toward the rim with momentum. Need to see more of that.pic.twitter.com/tAoLNCLmMW

— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) October 4, 2025

It's simple, but it's chemistry. And it's between two core players.

That one play is microcosmic of Philadelphia's most intriguing storyline through two preseason games.

Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe are already developing chemistry. I'll do you one better: Edgecombe is getting a lot of time at point guard.

It's no secret that Maxey isn't a great playmaker at this juncture. Edgecombe has to play more than two preseason games before I'll say he's a better playmaker than Maxey is at this level. But they've both demonstrated the ability to create advantages for each other. Edgecombe catches and attacks a closeout, causing a helper to drift over to shut off the water. Edgecombe has created the advantage, and he gets the ball back to Maxey to capitalize on the gaps.

They're toggling between ball-handling duties. Edgecombe will initiate some possessions. Maxey will be the trigger man on others. But the backcourt looks dynamic already.

Edgecombe's downhill game is his super power at the moment. He's both cutting off the ball and putting pressure on the rim as a ball-handler. He's collapsing the interior and kicking to create open shots, allowing Maxey to toggle between the primer and the shooting guard every possession.

The rookie showcased his defensive playmaking more in the second preseason game than he did in the first. Aside from the explosive dunks, Edgecombe tantalizes with his powerful blocks. He spiked a Jordan Clarkson attempt backward in the first half, giving a glimpse of how his athleticism can activate his defensive prowess.

The offense is and will continue to be a work in progress. He airballed a pair of threes in the first half. He's 2-for-10 from deep through two preseason games. But he's willing to take them. More encouraging than that, Edgecombe has made all eight of his free throws thus far.

You wonder if he's thinking too much about getting arc under the ball. Perhaps practicing that is leading to him expensing accuracy and distance for the sake of just getting the ball in the air.

Still, he shakes off his misses pretty quickly. Edgecombe seems unbothered by the occasional lowlight.

The Sixers may be off to an 0-2 start in the preseason, but that's a mentality you can build with.