<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-are-100-cooked-with-this-version-of-joel-embiid');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers are 100% cooked with this version of Joel Embiid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/76ers-Joel-Embiid-holding-knee.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers are 100% cooked with this version of Joel Embiid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-07T06:30:02-08:00">November 7th, 6:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-07T06:30:35-08:00">November 7th, 6:30am</time><address><a>Rishabh Bhatnagar</a>Rishabh is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2025-26 season knowing that their postseason form needs to change, and once again, a lot depends upon Joel Embiid’s fitness. Currently recovering from offseason knee surgery, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fed-up-minutes-restriction">Embiid has opened the season with a strict minutes restriction</a> and currently plays around 25 minutes per game.</p><p>However, the minutes restriction apart, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-most-happy-preseason-debut">Embiid’s reduced mobility has also led to concern from fans</a>, including former teammate Lou Williams,<a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1986123324196594139" rel="noopener"> who first pointed out the pros</a>.</p><p>“The pros are he knows he is on limited minutes, so he is very aggressive in his limited minutes knowing he is gonna play in 4-5 minute stints. So he is giving you what he can give you as Joel Embiid, and that’s his ability to score at every spot at the floor in the halfcourt,” he said, per a video posted on X by ClutchPoints.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I don't know how sustainable this will be for the 76ers."</p><p>Lou Williams is concerned with Joel Embiid's mobility for the Sixers' season 🗣️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/gI0gwGzwCK">pic.twitter.com/gI0gwGzwCK</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1986123324196594139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>However, the cons require more analysis, with the 76ers looking far off from a contender with Embiid in his current state.</p><h2><b>Lou Williams is concerned about Embiid and the 76ers</b></h2><p>“Even on the defensive end, he can’t slide on his feet … he cannot come out and contest. It’s like, something isn’t right. His knee isn’t right. His knee isn’t giving him that speed that we are used to seeing him. … He just doesn’t have that mobility that we are used to Joel Embiid having,” Williams said, before speaking on the long-term implications of Embiid’s current state.</p><p>“Again, when we get to half court, he is settling for jump shots because he cannot make a lot of moves. I don’t know how sustainable this is going to be for the 76ers… But I don’t know what happens if he can’t get that knee to that level that he wants it to be,” Williams recently concluded.</p><p>At the same time, the 76ers have quietly shifted their franchise axis. Guards Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes, plus rookie VJ Edgecombe, have emerged as a reliable backcourt core without relying exclusively on Embiid. Maxey, previously the Most Improved Player and an All-Star, has produced 40-plus point games early in the season and made a leap into star territory.</p><p>Grimes and Edgecombe offer two-way value and floor spacing that mitigate Embiid’s diminished mobility. The 76ers’ internal logic appears to be: we can contend or build competitively without having Embiid as the fulcrum.</p><p>However, there is little doubt that it will happen this season. Further, with plenty of concern lingering over whether Embiid can actually produce dominant campaigns like before, a potential recalibration may not just be on the cards, it may be a necessity.</p><p>Unless things change as the season progresses, the 76ers must accept that he is now a high-risk, limited minutes weapon rather than a full-time anchor. If your franchise’s big man is no longer a defensive force and cannot log heavy minutes, your title window closes unless you adapt radically.</p><p>Of course, Embiid still has elite scoring ability when healthy and active. His 20-point outing in a 20-minute stint shows he can deliver bursts when used properly.</p><p>But in today’s league, where teams run, switch and blitz pick-and-rolls, his lack of lateral mobility, limited minutes and reduced rim presence hamper the team’s ceiling. The 76ers face a stark pivot point: continue investing in a version of Embiid who can only play minutes here and there, or transition fully into a new identity centered on their backcourt and younger pieces.</p><p>If the knee never regains full health, the latter path becomes urgent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers are 100% cooked with this version of Joel Embiid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/editorials/nba-rookie-power-rankings-25-26-cooper-flagg-falls-behind');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Cooper Flagg falls behind through first couple weeks of 2025-26 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NBA-Rookie-Power-Rankings-Cooper-Flagg-falls-behind-through-first-couple-weeks-of-2025-26-season.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Cooper Flagg falls behind through first couple weeks of 2025-26 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-05T13:35:32-08:00">November 5th, 1:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-05T13:35:32-08:00">November 5th, 1:35pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before the 2025-26 NBA season even began, everyone was declaring the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-earning-rookie-of-year-hype-preseason">Rookie of the Year race over in favor of Cooper Flagg</a>, the first pick in this year’s draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Well, two weeks into the new season, Flagg has been outplayed by several of his fellow rookies, especially Philadelphia 76ers wing VJ Edgecombe.</p><p>While there is still plenty of basketball yet to be played this season, Edgecombe has put the entire league on notice.</p><p>Not only is he the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/vj-edgecombe-reason-cooper-flagg-rookie-year-doomed">early frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award over Flagg,</a> but he has also helped Tyrese Maxey <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-philly-championship-prediction-huge-catch">put the 76ers at the top of the Eastern Conference</a> standings two games into the 2025-26 season.</p><p>With how wide open the East is this year, Edgecombe’s path to remaining at the top of ClutchPoints’ rookie rankings is clear. Whether or not Flagg can make up ground on him depends a lot on the Mavericks’ overall performance, as well as his ability to outperform other rookies in the West.</p><p>Dylan Harper and Cedric Coward have also started off their first season strong, helping create a very interesting look at the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year race.</p><p>For the first time this season, here is a look at ClutchPoints’ NBA Rookie Rankings, starting with Edgecombe being the early leader.</p><h2><b>1. VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VJ-Edgecombe-blocking-Paolo-Banchero.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Stats: 7 games, 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 47.6 FG%, 43.9 3P%</i></p><p>When the 76ers were on the clock with the third pick, there was a big discussion about who they should take between Edgecombe and Ace Bailey. So far, Daryl Morey and this front office have hit the nail on the head by taking Edgecombe, as he’s been the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-strong-best-backcourt-endorsement-stephen-a-smith">perfect fit next to Maxey in the backcourt.</a></p><p>Aside from his historic 34-point debut, Edgecombe has elevated the Sixers’ offense to new heights. With Joel Embiid still getting back to full speed and Paul George yet to play this season, the rookie has also been Philadelphia’s second-best player alongside Maxey.</p><p>Between his physical tools and athleticism to play well above the rim on both sides of the court, Edgecombe has firmly placed himself at the top of the early-season NBA rookie rankings.</p><h2><b>2. Dylan Harper – San Antonio Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Dylan-Harper-with-Victor-Wenbanyama.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Stats: 6 games, 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 50.0 FG%, 35.7 3P%</i></p><p>Without De’Aaron Fox to begin the season, Dylan Harper was immediately thrown into the role of being the San Antonio Spurs’ No. 2 point guard next to Stephon Castle. The rookie second-overall pick has handled this pressure with ease, and he has been a perfect fit in Mitch Johnson’s system.</p><p>Not only has Harper been able to run the Spurs’ offense with or without Victor Wembanyama on the court, but he has also been aggressive in attacking his opportunities to score off the dribble. His all-around game is why Harper finds himself right behind Edgecombe in the rookie rankings.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-dylan-harper-to-miss-multiple-weeks-calf-injury">Harper will miss close to a month’s worth of action with a strained left calf.</a> This will negatively impact his chances to make it three straight seasons that a Spurs player has won the Rookie of the Year award.</p><h2><b>3. Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Grizzlies-Cedric-Coward.jpg"><figcaption>Wesley Hale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Stats: 8 games, 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 58.3 FG%, 48.3 3P%</i></p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-magic-grizzlies-desmond-bane-trade-5-1st-round-picks">Trading Desmond Bane was a big risk for the Memphis Grizzlies</a>, especially since they didn’t have anyone on their active roster to replace him. However, that’s why Zach Kleiman drafted Cedric Coward, an under-the-radar prospect who many overlooked because of a shoulder injury he suffered while at Washington State.</p><p>Coward has been excellent coming off the bench early in the season for the Grizzlies, and he currently ranks second among all rookies in scoring. He currently leads all rookies in shooting percentage, with a minimum of 50 shot attempts.</p><p>In a system that allows him to space the floor and attack in a variety of different ways, with or without a screen, Coward finds himself in the same position Jaylen Wells was in last season as an underrated pick for Rookie of the Year.</p><h2><b>4. Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hornets-Kon-Knueppel.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Stats: 8 games, 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 45.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%</i></p><p>Everyone knew Kon Knueppel was a great 3-point shooting threat entering the league, but he quickly reminded everyone of this when he burst onto the scene, making 16 triples in his first four games with the Charlotte Hornets. No rookie in <a href="https://x.com/nbastats/status/1983418483359789561" rel="noopener">NBA history</a> had ever achieved this before Knueppel did so this season.</p><p>The Hornets have a chance to be competitive in the East, and Knueppel will play a large role in their potential success alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who is currently out a shoulder injury.</p><h2><b>5. Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Mavs-Cooper-Flagg-looking-frustrated.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Stats: 7 games, 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 38.8 FG%, 30.8 3P%</i></p><p>There is no doubt that Flagg will be just fine in Dallas. Early on, he has struggled at times to find his footing, but the first-overall pick has shown flashes of his scoring brilliance, especially in isolation against slower, less athletic big men.</p><p>The biggest challenge for Flagg is continuing to learn how to be a “point-forward” and help fill the gaps in the backcourt until Kyrie Irving returns from his knee injury. Still, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-cooper-flagg-new-career-high-dunk">Flagg has dazzled NBA fans</a> with his highlight dunks through his first seven games, and his production has increased as of late.</p><h2><b>6. Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards</b></h2><p><i>Stats: 7 games, 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 41.6 FG%, 35.7 3P%</i></p><p>One of the most steady and productive rookies two weeks into the 2025-26 NBA season has been Tre Johnson with the Washington Wizards.</p><p>Although the Wizards are still rebuilding and trying out a lot of different rotations, Johnson has been consistent on the wing, scoring at least 10 points in all but one game he’s come off the bench for. Johnson is efficient from 3-point range, and he has a really sound offensive game that makes him a unique secondary player to have next to Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr.</p><p>Keep a close eye on Johnson rising in the rookie rankings as the season progresses.</p><h2><b>7. Ryan Kalkbrenner – Charlotte Hornets</b></h2><p><i>Stats: 8 games, 9.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 82.9 FG%</i></p><p>The Hornets may have put together the best draft class out of any team in the NBA this year. Not only have Knueppel and Sion James delivered, but Ryan Kalkbrenner has been exceptional at the center position for Charlotte.</p><p>There has not been consistent play in the Hornets’ frontcourt for years. That statement no longer holds true, as Kalkbrenner has been an excellent defensive big man, and he is shooting 82.9 percent from the floor, the highest shooting percentage in the NBA.</p><p>While it may be a small sample size, Kalkbrenner is playing his role perfectly, and he is doing it better than some All-Stars in this league. To shoot nearly 83 percent through eight games to begin your career is video-game-like.</p><h2><b>8. Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans</b></h2><p><i>Stats: 7 games, 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 48.8 FG%</i></p><p>Before the New Orleans Pelicans won their first game of the season on Tuesday night, Derik Queen was struggling to find consistent minutes in Willie Green’s rotations. Then, against the Hornets on Tuesday, Queen exploded for 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in just 18 minutes off the bench.</p><p>In the fourth quarter alone, Queen had 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, becoming the <a href="https://x.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status/1985943104176951641" rel="noopener">first player in league history</a> to record such numbers in any quarter in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), according to Pelicans reporter Andrew Lopez.</p><p>“Whatever is needed of me, I’m going to do it,” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/exclusive-derik-queen-promise-to-fans-pelicans-try-to-right-ship">Queen told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview</a>. “It’s about being better each and every day.”</p><h2><b>9. Collin Murray-Boyles – Toronto Raptors</b></h2><p><i>Stats: 6 games, 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 46.8 FG%, 42.9 3P%</i></p><p>Defensively, Collin Murray-Boyles is one of the best players from the 2025 NBA Draft. He has quickly cemented himself as a player Darko Rajakovic can trust guarding multiple positions off the bench, and he has even earned a few starts since Jakob Poeltl had to miss some games during the first two weeks of the year.</p><p>Whether Murray-Boyles can develop a consistent perimeter shot and score off the dribble will determine his outlook in the league. Early on, the Toronto Raptors have to be happy with the defensive-minded forward shooting over 42 percent from the perimeter on 14 shot attempts.</p><h2><b>10. Jeremiah Fears – New Orleans Pelicans</b></h2><p><i>Stats: 7 games, 13.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 45.7 FG%, 33.3 3P%</i></p><p>Jeremiah Fears has clearly overtaken Jordan Poole as the Pelicans’ starting point guard, and his offensive numbers speak for themselves.</p><p>The rookie guard has scored below 11 points in just one game, and he ranks fourth on the Pelicans in both scoring and shot attempts per game. He ranks sixth among all rookies in scoring this season.</p><p>While he is smaller than most guards nowadays, Fears isn’t afraid of anyone (no pun intended). Fears always has confidence in his shot, and that is displayed in his ability to attack the rim on multiple possessions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Cooper Flagg falls behind through first couple weeks of 2025-26 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-philadelphias-unfathomable-collapse-bulls-literally-unprecedented-nba-history');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers unfathomable collapse vs. Bulls literally unprecedented in NBA history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/76ers.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers unfathomable collapse vs. Bulls literally unprecedented in NBA history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-05T06:45:11-08:00">November 5th, 6:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-05T06:45:11-08:00">November 5th, 6:45am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers unfathomable collapse vs. Bulls literally unprecedented in NBA history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-kelly-oubre-hates-benny-the-bulls-6-7ers-suggestion');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. hates Benny the Bulls’ 6-7ers suggestion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Kelly-Oubre-hates-Benny-the-Bulls-6-7ers-suggestion.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. hates Benny the Bulls’ 6-7ers suggestion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-04T20:35:07-08:00">November 4th, 8:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-04T20:35:46-08:00">November 4th, 8:35pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If you’re shaking your head every time you hear someone shouting “6-7,” you’re not alone. It has gotten too far and might further bury the brain-rotting humankind to the depths of the earth. Just ask Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-red-panda-nba-halftime-return-76ers-bulls">The 76ers visited the Chicago Bulls at United Center</a> on Tuesday. Before the tipoff, Benny the Bull, Chicago’s mascot, tried to troll the 76ers by suggesting they rebrand themselves as the 67ers, <a href="https://twitter.com/bennythebull/status/1985878076077806007" rel="noopener">referencing the latest meme</a>.</p><p>Oubre approached Benny the Bull and kicked the latter’s presentation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hear me out…6️⃣-7️⃣ers 🤷‍♂️ <a href="https://t.co/3fbMECcziy">pic.twitter.com/3fbMECcziy</a></p><p>— Benny (@bennythebull) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennythebull/status/1985878076077806007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>To be clear, it was all in good fun. Or was it?</p><p>To the uninformed, mainly those who are too busy taking their medicines for back pain and arthritis, the term “6-7” is an internet slang widely popular among kids these days. It is supposedly largely nonsensical and has no fixed meaning. The humor of it is hinged on its vagueness or randomness.</p><p>TBH, we’re not exactly even sure about that. But that’s what AI said.</p><p>It added that “6-7” is also linked to the NBA, with the term gaining traction through fan-made video edits of Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball, who stands 6-foot-7.</p><p>With all that intellectual discussion aside, the 76ers lost a heartbreaker to the Bulls, 113-111. Chicago center Nikola Vucevic buried a three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left in the game. Philadelphia guard Quentin Grimes had the chance to be the hero, but his three-pointer missed as time expired.</p><p>The Sixers, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-jared-mccain-tears-latest-haymaker-young-career">got guard Jared McCain back from a thumb injury</a>, fell to 5-2, while the Bulls improved to 6-1.</p><p>Tyrese Maxey had 39 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in a losing effort, while Joel Embiid added 20 points, six rebounds, three steals, and four blocks. Oubre contributed 18 points, two steals, and two blocks.</p><p>No one had with 67 points.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. hates Benny the Bulls’ 6-7ers suggestion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-philadelpia-collapse-vs-bulls-spoils-tyrese-maxey-huge-birthday-bash');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers collapse vs. Bulls spoils Tyrese Maxey’s huge birthday stats');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Tyrese-Maxey.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers collapse vs. Bulls spoils Tyrese Maxey’s huge birthday stats</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-04T20:07:55-08:00">November 4th, 8:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-04T20:10:38-08:00">November 4th, 8:10pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On November 4, 2025, Tyrese Maxey officially turned the big 2-5, celebrating the final year when he can be on his parents’ insurance plan by leading his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-26-nba-power-rankings-week-2">white hot Philadelphia 76ers</a> against the Chicago Bulls in the pursuit of win No. 6 of the 2025-26 NBA season.</p><p>On paper, the results were pretty good for the surprise MVP candidate, putting up a point a minute, Joel Embiid-style, against a Bulls team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-ayo-dosunmu-injury-update-76ers">without Colby White and Ayo Dosunmu</a> on the way to what looked like a blowout victory.</p><p>But as the 76ers took their foot off the gas, Maxey and company saw their offense fall apart in a major way, with Philadelphia barely putting up a bucket down the stretch to get to a 111-110 lead with just 14 seconds left to play, Chicago ball. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-fans-erupt-after-nikola-vucevic-sinks-76ers-on-bonkers-3-pointer">Nikola Vucavic nailed an open 3</a> with just over three seconds left to play, and the 76ers had one last chance to secure the victory, only for Quenton Grimes to miss a wide-open 3-pointer after being freed up by a textbook Joel Embiid screen to end regulation.</p><p>Suddenly, Maxey’s birthday party looked like that of Bo Callahan, or at least Molly Ringwald in <i>16 Candles</i>, with the 76ers guard having to eat his cake on a silent flight as Philadelphia departed back east for night two of their back-to-back in Cleveland.</p><p>Unfortunately for the 76ers, one of the big trends of the 2025-26 season so far has been the team’s inability to really blow out a squad that doesn’t play regularly at the Barclays Center, with seemingly every other game coming down to the wire. Fortunately, their other major trend has been Maxey playing at an MVP level, averaging 33.7 points in 42.5 minutes of action a night as the new focal point of Nick Nurse’s fast-paced, pass-happy offensive attack, so even if it may sting to take an L on his birthday, it’s safe to assume the 25-year-old will get plenty more chances to celebrate before the playoffs begin.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tyrese Maxey WENT OFF tonight despite the Sixers’ last second loss to the Bulls:</p><p>🔹 39 points <br>🔹 5 assists <br>🔹 3 blocks<br>🔹 14-of-26 FG<br>🔹 6-of-10 3PT <a href="https://t.co/hGv35WWfEd">pic.twitter.com/hGv35WWfEd</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1985913353299017887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers collapse vs. Bulls spoils Tyrese Maxey’s huge birthday stats

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-jared-mccain-expected-to-make-season-debut-vs-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Jared McCain expected to make season debut vs. Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/76ers-guard-Jared-McCain-smiles-beside-bell.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Jared McCain expected to make season debut vs. Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-03T20:04:42-08:00">November 3rd, 8:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-03T20:04:42-08:00">November 3rd, 8:04pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers were a mystery box heading into the 2025-26 season, but they have come out of the gates firing, having won five of their first six games to start the new campaign. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-strong-best-backcourt-endorsement-stephen-a-smith">Tyrese Maxey has been brilliant, VJ Edgecombe has been phenomenal</a>, and the rest of the team is following suit. Even Joel Embiid, despite being less than 100 percent and being on a minutes limit, is doing whatever he can to help the team win.</p><p>But everything is about to get better still for the 76ers. In fact, one of their prized youngsters is about to make his season debut on Tuesday night. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, sophomore guard Jared McCain, the 16th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, is <a href="https://x.com/TimBontemps/status/1985489233402868219" rel="noopener">set to return</a> from injury tomorrow night against the Chicago Bulls, another team with a 5-1 record.</p><p>McCain last played on the 13th of December last year. He’s been out of action for the 76ers since then after tearing his meniscus, which was such a tough setback to deal with considering how well he played to begin his NBA career.</p><p>In 23 games played last year, he scored 20 or more points eight times, and of those games, he scored 30 or more twice. Amid the 76ers’ injury woes last year, McCain was one of their few bright spots, which was the case until <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-jared-mccain-tears-latest-haymaker-young-career">he too succumbed to the injury bug</a>.</p><p>McCain was expected to enter the 2025-26 season healthy, but he tore a ligament in his thumb during training camp, causing yet another delay in his return to the hardwood for the 76ers. But now, the 21-year-old guard and Tiktok sensation is about to resume what was such a promising trajectory for him to begin his professional career.</p><h2><b>What role awaits Jared McCain amid 76ers’ strong start?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2_27198f.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At this point, it looks like Maxey and Edgecombe have the two backcourt spots on lock. There’s no reason for head coach Nick Nurse to take Edgecombe’s starting spot away, not when he’s been electric to begin the year.</p><p>There is also no way Nurse will be slotting McCain into the starting lineup, not with Kelly Oubre Jr. playing very well. Thus, it stands to reason that McCain will be starting the year coming off the bench to form a formidable backcourt duo with Quentin Grimes.</p><p>The 76ers have such a deep team, especially in the backcourt, and things are going to get even better for them in the near future once Paul George returns from the odyssey that is his battle with knee injuries.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Jared McCain expected to make season debut vs. Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/clutchpoints-nba-mvp-mondays-tyrese-maxey-elite-play-absurd-minutes');   ga('set', 'title', 'ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Can Tyrese Maxey sustain elite play through absurd minutes?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Can-Tyrese-Maxey-sustain-elite-play-through-absurd-minutes.jpg"></figure><h1>ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Can Tyrese Maxey sustain elite play through absurd minutes?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-03T14:13:05-08:00">November 3rd, 2:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-03T14:13:05-08:00">November 3rd, 2:13pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Not even two full weeks have passed since the 2025-26 NBA season began, but it’s become very clear who will be in the MVP discussion throughout the year — a list that features several previous MVP award recipients and others who have finished inside the top five of the voting in recent years.</p><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, has the Oklahoma City Thunder as the only undefeated team at 7-0, and Victor Wembanyama continues to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-leads-spurs-to-franchise-history-5-games-into-season">set new records that nobody in the NBA thought were obtainable</a>. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic are also names associated with the MVP award, but there is a new contender rising in the ranks.</p><p>That would be Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who is off to as fast and as dominant of a start as the others on this MVP list.</p><p>Last season was a lost cause for Maxey and the 76ers because of all the injuries that piled up. Maxey missed a total of 30 games and was shut down for the year due to a tendon issue in his finger.</p><p>The script has flipped this year in Philadelphia, as with Maxey at full strength, he has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76er-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-combine-scintillating-nba-history">taken a massive leap forward in his sixth season</a>.</p><p>Through the first six games of the 2025-26 season, Maxey is averaging 33.7 points, 9.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. Not only is Maxey establishing himself as one of the best pure scorers in the league, but he is also finding ways to get others like VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes involved.</p><p>With Joel Embiid on a minutes restriction and Paul George still sidelined, Maxey has stepped up and taken the crown in Philadelphia. Now, he could be in store for much more this season, as he has entered the early-season MVP conversation.</p><p>However, whether or not Maxey can continue to perform at the level he is while playing some of the most minutes in the league is the question at large.</p><p><i><b>Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-victor-wembanyama-clearly-in-early-lead">Week 1</a></b></i></p><h2><b>1. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Victor-Wembanyama-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>Allan Henry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #1</i></p><p><i>2025-26 season stats: 6 games, 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 4.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, 52.7 FG%, 28.6 3P%</i></p><p>What Wembanyama has done to begin the season can’t go unnoticed, and neither can the San Antonio Spurs being 5-1 through their first six games. Now that he is finally healthy and in the best shape of his life, Wemby has transcended himself into being the next face of the NBA with his video-game-like statistics and jaw-dropping plays.</p><p>Aside from being the youngest player in league history with a 40-point, 15-rebound game in a season opener, Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history with at least 150 points, 70 rebounds, 20 blocks, and five made threes over a five-game span.</p><p>Only two players in the last 25 years have averaged at least 30 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks per game over five games. Coincidentally enough, the other is fellow Spurs legend Tim Duncan.</p><p>Although he struggled in the Spurs’ loss on Sunday, recording just nine points and nine rebounds, this doesn’t overshadow the fact that Wembanyama has captivated the league through the first two weeks of the 2025-26 season.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if he can keep the Spurs in contention at the top of the West standings and continue his elite two-way production.</p><h2><b>2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Giannis-Antetokounmnpo-vs.-Domantas-Sabonis.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #4</i></p><p><i>2025-26 season stats: 5 games, 34.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, 68.4 FG%, 62.5 3P%</i></p><p>The general assumption entering the 2025-26 NBA season was that the MVP award would go to one of the best players in the Western Conference who had their team at the top of the standings. That is why Jokic, Doncic, and Gilgeous-Alexander were the early favorites for the award.</p><p>However, the Eastern Conference is wide open this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is making the most of his opportunity to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the top of the standings.</p><p>The Bucks are currently 4-2 this season, and Giannis has been on a tear in the five games he’s played.</p><p>After becoming the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-makes-nba-history-60-30-10-stats-two-games">first player to ever have 60 points, 30 rebounds, and 10 assists</a> through his first 2 games of a season, Antetokounmpo set a new record. After a 37-8-7 game against the New York Knicks, Giannis became the <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1983411013556023637" rel="noopener">first player</a> to ever have 140 points, 50 rebounds, and 20 assists through the first four games of the season.</p><p>The only reason Giannis has jumped the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic for second on the MVP rankings through two weeks is because of where he has the Bucks positioned. If Milwaukee can continue to play at a high level and possibly compete for the 1-seed in the East, there will be a lot of noise surrounding Giannis’ chances of winning this award for a third time.</p><h2><b>3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-passing-1.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #2</i></p><p><i>2025-26 season stats: 7 games, 33.6 points, 5.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks, 52.6 FG%, 26.8 3P%</i></p><p>At what point do people stop criticizing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and give him credit for being arguably the best isolation player in the league right now? Say what you want about Gilgeous-Alexander only getting his points from the free-throw line, but the joke is on you because he is not even leading the league in free-throw attempts.</p><p>The Thunder star’s efficiency is through the roof to begin the new season, and that is to be expected since he has been playing without Jalen Williams by his side.</p><p>At this point, who knows when the Thunder will actually lose their first game? Gilgeous-Alexander continues to elevate his play to new heights as an all-around playmaker, and his scoring numbers are higher than they were a season ago when he ran away with the MVP award.</p><p>This has a chance to be yet another historic, record-breaking season for the Thunder, which is why Gilgeous-Alexander is firmly in the MVP conversation once more.</p><h2><b>4. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Luka-Doncic-warming-up.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #3</i></p><p><i>2025-26 season stats: 4 games, 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 54.5 FG%, 29.2 3P%</i></p><p>When Luka has played this season, he’s been sensational. The only problem, and the reason why he has dropped lower than others on the MVP rankings, is that he has played in four of the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven games to this point.</p><p>The Lakers could not have asked for a better start to the season, and Doncic has his fingerprints all over it.</p><p>During the first week of the season, Doncic recorded back-to-back 40-point double-doubles. Upon returning from injury, Doncic had 44 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in the Lakers’ 117-112 NBA Cup win over the Memphis Grizzlies. On Sunday night, Doncic registered his first triple-double of the year with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the team’s 130-120 win over the Miami Heat.</p><p>That is now 165 points for Doncic in four games this season, which is the <a href="https://x.com/nbastats/status/1985218327719837895" rel="noopener">most a Lakers player has had</a> in franchise history through the first four games of a season. Jerry West held the record since the 1969-70 season with 154 total points.</p><p>Doncic continues to write his name in Lakers’ lore, and to be averaging over 40 points per game early on in the season is ridiculous. As long as he stays healthy, Luka will be in the MVP race.</p><h2><b>5. Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/76ers-Tyrese-Maxey-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #8</i></p><p><i>2025-26 season stats: 6 games, 33.7 points, 9.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 46.3 FG%, 46.4 3P%</i></p><p>The most unexpected player on the MVP ladder through two weeks has to be Tyrese Maxey. The reason he finds himself breaking into the top five and jumping Nikola Jokic in the rankings is not because he has a better shot of winning the award when you look at the whole season, but because he deserves recognition for the 76ers being at the top of the East.</p><p>With how wide open the Eastern Conference is this season, why can’t the 76ers have a bounce-back year and claim the 1-seed?</p><p>This is what Maxey and the Sixers players asked themselves all offseason, and now we are seeing the product of their hard work. Maxey has been outstanding in the young campaign, leading the Sixers in scoring and ranking third in the league, behind only Luka and Giannis. He is also one of six players averaging at least nine assists per game.</p><p>The only problem with Maxey regarding the MVP race is whether he can continue to produce at this insanely high level while averaging a league-high 42.5 minutes per game. While he is turning 25 on Tuesday and is still young, Maxey hasn’t played more than 70 games since his second season.</p><p>At some point, fatigue and heavy minutes will catch up to him, which is why his hot start could just be a case of early-season adrenaline. Not that Maxey isn’t an All-Star and All-NBA player, but playing over 40 minutes per game and remaining available for Philadelphia just isn’t a viable scenario to believe.</p><p>For now, we need to give Maxey and the 76ers credit for their 5-1 start to the season.</p><h2><b>Just missing the cut</b></h2><p>6. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets [Ranked No. 5 last week]</p><p>7. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors [Ranked No. 6 last week]</p><p>8. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets [Unranked last week]</p><p>9. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks [Ranked No. 7 last week]</p><p>10. Julius Randle – Minnesota Timberwolves [Unranked last week]</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Can Tyrese Maxey sustain elite play through absurd minutes?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fined-50000-lewd-gesture-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Joel Embiid responds to $50K fine for ‘lewd’ gesture with demand to fine refs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Joel-Embiid-delivers-hilarious-mic-drop-on-Phillys-past-bench-struggles.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Joel Embiid responds to $50K fine for ‘lewd’ gesture with demand to fine refs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-02T12:00:18-08:00">November 2nd, 12:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-02T12:00:18-08:00">November 2nd, 12:00pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers have come out and had a strong start to the season, as the backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-strong-best-backcourt-endorsement-stephen-a-smith">VJ Edgecombe has been a defender’s worst nightmare</a>. Joel Embiid has also started to come along game after game, and he’s starting to find his groove.</p><p>You can always tell when Embiid is feeling like himself when he starts to troll the opposition, and that’s what he did against the Boston Celtics in their last game. Unfortunately for him, it <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1985060639061016678" rel="noopener">cost him some money</a> out of his pocket, according to the NBA.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The “lewd gesture” in question for Embiid:  <a href="https://t.co/yRewhH2Jps">pic.twitter.com/yRewhH2Jps</a> <a href="https://t.co/F6JTkG58lY">https://t.co/F6JTkG58lY</a></p><p>— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1985060639061016678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been fined $50,000 for making a lewd gesture on the playing court, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred with 7:08 remaining in the first quarter of the 76ers’ 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics on Oct. 31 at Xfinity Mobile Arena,” the NBA wrote.</p><p>Embiid was not a fan of the fine, and <a href="https://x.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1985068755957760037" rel="noopener">he responded</a> on social media saying, “Yall better start fining the refs for doing the ‘Lewd’, ‘blocking foul’ gesture since I’m not allowed to do it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="und">. <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/B9Vb2DFamH">pic.twitter.com/B9Vb2DFamH</a></p><p>— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1985070295095386184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After Embiid scored, it almost looked like he was imitating the refs, which he knows now is not a good thing to do because he will get fined. On the other hand, it is good to see Embiid get back into form after missing most of last season with a knee injury. So far, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fed-up-minutes-restriction">76ers have had Embiid on a minutes restriction</a>, which is good for his long-term health, but he hasn’t been the biggest fan of the move.</p><p>“I’d rather not minute restrictions, but I’d rather get it out of the way… Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you. But then again, longer stints also means you might be done by halftime. But I can’t sit for too long,” Embiid said.</p><p>As the season continues, there’s no doubt that Embiid will receive more minutes, but it will depend on how his knee responds to the extra work.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Joel Embiid responds to $50K fine for ‘lewd’ gesture with demand to fine refs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-blasts-joel-embiid-for-ludicrous-foul-calls');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons blasts 76ers’ Joel Embiid for ‘ludicrous’ foul calls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/76ers-center-Joel-Embiid-21-reacts-vs.-Celtics.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons blasts 76ers’ Joel Embiid for ‘ludicrous’ foul calls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-01T00:14:08-07:00">November 1st, 12:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-01T00:14:08-07:00">November 1st, 12:14am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Friday night, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-strong-best-backcourt-endorsement-stephen-a-smith">Philadelphia 76ers met against the Boston Celtics</a> for already the second time this season; their first meeting came on their season opener, with Philly outlasting Boston in a back-and-forth affair, 117-116. The 76ers, in NBA Cup action, looked to keep their undefeated start going, but they did not have enough in the end, as the Celtics survived a late-game onslaught from them to grab a 109-108 win — with Joel Embiid missing a game-winning three-point attempt in the end.</p><p>Embiid has been on a minutes restriction all season long, as he’s still rounding into form after a long battle with knee injuries. But the 76ers star remains a productive scorer — finishing with 20 points despite the loss to the Celtics — and a powerful irritant. During the 76ers and Celtics’ clash, Embiid drew the ire of noted Boston sports diehard fan Bill Simmons <a href="https://x.com/BillSimmons/status/1984429620507394184" rel="noopener">for his</a> continued foul-baiting ways.</p><p>“Nobody gets more ludicrous calls than Embiid – literally no one. He’s the only guy who can kick his legs out on a three, kick someone in the nuts and then shoot 3 free throws. It’s hilarious. Never change NBA,” Simmons wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>Embiid’s foul-drawing ways haven’t yet returned to how it was during his heyday. But the 76ers star is such a force on offense, that even though he’s noticeably slower to start the year, he commands so much attention on the defensive end.</p><p>No one can blame Embiid for exaggerating contact; if it works, then it works. He shot seven free throws on Friday and made them all. But alas, the one shot that would have mattered the most, he missed. Simmons and the Celtics have to be very happy to hand the 76ers their first defeat of the new campaign.</p><h2><b>76ers on an upward trajectory</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Tyrese-Maxey.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There was so much uncertainty surrounding the 76ers entering the 2025-26 season. Embiid’s health is always a major question mark, while Paul George underwent knee surgery in the offseason.</p><p>However, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes have been great to start the year. Maxey and Edgecombe, in particular, have combined for some electric scoring performances to begin the year.</p><p>But with Embiid playing his way into peak form and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-why-paul-george-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-regular-season-opener">George about to make his season debut</a> in a short while, there is plenty of room for the 76ers to improve. Their next game is on Sunday, when they take on the hapless Brooklyn Nets on the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Simmons blasts 76ers’ Joel Embiid for ‘ludicrous’ foul calls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-tyrese-maxey-punishes-celtics-with-flashy-scoop-and-score');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Tyrese Maxey punishes Celtics with flashy scoop and score');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Tyrese-Maxey-punishes-Celtics-with-flashy-scoop-and-score-1.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Tyrese Maxey punishes Celtics with flashy scoop and score</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-31T19:37:37-07:00">October 31st, 7:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-31T21:51:00-07:00">October 31st, 9:51pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tyrese Maxey reached into his bag and created a marvelous highlight during the Philadelphia <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-philly-championship-prediction-huge-catch">76ers’ matchup against the Boston Celtics</a> on Friday night.</p><p>Maxey has had an excellent start to the 2025-26 season, the #rh of his career. Going into the NBA Cup opener, he was averaging 37.5 points, 8.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.</p><p>The star guard didn’t miss a step in the rivalry matchup against Boston. This particular highlight he pulled off happened during the early minutes of the third quarter. After stealing the ball from Jaylen Brown, Maxey <a href="https://x.com/sixers/status/1984417607194378613" rel="noopener">went on the fastbreak as he converted the layup</a> with ease.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/TyreseMaxey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TyreseMaxey</a> 🍪s and 🪣! <a href="https://t.co/XGi0C8ebMw">pic.twitter.com/XGi0C8ebMw</a></p><p>— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1984417607194378613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Tyrese Maxey, 76ers played against Celtics</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Tyrese-Maxey-punishes-Celtics-with-flashy-scoop-and-score-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Tyrese Maxey’s efforts, it wasn’t enough as the 76ers suffered their first loss of the season to the Celtics, 109-108.</p><p>Boston landed the first big punch as Philadelphia trailed 68-57 at halftime. Even as the Celtics grew their lead to be as big as 24 points, the hosts fought back as they went down to the wire. Unfortunately, Joel Embiid’s last shot at the buzzer was no good as the team’s rally fell short.</p><p>Rebounding and turnovers made the difference in this matchup. The Celtics prevailed in both categories with 45 rebounds while limiting their turnovers to 10. It wasn’t the case for the 76ers, grabbing 40 rebounds but gave the ball away 18 times.</p><p>Five players scored in double-digits for Philadelphia, including Maxey. He finished with a stat line of 18 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. He shot 5-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Embiid came next with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 17 points and nine rebounds, VJ Edgecombe put up 17 points and five assists, while Quentin Grimes provided 16 points and three assists.</p><p>The 76ers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Tyrese Maxey punishes Celtics with flashy scoop and score

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/vj-edgecombe-reason-cooper-flagg-rookie-year-doomed');   ga('set', 'title', 'VJ Edgecombe is just 1 reason Cooper Flagg’s Rookie of the Year campaign is already doomed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/VJ-Edgecombe-is-just-1-reason-Cooper-Flaggs-Rookie-of-the-Year-campaign-is-already-doomed.jpg"></figure><h1>VJ Edgecombe is just 1 reason Cooper Flagg’s Rookie of the Year campaign is already doomed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-31T12:05:47-07:00">October 31st, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-31T12:05:47-07:00">October 31st, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA Draft gave us Cooper Flagg as the consensus No. 1 pick headed to the Dallas Mavericks, but just one week into the season, it’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-nba-debut-turns-heads-history-books">VJ Edgecombe who’s rewriting the Rookie of the Year script</a>. While Flagg battles inconsistency on a struggling Mavericks squad, the No. 3 pick has the Philadelphia 76ers undefeated and himself at the top of the rookie ladder.</p><p>The former Baylor star <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/5124612/vj-edgecombe" rel="noopener">is averaging</a> 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field and a scorching 42.9% from three-point range through four games.</p><p>ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel made the case in his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/1-overreaction-all-30-nba-teams-first-week-of-2025-26-season">overreaction piece analyzing all 30 NBA teams’ first week</a>, declaring Edgecombe the clear Rookie of the Year favorite over Flagg. Beyond being Philadelphia’s second-best performer behind Tyrese Maxey, Edgecombe has emerged as the runaway candidate for the award. At this rate, it’s tough to see anyone else walking away with the trophy.</p><h2>VJ Edgecombe’s historic debut sets the tone</h2><p>The gap between Edgecombe and Flagg became clear on opening night. Both rookies debuted on October 22, but their performances couldn’t have been more different. Edgecombe exploded for 34 points in Philadelphia’s 117-116 road win at the Boston Celtics, notching the third-most points in NBA debut history.</p><p>He shot 13-of-26 from the field and logged 42 minutes in the comeback victory. Meanwhile, Flagg managed just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting in Dallas’s 92-125 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs, though he did grab 10 rebounds.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-breaks-allen-iverson-franchise-record-rookie-debut">Edgecombe’s debut broke Allen Iverson’s franchise record</a> for most points by a 76ers rookie in their first game. He also set the NBA record for most points in the first quarter of a debut with 14, surpassing LeBron James’s mark from 2003.</p><p>The performance wasn’t a fluke either. Edgecombe has sustained his production through four games, proving he belongs in the conversation as one of the league’s most impactful rookies regardless of draft position.</p><p>While Edgecombe’s dominance grabs the headlines, it’s only the beginning of Flagg’s problems. The real issues run much deeper than one rookie outplaying another.</p><h2>The challenges stacking up against Cooper Flagg</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mavericks-rookie-Cooper-Flagg_da360e.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The narrative surrounding Flagg’s slow start overlooks a crucial point. His struggles have less to do with his talent and more to do with the circumstances he’s walked into. From day one, the conditions for success simply haven’t been there.</p><p>Being the No. 1 overall pick puts pressure on any rookie to perform immediately. Flagg has that pressure multiplied because Dallas traded away Luka Doncic to get Anthony Davis. Many fans see that <a href="https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nba/draymond-green-warns-nba-teams-against-intentionally-tanking-after-mavericks-miraculous-cooper-flagg-pick-win/" rel="noopener">trade as the front office tanking</a> to get a shot at Flagg in the draft. So now every time Flagg struggles, people question whether giving up Luka was worth it.</p><p>The team isn’t giving him much room to grow either. Dallas brought in Klay Thompson to play alongside Davis with championship expectations. They’re not in development mode.</p><p>Making matters worse is the role Dallas has been forced to give him. With Kyrie Irving out following ACL surgery, the Mavericks have been deploying Flagg as a point guard for stretches of games. They’re asking a 6-9 forward who spent his college career playing off the ball to suddenly run an NBA offense and orchestrate plays. That’s not what he did at Duke, and the results show it every time he’s put in a guard position.</p><p>The contrast with Edgecombe’s situation couldn’t be starker. The 76ers are giving him 40 minutes a game to showcase his strengths without forcing him into uncomfortable situations. He plays his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76er-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-combine-scintillating-nba-history">natural wing position alongside Tyrese Maxey</a>, similar to what he did at Baylor. When you’re allowed to play your game, production follows naturally.</p><p>The situation explains why Flagg is struggling, but the production gap between him and Edgecombe makes the race look even more lopsided.</p><h2>Does the Rookie of the Year race seem already over?</h2><p>Looking at the numbers through five games, it’s hard to argue otherwise. Flagg <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/team/roster/_/name/dal/dallas-mavericks" rel="noopener">is averaging</a> 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 41.0% from the field and 26.7% from three. Those aren’t bad numbers for a rookie, but they’re not ROY numbers either.</p><p>His worst performance came on October 27 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-benched-cooper-flagg-thunder">against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he scored just 2 points</a> on 1-of-9 shooting. While he bounced back with 22 points against the Toronto Raptors, the inconsistency is alarming for a player expected to dominate from day one.</p><p>The shooting splits tell the real story. Edgecombe is knocking down 42.9% from three-point range on high volume, making him a legitimate threat at all three levels. Flagg’s 26.7% from deep suggests he’s forcing shots and hasn’t yet adjusted to NBA spacing.</p><p>Beyond the raw stats, Edgecombe plays with a confidence and poise that Flagg hasn’t shown. He looks like a veteran in a rookie’s body, making the right reads and closing games in crunch time. That maturity matters when voters fill out their ballots.</p><p>Dallas fans can point to the tough situation and growing pains all they want. But the award is about rookies’ on-court performance that season, not potential or circumstances. Right now, Edgecombe is producing at an elite level while Flagg searches for consistency in an environment that isn’t set up for his success.</p><p>It’s only been the start of the season, and nothing is set in stone yet. But if both rookies continue on their current paths, Edgecombe’s performance is leaning heavily toward him taking home the prize. Flagg has time to turn things around, but for now, Philadelphia’s rookie is controlling the narrative.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VJ Edgecombe is just 1 reason Cooper Flagg’s Rookie of the Year campaign is already doomed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-paul-george-terry-rozier-trade-betting-scandal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons floats Paul George-for-Terry Rozier 76ers trade amid betting scandal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Bill-Simmons-floats-Paul-George-for-Terry-Rozier-trade-amid-betting-scandal.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons floats Paul George-for-Terry Rozier 76ers trade amid betting scandal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-31T11:54:38-07:00">October 31st, 11:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-31T11:54:38-07:00">October 31st, 11:54am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Terry Rozier is persona non grata in the NBA at the moment, on account of being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/what-we-know-about-terry-rozier-chauncey-billups-fbi-investigations">arrested as part of a widespread federal investigation</a> into gambling and sports betting. But that hasn’t stopped Bill Simmons from firing up the trade machine.</p><p>Despite Rozier being on an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-latest-on-terry-roziers-financial-situation-miami-cap-implications">unpaid leave of absence</a> as his case makes its way through the legal system, Simmons suggested the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers get on the phones and discuss a trade, which involves Rozier, whose contract expires after this season, and Andrew Wiggins being <a href="https://youtu.be/L0ZwiMLPsbQ?t=1241" rel="noopener">shipped to Philly in</a> exchange for Paul George.</p><p>“That Rozier trade, that contract is a wonderful asset magically out of nowhere,” Simmons’ longtime friend Joe House said on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’. “Miami gets this incredible asset. I think Paul George could make sense in Miami. Why is Miami saying no, because of that third year of that contract?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Simmons replied. “Because you’re thinking, especially if you have Bam and you’re paying Herro, could you be in play for the Giannis types two years from now. Do you want to tie up your cap? And is Paul George demonstrably better than Andrew Wiggins? Is he going to be that much of an upside that it’s worth tying up your cap for a third year? And Philly doesn’t have picks.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>If this were to happen, trading for a player who may never again step foot on an NBA court and Wiggins, a useful but inconsistent wing, would certainly indicate that the 76ers desperately wanted to get off the $211.6 million deal they gave George a year ago. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s easy to see why they would want to do that.</p><p>George, who will turn 36 during the playoffs, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-paul-george-heavy-day-hope">has yet to play this season</a> as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery over the summer. Meanwhile, first-round draft pick VJ Edgecombe has been a revelation; in the first four games of his career (all wins), he has averaged 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 42.9% on 3-pointers.</p><p>While Edgecombe and George certainly could play together, the Sixers may decide against taking the ball out of the rookie’s hands, especially as his chemistry with Joel Embiid <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-strong-best-backcourt-endorsement-stephen-a-smith">and Tyrese Maxey improves</a>. George, who was limited to 41 games last season, his first with the 76ers, is expected to make his season debut sometime over the next few weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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76ers News: Get the latest Philadelphia 76ers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest 76ers News

76ers are 100% cooked with this version of Joel Embiid

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