Sixers takeaways: VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey dominate, Joel Embiid struggles and more

BOSTON — The 76ers’ backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe has the potential to be a special tandem for seasons to come.

Joel Embiid still has a ways to go to get back to his dominant self.

And, for the time being, the Sixers will rely heavily on two-way power forwards Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.

» READ MORE: Full speed ahead? Young and fast guards give Sixers a chance to leave last season in the dust.

Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 117-116 season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at TD Garden.

Maxey and Edgecombe were fun to watch.

Maxey had 40 points on 13-for-25 shooting from the field and 7-for-9 from the three-point line to go with six assists. Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s draft, added 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting to go with six rebounds. He is the first Sixers rookie to have at least 30 points in his debut since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson did so on Nov. 1, 1996.

It was also the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 points on Nov. 30, 1954.

Sixers fans have to love the duo’s pace. The two guards put a lot of pressure on the Celtics. They also took over the game during stretches.

Edgecombe scored 10 straight and 13 of the Sixers’ final 16 points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Maxey took over where Edgecombe left off, scoring 19 second-quarter points on 7-for-10 shooting.

The Sixers will have one of the league’s most explosive backcourts if the duo can keep this up. Their athleticism, speed, and ability to take over are unmatched on many teams.

“I feel like we both [play] really well in the open court,” Edgecombe said. “Playing fast is something that we want to do. Ain’t [many who] can keep up. Joel was out there here and there. But when Joel is fully back, it’s going to be a different game. It’s going to be better if you ask me, because he requires so much attention.

“You go one-on-one all night, that’s not night and day for whoever’s guarding him. And one on one for Tyrese, it’s night and day for whoever’s guarding him too.”

» READ MORE: VJ Edgecombe outpacing Sixers expectations — and bringing his lofty goals into view

In Friday’s preseason finale, Embiid flirted with a triple-double in a little over 18 minutes of action. However, that performance came against a Minnesota Timberwolves team composed mainly of NBA G-League talent.

So his first actual test came in Wednesday’s contest against the Celtics.

Embiid failed to have the same impact against Boston centers Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman. He finished with four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. The performance paled in comparison to his night against Minnesota, when he scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out eight assists, and blocked three shots.

Embiid missed his first four shots en route to shooting 1-for-9 on Wednesday.

“I’m super happy that he was out there,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that he played good. I know that’s going to sound silly, 1-for-9. He just didn’t shoot it very good.

“I thought he transferred the ball good. I thought he made some good decisions. I thought he took good shots. I thought he protected the rim. So, again, he hasn’t done much. He’s kind of played in a scrimmage and a preseason game. I think there’s some rust there, but I thought he moving good and made good decisions.”

While Nurse raved about Embiid, the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder didn’t show a lot of lateral movement on defense. He also rarely jumped to contest shots or go after rebounds.

Embiid is resorting to using his massive frame to overpower opponents in the post. The 2023 MVP is also clogging everything up on offense. He has to either roll hard or launch three pointers from the top of the key. When he doesn’t, the offense stalls and the Sixers came away with bad possessions.

They actually played better without Embiid in the fourth quarter. He sat out the final 9 minutes, 17 seconds due to a minute restriction.

We’ll find out shortly whether this is the player he’s become or if he’s getting back into the groove after being sidelined since February.

“I’m good,” Embiid said. “You know, it’s going to take a while, you know, obviously, being on a minutes restriction, playing shorter stints, it’s harder to kind of get into a rhythm. But I got to figure it out. That’s the way they got it set up.

“It’s annoying, but if I want to play, I don’t really have a choice. But I want to be out there as much as possible.”

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid is embracing his new reality and a potentially new role for the Sixers

Embiid said there’s a lot he can do until returning to his old form. He wants to use his “gravity” to get teammates open.

“There’s still so much more I can contribute to other than scoring,” Embiid said. “So just using myself as a decoy to allow all these guys to do whatever they have to do to win.”

With multiple seasons of NBA experience, Barlow and Walker weren’t your typical two-way players when they signed deals in July. At the time, the thought was that one of them — if not both — would garner a standard contract several months into the season.

What we didn’t know was that the Sixers would have to rely heavily on the duo, with Paul George (left knee) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) both sidelined.

The big question was whether Barlow could duplicate the energy he displayed in the preseason. Based on Wednesday’s game, the answer appears to be yes.

Barlow attacked the glass, ran the floor, and was a solid role player. He had three points, three rebounds, and an assist before being subbed out for Walker with 3:14 left in the first quarter. Walker also provided solid energy while setting picks and hustling for loose balls and rebounds.

» READ MORE: The Sixers are searching for a new identity, one without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey dominating the ball

Barlow finished with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Walker had six points and four boards.

They are both making the most of their opportunities and will make the Sixers a deeper team once George and Watford return.

“This is my fourth year in the NBA,” Barlow said. “You can say I’m a two-way or whatever the case may be. But I know how to play basketball. I know what this team needs me to do. It’s just my job to play with energy and pick us up when we are down, or we are on those runs, get into actions and crash [the boards] and guard.”