PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers will be running a new offensive scheme in the 2025-26 season as coach Nick Nurse looks to get this team back on the right path. While the focus will remain on Joel Embiid–when he gets healthy–Nurse and his staff are hoping for more ball movement.
The Sixers want to play a more free flowing style of basketball. Not so much going straight into the pick-and-roll with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. While that pick-and-roll produces some terrific results, it meant a lot of ball watching and guys standing in the corner.
The first three preseason games have been preaching that ball movement and having players move without the ball as well as everybody looks to get a touch and be involved within this offense moving forward. It’s been an adjustment when considering the new pieces and schemes, but Maxey sees progress.
“Yeah, it comes with time,” Maxey said of the offensive cohesion. “Definitely comes with time. We get a lot more reps every single day. Played a lot more in practice. Abu Dhabi was pretty fresh. That was what, two days after camp? And then, you know, got some guys out.”
The Sixers looked more comfortable on the offensive end on Friday against the Orlando Magic compared to the two Abu Dhabi games against the New York Knicks. It’s all going to take some time and having everybody get the reps needed to get it down to science at this point. It helps that Quentin Grimes is officially back to learn everything after his contract stalemate.
“Guys came back,” Maxey continued. “Q was back. VJ (Edgecombe) wasn’t out there tonight (Friday), but VJ is out there. So I think it comes with time. We’re doing different things, a lot of different guys, and I think guys are buying in. And that’s the biggest thing. When you buy into something, no matter what it is, it usually works out.”
The Sixers will have one final tune-up game on Oct. 17 when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home.