Former NBA Champion Impressed by New-Look Sixers

Heading into this season, the Philadelphia 76ers were viewed as one of the hardest teams to predict. Through their first six games, they have managed to shock many.

Part of why nobody knew how things would go for the Sixers was because of the James Harden saga. Daryl Morey did not let things drag on how they did with Ben Simmons and executed a trade during the opening week of the regular season. Despite this change on the fly, the Sixers continue to find success on the court.

After a blowout win against the Washington Wizards, the Sixers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference. A large part of the team's success has stemmed from the dominant play of Joel Embiid.

On Monday night, the reigning MVP had one of the best performances of his career. In just 30 minutes of action, Embiid posted a stat line of 48 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Following this incredible showing, Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on the new-look team. Based on their recent performance, he feels the team is going to be fine without Harden.

Seems like Embiid and the 76ers are just fine without Harden! Joel with a casual 48 piece wing dinner “fried hard” tonight with the W! Btw Maxey looking damn good at that PG position. Carry on tho…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 7, 2023

Most of the void left by Harden has been filled by Tyrese Maxey. Since taking over point guard duties full-time, the rising star has impressed as both a scorer and facilitator. Maxey tied his career-high in assists on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns and then set a new high (11) Monday against the Wizards.

Overall, the Sixers continue to get production up and down the roster. Tobias Harris has returned to form with a larger role, and Kelly Oubre looks to be one of the biggest steals of the offseason. New additions Robert Covington and Nic Batum have also shown nice flashes in their first appearances as well.

With a handful of games under their belt now, the Sixers appear to be adjusting just fine after another messy star trade.