Sixers Have an Opportunity to Accomplish What Warriors Couldn't

Coming off an injury-ridden 2025 season, the Philadelphia 76ers have embraced a different approach when it comes to roster construction. They've moved away from a veteran-heavy roster, opting for a better blend of youth and experience moving forward.

In the past year, the Sixers have been able to add numerous promising young talents to their pipeline. There are notable names like Jared McCain, who was a former first-round pick. Guys like Adem Bona and Justin Edwards also deserve a mention after providing a boost towards the end of last year when the roster was stricken with injuries.

Fast forward to this past summer, and Daryl Morey continued to surround the Sixers' big three with more youth. The biggest addition was VJ Edgecombe, whom the team drafted with the third overall pick in the 2025 draft.

Edgecombe made a strong first impression upon arriving in Philadelphia, giving many hope that he could be a viable contributor from day one. He quickly showed the team they made the right decision in the season opener, putting together one of the best rookie debuts in recent memory.

Following Edgecombe's dominant showing against the Boston Celtics to start the season, the Sixers look like they have a chance to pull off what a previous longtime NBA contender couldn't.

Sixers VJ Edgecomb — Oct 17, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) dunks the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Towards the end of their dynasty, the Golden State Warriors attempted the "two timelines" approach after nabbing a pair of lottery picks in the 2020 draft. However, they were unsuccessful in their efforts to remain competitive while attempting to build the team's future core.

While the Warriors ended up abandoning this method, the Sixers look to be in a far better position to be successful in this approach. Though it's only been a few games, Edgecombe is showing the potential to be a high-level talent later down the road. McCain also displayed a lot of promise last year before getting hurt.

.@vj_edgecombe has tied @alleniverson for the 76ers rookie debut scoring record with 30 points. pic.twitter.com/isQOsftjyX
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 23, 2025

Having promising youth is the key when navigating the two timelines, and is why the Warriors weren't able to pull it off. They drafted James Wiseman second overall in hopes of being a future pillar of the roster, but he is now looking like a bust. Jonathan Kuminga has shown a lot of flashes, but his tenure in Golden State has been rocky at best.

As for the Sixers, they've put themselves in a good position in both the short and long term. They have a trio of stars eager to pull off a deep playoff run, and a group of young players they can develop to lead the charge down the road when Joel Embiid and Paul George are ready to pass the torch.

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