We are now about a week into the regular season, and the Philadelphia 76ers have started off the season on a good note. If not for a late-game collapse against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers would find themselves sitting comfortably at 3-0.
Even with the minor blemish against Brooklyn, there are still a lot of positives to take away from what we've seen thus far. Here are three key early-season takeaways for the Sixers.
1) Bolstered second unit
Depth concerns have been an issue for the Sixers in the past but might not be the case this season. Doc Rivers raved about the play of his second unit throughout training camp, and they have come out strong to start the year. Their cohesion as a group has led to some impressive stretches on both ends of the floor.
The new additions from this offseason have helped bolster the Sixers' bench. It did not take long for Andre Drummond and Georges Niang to show they are drastic upgrades from the players they replaced. Both players have brought new elements to the lineup that allow things to flow more smoothly.
Another bright spot has been the emergence of Furkan Korkmaz. The experiment of using him as the backup point guard has gone well so far. Korkmaz has not only held his own but looks to be tapping into new parts of his game. This new role has caused a boost in both points and assists for the 24-year-old.
If this group can continue to grow and play at this level, Rivers might find himself with one of the top bench units in the league this season.
2) Seth Curry continues to be the Sixers' biggest X-Factor
After the way he performed in the postseason last year, Seth Curry was one Sixers player many expected to take a big step in 2021. Through the first three games of the season, he has lived up to expectations.
His performance against the New Orleans Pelicans in the season opener was rather quiet, but since then, Curry has put on a shooting masterclass. The sharpshooting guard has been aggressive hunting shots and hitting them at an extremely efficient clip.
So far this season, Curry has missed just ten shot attempts. He is shooting 68.8% from the floor and an incredible 76.5% from beyond the arc.
Aggressive Curry is the best version of himself. Not just for his own game but those around him as well. When he gets going from deep, the Sixers become an extremely difficult team to defend. Hopefully, he can maintain this level of shot hunting throughout the season.
3) Joel Embiid continues to elevate his game
Heading into the season, all eyes were on how the Sixers were going to look without the services of Ben Simmons. More importantly, could Joel Embiid keep the team playing at a high level?
This is the first real glimpse of an offense centered solely around Embiid, and the results have been as expected. The MVP runner-up has continued his dominance offensively while un-tapping new areas of his game.
Embiid has continually worked at improving as a passer over the years, and it has paid dividends in 2021. Not only is the All-Star big man having his way as a scorer, but also dishing a career-high 5.0 assist per game and posting a career-low in turnovers per game at 1.3.
In true superstar fashion, Embiid has done whatever is needed for the Sixers. He continues to do it all on both ends and fills up the box score on a nightly basis.
There is no telling when or how the Ben Simmons saga will end, but Embiid is doing everything in his power to keep the Sixers in a position to contend while things get worked out behind the scenes.
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