Joel Embiid’s 20 minutes against the Boston Celtics were anything but promising. But the rest of the team certainly sparked shoots of hope in Philly fans. Their backcourt tandem went off. Tyrese Maxey dropped 40, while rookie VJ Edgecombe produced a historic performance. He scored 34, the third highest for any rookie in NBA history on their debut. The smile on Embiid’s face when showing the Bahamian guard wasn’t just his relief. The entire 76ers fanbase probably felt a weight get off their shoulder.

For years, Joel Embiid was the be-all and end-all for the franchise. But there was a noticeable shift last season when Jared McCain found success. Then came Edgecombe’s blasting debut, a complete game changer for the franchise.

“I think the overall takeaway for me from preseason and from th

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