The Philadelphia 76ers secured a huge win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, 115-105. That might feel a little strange to say, considering that the loss dropped the Pacers to 6-19 in a season in which they'll be without their primary star, Tyrese Haliburton, and are expected to tank in a gap year.
And yet, this felt like a turning point for the Sixers. For one, it marked their fourth win in five games, allowing Philly to climb to 14-10 after playing painfully mediocre ball throughout November. Secondly, while the Pacers were without Haliburton, the 76ers didn't have their top player in this bout either, as Tyrese Maxey couldn't play due to illness.
Most importantly, though, Philadelphia answered some pressing questions in this game — about their prospects this season, about their direction moving forward, and about some of their most key players.
Throughout the beginning of the campaign, the Sixers flashed a ton of promise, with Maxey ascending to true superstar status and VJ Edgecombe establishing himself as a legitimate candidate in the NBA's Rookie of the Year race out of the gate. This team, deploying a lethal young backcourt, brought a lot of hope and optimism for what they could be at full potential, with future Hall of Famers Joel Embiid and Paul George healthy and back in the mix.
Unfortunately, their long-awaited returns were met with a dud. George had just nine points on 2-of-9 shooting in his debut this season. Embiid was even worse, with just four points on 1-of-9 from the field in the Sixers' opener. If those two are only a shell of their former selves, it won't matter what else this team is doing. Philadelphia owes Embiid and George nearly $300 million combined, not counting this season. If they can't live up to their contracts, it'll severely hamper the Sixers' prospects not just this year, but for the foreseeable future.
They earned their paychecks against the Pacers, though. Philly's two bastions of the bygone era combined for 62 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists on 50 percent shooting. They were also huge down the stretch, putting up 12 total points to help put Indiana away.
That performance from Embiid and George gave a sparkling glimpse into what the Sixers could be for the remainder of their contracts: a dangerous contender tightroping the intricate balance between competing in the present while keeping an eye on the future.
If Embiid and George can be even 80 percent of what they showed against the Pacers, while Maxey and Edgecombe continue their upward trajectories, why couldn't the Sixers emerge out of a shaky Eastern Conference?
The Sixers' young backcourt already has more than enough juice to carry this team in the regular season to a playoff berth. But they'll need their veteran stars to show up during clutch time, both in the fourth quarters of individual games and under the bright lights of the postseason. Embiid and George did just that against Indiana, renewing the vision of this team and giving them a new direction.
