I don’t know how this will look by the end of the season. I hope to stick to this general format, but there is a chance something else makes more sense as more games are played and I find my ground. The goal is to contextualize stats. I won’t recap games. I won’t include quotes from players. I’ll reference moments, for sure. I’ll post highlights from time to time. But the purpose of this blog series is to share information about the week in rewind.

Sports are meant to be fun. That is my intention for this series.

The Welcome

Philadelphia was the only team to play four games this week, and it showed during Sunday’s loss. The Sixers are 1-1 in back-to-backs, which is something I will keep track during this series. It would be a surprise of Joel Embiid plays both legs of any back-to-back since he hasn’t played in two games of a back-to-back since January of 2024 (the same month he hurt his knee). In theory they’re better equipped to handle games Embiid misses this year. Regardless, it would be disingenuous to label the start of the season as anything but a success despite Sunday’s loss.

Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points, dished out five assists, stole three passes, and blocked three shots in the season opener. It is the second game during his career he reached those numbers. He is one of seven pure guards in NBA history to have more than one such game.

Maxey sets the tone. He brings the energy. Early in his career, his defense was a liability. He’ll never make an All-Defensive team or anything, but he competes.

Maxey made an absurd half court heave against the Bucks on Saturday night to end the first quarter, while not as flashy his make at the end of the third quarter may have been just as difficult.

Maxey struggled in the first half during Sunday’s loss to the Pistons, but scored 18 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. The Sixers couldn’t get the required stops to make it a game. It happens.

Maxey scored 115 points this week. He is the only player to score at least 115 points in a team’s first four games each of the past three seasons. (Giannis Antetokounmpo would join him on this made up arbitrary list if he scores 30 in Miami’s game on Monday night.)

Three Things

With LeBron James missing Saturday’s game against the Bucks, VJ Edgecombe stepped up with his first above average offensive game of the season. He made 5 threes. Foul trouble prevented Edgecombe from having more guady numbers, but because the Sixers did not put the Bucks away when they could have, Edgecombe orchestrated the most important play of the game when he grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Jaylen Brown three to extend the Sixers lead to 6 with 1:39 left. (Edgecombe passed to Embiid who recorded his 10th assist for his 10th career regular season triple-double on the feed to Brown.) Edgecombe finished with 13 rebounds and two blocks in addition to the aforementioned threes. Those numbers have been reached by 39 different players in league history. The Sixers clearly missed Edgecombe on Sunday as he was late scratch.

Watching Jaylen Brown go to work in Thursday’s win over Cleveland felt like an out of body experience. He played the whole fourth quarter, leading the way with 10 points as the Sixers outscored Cleveland by 16 points. Davion Mitchell (somehow in a losing effort), Duncan Robinson, and Desmond Bane also accomplished that feat during the first week of the season. Embiid had scored seven straight points to give the Sixers the lead during the epic Thursday win. Adem Bona then replaced Embiid. Brown then took over as he scored six straight points, and the Sixers never looked back. Sunday, however, saw Brown struggle. He went 5-20 from the field as Detroit made things difficult for him. He didn’t do himself any favors, though.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received much praise for his role in all three of Philly’s wins. He made timely threes. He collected multiple steals. He spent time guarding truly elite guards. His performance on Saturday was special. He made four threes, finished with three steals, and tied Brown for highest Plus/Minus on the team at 24. There have only been 48 players to reach those numbers off the bench. (One such performances is unknowingly referenced later.)

Milestone Tracker Interlude

LeBron James recorded 17 assists over three games. He is 59 assists away from surpassing Jason Kidd for third most all-time.

Joel Embiid scored 65 points across the three games he played. He is now 18 points away from surpassing Billy Cunningham for sixth most in franchise history.

Dean Wade only played two games this week as he dealt with an ankle issue. He committed zero turnovers in 65 minutes. Wade only had 16 turnovers last year in over 1300 minutes. So each week you’ll get an update. (Unless he starts coughing up the ball like Petey Jones in Remember the Titans.)

The Week Ahead

Sixers have three games this week, each presenting a challenge. Tyrese Haliburton’s return for the Pacers (Wednesday at 7) is one of the better storylines of this season. How many Knicks fans show up on Friday will be interesting as the NBA Cup begins. Philly has been dreadful in the cup, posting a 5-7 record. On its face the record doesn’t seem that bad, but they’re 1-5 across the first two games of each NBA Cup, which means they have never even sniffed the knockout round. The Sixers haven’t beaten the Knicks in the regular season in Philadelphia since February 10, 2023. Jericho Sims started for the Knicks (as did Quentin Grimes). Tyrese Maxey came off the bench during that weird stretch (and he dominated:see KCP). Charlotte on Halloween on a back-to-back is how the week ends for the Sixers. The Hornets aren’t as dangerous as last year, especially with injuries to Coby White and Kon Knueppel, but they’re plenty capable of winning.

“That Stat” of the Week

I don’t know how often this will be non-Sixer related, but at least for this week it will. Walker Kessler made headlines for failing to miss a shot among his 12 attempts during his debut with the Lakers last Wednesday. Nobody has made more shots without missing in a season opener ever. It is a cool stat, but there is more to it. Kessler has played five season openers. He has taken 36 shots. He has made 34 of them. That’s right. Kessler shoots 94 percent from the field on opening night. He obviously takes a lot of easy shots. He dunks the ball often. But still. Among players to make at least 30 field goals on opening night, only six players made over 65 percent, and neither of the other five come close to Kessler’s 94.

Feel swell, friends!