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VJ Edgecombe and 4 more 76ers who need to step up to avoid more embarrassment in Game 2

You can't put the Game 1 loss all on Tyrese Maxey, especially when these four players could step in Game 2 to take the pressure off him.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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You can't put the Game 1 loss all on Tyrese Maxey, especially when these four players could step in Game 2 to take the pressure off him.
You can't put the Game 1 loss all on Tyrese Maxey, especially when these four players could step in Game 2 to take the pressure off him. | Winslow Townson/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Philadelphia 76ers face a must-win Game 2 against the Boston Celtics with key players under intense scrutiny after an absolute disaster in Game 1.
  • Paul George, VJ Edgecombe and more must elevate their performances to prevent another lopsided defeat and keep the series alive.
  • The outcome hinges on improved efficiency, rebounding dominance, and complementary scoring to support the team's primary offensive options.

It’s a lot to put pressure on a rookie in the playoffs, but the Philadelphia 76ers are right to expect more from VJ Edgecombe in Game 2 against Boston. He scored 13 points, but it was rather inefficient, shooting 38 percent from the field and going 0-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. This season, Edgecombe shot 35 percent from deep and 43.5 percent from the field. He has to play better if he wants to avoid another blowout loss in Game 2. 

All the pressure isn’t on Edgecombe, but the Boston Celtics are one of the NBA’s toughest teams to score against. Boston will focus on Tyrese Maxey and limit him from getting hot. With his ability to create in the lane, Edgecombe and these other four 76ers need to step up their game to not only give Maxey some help, but avoid another blowout loss. 

Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

It feels a bit exaggerated to put Tyrese Maxey on this list because he has carried Philadelphia through the play-in tournament and to the playoffs. That said, it’s inexcusable for him to go 1-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc and 8-for-20 from the field. This team needs him, meaning he can’t really afford bad shooting nights. Yes, he did still score a team-high 20 points, but he was essentially a nonfactor for most of the game. 

Boston has suffocating perimeter defense and with so many good defenders, it’s hard for the 76ers to find the guy to get them going. Joel Embiid is still out and Paul George is good, but past the years of going at elite defenders. Maxey has to be the difference. He has to have an efficient shooting performance, not just a mediocre one. 

Paul George

Paul George, Philadelphia 76er
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Speaking of Paul George, he had a decent Game 1, but has to have more of an offensive presence. What I mean by that is he scored an efficient 17 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. But while Embiid is out and the weapons on this team are few to none, George has to take more than eight shots. Whether Nick Nurse schemes up Maxey and George to be the focal point of the offensive gameplan or what, George needs to be more involved in the offense. 

He has a lethal mid-range game and that will have to come into play if the 76ers want to get a win in Boston before returning to Philadelphia for two games. If the 76ers don’t get a win Tuesday night, it feels like this team will get swept. If they manage to steal a win, they need to get another in Philly to regain some confidence. That starts with running the offense through George and Maxey. 

Kelly Oubre Jr.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Kelly Oubre Jr. was a 36 percent 3-point shooter this season for the 76ers. He has yet to hit one in this series against Boston. He went 0-for-5 which is inexcusable considering this team needs as many scorers as possible. Maxey is going to take a lot of Boston’s attention on defense, which is why perimeter scoring wings like Oubre will be critical for the 76ers. Obviously some of that pressure will fall on Edgecombe. But a player that just had a career-high 3-point percentage isn’t doing his team justice not hitting from beyond the arc. 

That said, they’ll need Oubre to be a rebounding machine again in the game. Oubre had a team-high seven rebounds in the loss. Ending defensive possessions and extending offensive ones is a key way to avoid blowout losses. It’s good that Oubre was able to impact the game in more ways than scoring on Sunday, but the 76ers will need more offense from him on Tuesday.

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The 76ers really needed more from Andre Drummond on Sunday. Not only could he have been more of an offensive weapon, but they need him to be a stout rebounder. Yes he came off the bench and had five rebounds, but he averaged more than eight per game. They can’t afford him to not dominate the lane in Game 2. The Celtics don’t have an elite rebounder like Drummond. While Neemias Queta has quickly surged as a starting center for the Celtics, Drummond should be a stronger force inside. 

Philly could be a team that focuses on outshooting Boston from beyond the 3-point arc this game. To win, they’re going to need efficient shooting from deep and more rebounds to extend offensive possessions. They had six more offensive rebounds and three more offensive rebounds total than Boston, they just didn’t make enough shots. Drummond’s ability to rebound will ultimately determine if Philly can get a win over Boston and avoid sweep. 

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