We’re not gonna crown the Sixers after three games, but they’re 2-1, fought hard in Milwaukee, and were low key enjoyable to watch in back-t0-back wins against Toronto and Portland.

The noticeable thing, with James Harden not participating and Doc Rivers no longer coaching, is that players are actually moving and cutting and working on the offensive end.

Case in point, this example of the Tyrese Maxey/Joel Embiid two-man game that looks encouraging so far:

Two pick and rolls there, nothing crazy, but like Steve Jones mentions, the screens are high and Maxey is able to get downhill. They almost function like drags because the action is starting close to half court and earlier in the shot clock. Embiid was not a roller in the first portion of his career, and was more of a DHO pivot with JJ Redick running off of him, but you’ve seen a variety of all of those things in the early going so far. Some PNR, some DHO, some improvised two-man game, etc. It also helps that Maxey moves off the ball, whereas Harden would more or less stand there.

Here’s another clip:


This is a simple “horns” set that Brett Brown used to run. Horns is still a somewhat popular NBA setup, which features two guys in the corners and two guys at the elbows. You can do a variety of little flares and back screens from it, in this case Tobias Harris tossing the ball to Embiid and then driving off the screen, similar to the classic UCLA cut, but the pass comes from the opposite elbow instead of the near side wing.

“The ball is moving, guys are cutting, I’ve been preaching that since training camp started, that I’m gonna find you,” Embiid said after the Portland win. “Just cut it and just spike the ball because I’m gonna find it and I think guys are starting to get it. Everybody’s cutting with a purpose, but I like the ball movement, I like guys cutting the ball not sticking and we’re playing more together.”

If Brett Brown was all about motion, and the Harden/Doc era was heavily focused on iso and pick and roll, then what we’ve seen through a couple of Nick Nurse games is something in between. Of course, Embiid won MVP playing with Harden in Doc’s system, so it would be folly to criticize the approach, but the basketball purist would say the game is better when there’s off-ball movement, cutting to the rim, and less isolation and foul grifting. Embiid will still get a steady of diet of post touches and iso looks, because he’s that good, but it’s been enjoyable so far to watch a team that’s more active on the offensive end. Guys move without the ball. There’s more downhill action. You’ve seen a good blend of pick and roll and dribble hand-off.

We’re still keeping the Sixers at arm’s length, but as the season progresses we want those arms to look less like Manute Bol’s arms and more like a T Rex’s arms.