After an impressive 136-124 victory over the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers are now just the fourth team in the NBA to start their season with a 3-0 record. While this would be a great start for any team, it’s particularly encouraging for a team that didn’t pick up their third win of the season last year until their 15th game. 

To make the victory even more impressive, they did so without Joel Embiid. This was the first game in which Embiid sat due to load management, and the first they had to play without him this season. 

Even with Embiid's absence, this was easily the Sixers’ best game of the season, as they were able to maintain their lead throughout the second half despite many strong attempts by the Magic to chip away late in the game. 

While it was a great win for Philadelphia from start to finish, there were a few main points that stood out from the rest. Let’s take a look at our three main takeaways from the Sixers' third-straight win. 

No. 1 - Tyrese Maxey is a Certified Superstar

Tyrese Maxey entered the game averaging 34 PPG on the season, leading the way for the Sixers in their first two games. While it was evident he would have to once again step up with Embiid’s absence, he went above and beyond, scoring 43 points to go along with eight assists and four rebounds. 

To say that he’s impressed this season would be an understatement, as he’s proven to be one of the best players in the league. For the last decade, Embiid has been the main superstar for this team, but with Maxey’s recent play, there’s an argument that he’s now the best player on the team. 

In the fourth quarter alone, Maxey scored 12 points, with seven coming in the clutch to seal the victory for Philadelphia. 

While this was the second-straight game in which Maxey shot under 50% from the field, he hit shots when it mattered most, giving Orlando no chance to overtake the lead. Now averaging 37 PPG and 7.7 APG through three games, he appears to have solidified himself as a superstar in the NBA. 

No. 2 - VJ Edgecombe is the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Frontrunner

Entering the season, Cooper Flagg was the clear favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Now, however, after just three games Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe has looked like the clear frontrunner for the award. 

While it’s still early, through three games, Edgecombe has shown little to no weaknesses and has looked like one of the most NBA-ready rookies that we’ve seen in recent years. 

After scoring a combined 49 points in his first two games, Edgecombe posted an impressive 26 points against the Magic to go along with seven assists. This was the second-straight game in which Edgecombe scored double-digits and had at least seven assists, showing how complete of a player he is already. 

More than just statistically, however, Edgecombe displayed some unbelievable shotmaking abilities, while also showing off his one-of-a-kind athleticism on defense. 

Shooting 10-17 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc, this was Edgecombe’s best shooting performance of the season. He once again looked in control, and his confidence made him look like he’s been in the league for a decade. 

As the Sixers’ lead was starting to slip away in the fourth quarter, Edgecombe took command and led the offense with Maxey sitting on the bench. For him to have the ability to take a game into his hands as a rookie is almost unheard of, and yet another reason why he appears to be the best rookie so far this season. 

No. 3 - This Year is Different

While the Sixers were 2-0 entering the game, it’s impossible to judge a season’s outlook based on two games. Even now, it’s still early to make any major assumptions about the team, but they did show that they are a different team from in years past. 

Since Embiid became one of the best players in the NBA, the Sixers have struggled greatly to see success with him off the court. Particularly in the playoffs, they have shown minimal effort when he’s on the bench.

This season, however, the team has been better with him off the court, as he has a -18 +/- over his first two games, finishing in the negative in each game. Now, after securing a third-straight victory without a substantial impact from Embiid, the Sixers appear to have enough depth on their roster to not be reliant on their big man. 

Along with the combined 69 points from Maxey and Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 25 of his own in what Nick Nurse called one of, if not the best game in his Sixers’ career.

Additionally, Quentin Grimes added 14 points off the bench before fouling out. 

This level of production from this many players is not something that we’ve seen from Philly in the past, which makes their season outlook extremely appealing. Even Adem Bona, filling in for Embiid, played incredibly, finishing with a team-high +21 +/- and three very impressive blocks. 

Considering that the Sixers are yet to add Jared McCain and Paul George back to the lineup, meaning they’ll soon have even more depth, it’s getting difficult to not get excited about where this team can go.