Sixers: Five biggest positives from 6-2 start

Five biggest positives from Sixers’ 6-2 start: Playmaking depth

Let me be clear — the Sixers absolutely miss Ben Simmons. His absence is felt on both sides of the ball, and will be felt more keenly when Philadelphia’s inevitable shooting regression kicks in. The Sixers should absolutely hope for a trade or a return to action sooner than later.

That said, Philadelphia has weathered the storm of Simmons’ absence quite impressively. Despite missed time from three of the five starters and a severe lack of experience at point guard, the Sixers sit in second place.

A lot of credit goes to Tyrese Maxey, who has mostly thrived in his first taste of starting minutes at the NBA level. He’s not without his warps — Maxey is a total non-factor off the ball and he’s still learning the ropes defensively — but for a 20-year-old, 6-foot-2 guard, it’s hard not to appreciate Maxey’s contributions. He is averaging 14.0 points and 4.3 assists on 49.4 percent shooting.

Credit also goes to Shake Milton, who has been exceedingly solid upon his return from injury. It’s still early, but he looks considerably improved over last season, both as a shooter (50 percent from the field) and as a playmaker, which is most important in Simmons’ absence.

That said, the most credit belongs to the collective. Joel Embiid is averaging 4.3 assists (a career high) to 2.7 turnovers (a career low). Tobias Harris is also averaging a career-high 4.2 assists per game, while Georges Niang, Furkan Korkmaz, and Andre Drummond have all provided ambitious passing in secondary roles.

The Sixers are moving the ball and generating good looks despite missing one of the best facilitators in the NBA. Again, that’s not to say Simmons’ absence isn’t felt, but it does speak to the competitive spirit and adaptability of the roster at hand.