The Philadelphia 76ers will officially kick off their 2025-26 regular season campaign today against the Boston Celtics on the road. After a long period of inaction, the team will finally get the chance to prove that last season was a mere aberration, and that it is still very capable of contending for the title amidst a more crowded loop of championship hopefuls.
Joel Embiid, who is the main concern for this team, seems ready to go for opening night. However, the same cannot be said for a couple of the biggest names on the roster. Paul George is still penciled in to miss their season debut, while Jared McCain is still going to be out for at least two more weeks due to a finger injury.
Those two are not the only ones who will miss their first game, though. The 76ers will likewise miss their services of newcomer Trendon Watford, who has yet to suit up for the squad even during the preseason thanks to a hamstring injury slowing him down.
Philly does not seem to be overly concerned about Watford’s injury possibly causing him to miss a huge chunk of the schedule, but nobody seems to be talking enough about how his absence could force the coaching staff to compensate for the attendant positional issues at forward.
The 76ers will feel the absence of Trendon Watford more than they think
Watford, one of the few natural forwards on the roster, will be relied on to play all frontcourt positions this season depending on the matchup and the game situation. Hence, not having him around to start the year will force the team to keep on playing small or unconventionally big almost exclusively for the meantime.
That would mean that Kelly Oubre Jr. and Justin Edwards will have to play a position up, while Nick Nurse and his staff would also deploy double-big lineups to abate their lack of size at forward. That is a double bind they will have to deal with on the interim, which could also adversely affect their dynamic on both ends.
Hopefully, Watford can return at the soonest time possible. He has yet to find any semblance of rhythm on the hardwood with his new teammates, and the team needs him more than ever due to their distinct roster imbalance.
For now, the coaching staff will have to be creative and flexible enough to be non-traditional at times. It’s not ideal, but this is also one area where they will have to be better at, unlike last season.