Ex-Kings Star Believes 76ers Could 'Make Noise' in East After Win Over Celtics

Philadelphia was able to start off the new season with a road victory over the Boston Celtis on Wednesday despite George being sidelined.

The 76ers defeated the Celtics 117-116 behind a monster performance from rookie guard V.J. Edgecomb who recorded 34 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Tyrese Maxey added 40 points and six assists of his own while Embiid struggled as he finished the game with only four points and six rebounds while shooting 1-for-9 from the field.

DeMarcus Cousins Believes 76ers Could Contend in East

After Philadelphia’s victory on Wednesday, former Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins made a bold statement on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” as he believes that the 76ers can make noise in the East this season.

“V.J. Edgecombe put his name in the hat for Rookie of the Year. ... The glaring issue is Paul George and Joel Embiid's health, but with the pieces around them, I still think they're in a really good spot,” Cousins said.

This is a bold statement by Cousins, though he does make a good point as the 76ers have a ton of talent on their roster that could help them compete at the top of the East this season.

Of course, Philadelphia will need Embiid and George to stay healthy this season if they want to have a chance at making a run to a championship, which has been a main area of concern for the franchise over the past handful of seasons, especially with Embiid.

Despite this, the 76ers have built a solid core around their star duo with Maxey, Edgecomb, Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes, along with Jared McCain who is currently sidelined due to injury.

Because of this, the 76ers could be a major threat in the East this season like Cousins said, though their success this season will likely depend upon their star duo staying healthy.

If that ends up being the case, Philadelphia could challenge for a top seed in the East this season as they try to make a deep playoff run.

Either way, it appears as though the 76ers could be on track to turning things around after their disappointing season last year and they will try to start the season 2-0 on Saturday when they host the Charlotte Hornets.