The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the rival Boston Celtics on Friday to begin NBA Cup group play looking to stay unbeaten.

The Sixers know that developing the Maxey-Edgecombe tandem could be the key to a prosperous future. But what does all this mean for Joel Embiid?

Coach Nick Nurse evaluates the Philadelphia 76ers backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe through the first five games.

Despite continuing their early-season trend of storming back into games, the Sixers fell to a 109-108 loss to the Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Joel Embiid missed a game-winning three-point attempt at the final buzzer.

The Philadelphia 76ers have come out swinging this season, as they left the first week with a spotless 4-0 record. Most of their wins haven’t been the prettiest

Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) and Jared McCain (right thumb surgery recovery) have been ruled out for the Sixers’ matchup with the 2-3 Celtics. Barlow will miss at least the next two games and be re-evaluated early next week, a team official said.

The way the Sixers have played this season (and the wins) are fresh and exciting, but a seismic shift isn't for the best.

Maxey was a big catalyst for the comeback. He had 39 points--23 in the fourth quarter and overtime--as he spearheaded the effort for the Sixers. He played 47 minutes in a Herculean effort as he played 42 minutes just the night before. The All-Star guard certainly put on a show for the fans.