It’s a tough time to be a Sixers fan right now! The City of Brotherly Love faces adversity after adversity with every passing game. Two days ago, Paul George hyper-extended his knee once again, putting a quick end to the first-ever game between the 76ers trio. Heading into tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, Joel Embiid, a frequent visitor on the injury report, made a last-minute entry, crushing the fans’ hopes. And now, the team has yet another setback involving the 29-year-old forward, Caleb Martin.

During the first half, the Sixers’ new member took a fall to his back, leaving him unsettled for the rest of the half. The visuals from the game suggested that Martin held his lower back after the fall. And he eventually checked out before the halftime buzzer and headed to the locker room, holding his back.

While everyone expected Caleb Martin to add more tribulations to the Sixers, the star fortunately checked back in the second half. Amid the offseason buzz surrounding the Paul George trade, the Philly side made an unreal steal by roping in Martin behind everyone’s back. This defensive dominant forward not only aggressively guards the court but also increases the space on the floor with his perimeter shooting prowess.

Coach Nick Nurse, speaking of addition, said, “He’s going to be one of our best defenders. I think, again, I always talk about you need two things with Joel. You need space and shooting, and you need somebody that can cut, right? He’s pretty good.” Moreover, Martin’s presence on the floor will enable PG, Embiid, and Maxey to go by their business with little hassle from the opponents.

Can this short-handed side with Caleb Martin make the difference for the 76ers?

Well, tonight, the short-handed side without Joel Embiid and Paul George proved that they can fight. Tyrese Maxey, who is a lone warrior amidst Embiid’s frequent absence, seemed to have found a perfect partner, Jared McCain. The rookie has turned out to be a real surprise package for the Sixers, as he has consistently shown up whenever the team needed him badly. In the last five games, he has 26.6 ppg with a high score of 34 points.

Tonight, in the absence of two superstars, McCain led the team with 30 points, supported by Maxey’s 26 points. Moreover, Caleb Martin did what Coach Nurse expected to do. Guard aggressively and create space on the floor. In his 30-minute stay on the court, Martin recorded 10 points and a steal against his name. And Guess what? the team managed to steal a comfortable 98-113 win. With this, the team secured their third win of the season.

Will the young guns make it a routine for the Sixers amid the inconsistent availability of the superstars? With PG and Embiid missing the Sunday game against the Clippers, will the young guns have a test thrown at them? Will they prove their prowess? Let us know in the comments.