Philadelphia 76ers

The 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers season was a catastrophe — the kind of year that gets GMs fired, coaches questioned, and franchise timelines rewritten. After signing Paul George to a max deal and pairing him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia was projected as a legitimate Eastern Conference contender. Instead, they stumbled to a 24-58 record, finishing 13th in the East and dead last in the Atlantic Division. It was the franchise's worst season since 2017 and a 23-win collapse from the prior year's 47-35 mark.

The cause was clear: injuries destroyed everything. Embiid played just 19 games before requiring a second arthroscopic knee surgery in 14 months. George managed only 41 games after arriving with his own knee concerns. Maxey, the lone bright spot, was limited to 52 games due to a hamstring injury. The Big Three played together fewer than 10 full games all season. Without its stars, Philadelphia's offense ranked 22nd in efficiency (111.9 OffRtg) and the defense — expected to be a strength with Nurse's schemes — cratered to 26th (118.2 DefRtg). The -6.4 net rating told the full story: this was one of the worst teams in basketball by the numbers.

The silver linings were almost entirely individual. Tyrese Maxey cemented himself as a legitimate franchise guard, averaging 26.3 PPG and 6.1 APG — numbers that would have drawn All-Star consideration on a winning team. Rookie Jared McCain was a revelation before a knee injury ended his season after just 23 games, averaging 15.3 PPG on 46.0% FG and 38.3% from three — an elite shooting profile for any rookie. Guerschon Yabusele emerged as a reliable stretch-four (11.0 PPG, 38.0% 3P, 70 games), and Kelly Oubre Jr. provided gritty, physical play at 15.1 PPG across 60 games. But individual performances couldn't mask the systemic failures of a team that never had its core healthy at the same time.

Philadelphia's 24-58 record left them seven games out of the play-in tournament, finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers were never in the postseason conversation after a horrific 3-14 start that buried them in the standings before Thanksgiving. By the All-Star break, the front office had effectively pivoted to development mode, shutting down Embiid for the season and prioritizing the health of its stars for 2025-26.

For a franchise that entered the season with championship aspirations and a payroll north of $200 million, missing the playoffs entirely was a humiliation. The "Process" era has delivered one MVP award, multiple second-round exits, and now a catastrophic injury-plagued collapse. The 2024-25 season wasn't just a missed opportunity — it was a referendum on whether Philadelphia's star-driven model can survive the fragility of its centerpiece. The answer, for now, is deeply uncertain.

The player performance breakdown reveals just how lopsided the 76ers' season was. Maxey carried a historically heavy burden, Embiid and George were ghosts for most of the year, and the supporting cast — while gritty — was never built to be a team's primary engine. The departure of Yabusele to the Knicks in free agency only underscores how thin the margin was.

Maxey's 26.3 PPG was a career-high and a statement: he is no longer Embiid's sidekick — he's a franchise-caliber offensive engine. His 6.1 APG showed growth as a playmaker, though the 33.7% three-point shooting was a step back from his 2023-24 mark and needs to rebound for the offense to function at a high level. Embiid's per-game numbers (23.8/8.2/4.5) were still dominant when he played, but 19 games out of 82 is not a basketball player — it's a concept. George's 16.2 PPG on 43.0% FG represented his worst full-season efficiency since his early Indiana days, raising real questions about whether the 35-year-old can still be a $50M player. The McCain injury was the cruelest twist: a 15.3 PPG rookie on 46/38 shooting was exactly the kind of electric young talent this team desperately needed, and losing him after 23 games robbed the season of its most exciting development.

GM Daryl Morey faced an impossible summer: a championship window that's closing, a franchise player whose body is failing, and a salary cap situation that limits flexibility. Rather than a blockbuster trade, Morey opted for depth, continuity, and youth injection. The No. 3 overall pick — VJ Edgecombe from Baylor — was the headline addition, a 6'4" explosive two-way guard who could become the franchise's long-term answer alongside Maxey and McCain. Beyond the draft, the offseason was about running it back with the same core and praying for health.

The VJ Edgecombe pick is the most consequential move of the summer. At 6'4" with a 6'7.5" wingspan, Edgecombe is an elite athlete who averaged over 2 steals per game at Baylor and shot 34% from three — a disruptive defender with scoring upside who draws comparisons to Victor Oladipo and young Dwyane Wade. The 76ers are betting that Edgecombe can contribute immediately on defense while developing his offensive game alongside Maxey and McCain. It's a draft-and-develop play that hedges against the Embiid timeline.

The Yabusele departure stings. His 11.0 PPG on 38% from three across 70 games made him the team's most reliable rotation player last season, and losing him to a division rival (the Knicks) without replacement hurts spacing. Morey's response was re-signing Grimes on the qualifying offer and bringing back Gordon for floor spacing — adequate, but not equivalent. The message from this offseason is clear: the 76ers are betting everything on the Embiid-George-Maxey trio being healthy. There is no Plan B.

The 2025-26 76ers are the NBA's ultimate boom-or-bust proposition. On paper, this is a team with three max-level players, a Rookie of the Year-caliber sophomore, a No. 3 overall pick, and a coach in Nick Nurse who has won a championship. In reality, it's a team whose entire viability rests on whether a 31-year-old center with chronic knee problems can stay on the floor. The variance between healthy Philly and injured Philly is the widest in the league — potentially a 25-win swing.

Projected Starting Lineup

When this starting five is healthy, it's one of the most talented in the Eastern Conference. Maxey's speed and scoring, George's wing versatility, Martin's switchable defense, and Embiid's gravity as a 30-PPG center creates a unit that can compete with anyone. The problem is availability: this group played together fewer than a handful of games in 2024-25. The spacing concern is real — if Maxey's three-point shooting stays at 33.7% and George doesn't return to his 40% clip, the floor will tighten around Embiid in the post. Grimes and Martin are solid role players, but they're the starters because of necessity, not because they're the ideal options.

Key Bench Players

The bench is where this team gets interesting. Jared McCain is the most important reserve in the NBA for this franchise — a 21-year-old who was averaging 15.3 PPG on 46/38 splits before his injury and who could push for a starting role by midseason. If McCain is fully healthy, Nurse has a lethal three-guard lineup (Maxey-McCain-Grimes) that can bury opponents in transition and three-point shooting. VJ Edgecombe adds another dimension — his defense and athleticism will earn him minutes immediately, even as his offensive game develops. Oubre provides instant offense off the bench, and Drummond is critical insurance for the inevitable Embiid rest nights. The weakness: this bench is old at the guard spots (Gordon is 36, Lowry is 39) and thin at forward if Martin or Oubre go down.

Coaching & Scheme

Nick Nurse enters his 3rd season in Philadelphia with his reputation on the line. The 2019 NBA champion with Toronto was hired to build an elite defense around Embiid and create a motion-heavy offense. Instead, injuries derailed year one and demolished year two. This season is make-or-break for Nurse's tenure. His defensive schemes — aggressive switching, creative trapping, and zone looks — are perfectly suited for a roster with Embiid's rim protection, Martin's versatility, and Edgecombe's length. On offense, Nurse will deploy a pace-and-space attack centered on Maxey's speed and Embiid's post gravity, with more three-guard lineups than ever. The variable rotation and constant lineup tinkering that defines Nurse's coaching style will be critical as he manages Embiid's load, integrates young players, and tries to keep this team competitive through the inevitable injury stretches.

Projection systems see the 2025-26 76ers as a play-in to mid-seed playoff team — but the confidence interval is enormous. This is a team that could win 50 games or 30, depending almost entirely on one variable: health. Every model prices in uncertainty around Embiid, and the resulting range of outcomes is the widest for any team in the East.

The 42.5 win total is the most fascinating number on the board. The over requires Embiid to play 55+ games, George to return to 20 PPG form, and the young players (McCain, Edgecombe) to contribute immediately. The under is a bet on Embiid missing significant time again, George continuing to decline, and the supporting cast not being deep enough to tread water. After a 24-win season, the market is essentially asking: do you believe the injuries were a fluke, or a pattern?

The Betting Angle: Philadelphia at +12,500 to win the championship is a longshot with upside — if this team is healthy for a playoff run, the talent is there. The +490 to win the Atlantic Division is intriguing but requires beating a loaded Knicks team that just added depth. The real value, if it exists, is in the win total over 42.5 if you believe in the health bounce-back — a healthy Embiid playing 60+ games with a fully operational supporting cast could push this team to 48-50 wins. Conversely, the under 42.5 is the sharp play if you've watched Embiid's knee trajectory over the past two years and believe the market is being too generous with its health assumptions. Jared McCain Sixth Man of the Year at +1200 is the sneaky prop — a 21-year-old with 15 PPG upside off the bench is exactly the profile that wins the award.

The Atlantic Division is a two-horse race with wild cards. The New York Knicks are the clear class of the division — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and a deep supporting cast make them a legitimate title contender projecting for 53-57 wins. The Celtics, despite losing Jayson Tatum for much of the season, remain competitive behind Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Philadelphia sits in the volatile second tier — capable of jumping to the top of the division if Embiid is healthy, or plummeting to the bottom if last year's injury nightmare repeats.

The division dynamics create interesting strategic considerations for the 76ers. Toronto's young core (Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram) is ascending and could steal a play-in spot. Brooklyn is in full tank mode, meaning 8 of the 16 intra-division games should be comfortable wins. The path to the playoffs runs through consistency against the middle of the pack — Philadelphia needs to beat the teams they're supposed to beat and steal enough games from the Knicks and Celtics to reach the 42-45 win threshold. Given the East's competitive balance, 42 wins should be enough for the 7th-8th seed and a play-in berth, while 46+ wins likely secures a top-6 spot and avoids the play-in entirely.

These six players will most directly determine whether the 2025-26 76ers are a playoff contender, a play-in team, or a repeat of last year's disaster — and whether the franchise's championship window is still open.