Sitting at 1-6 with Tyrese Maxey sidelined, where do the Sixers go from here?
If you’re a Sixers fan that was hoping for a strong start to the 2024-25 NBA season, well… let’s just say things unfolded in the complete, opposite direction. Between the injuries, suspensions, and general chaos, the Sixers are making even the most loyal fans want to hide their jerseys through the first seven games of the season.
Joel Embiid:
Embiid is missing the first nine games of the season, and if you’re asking yourself why, you’re not alone. It’s partly due to his knee issue—no surprise there—but the organization communicated a very poor load management plan to the media, which sparked an investigation from league offices.
On top of that, Embiid managed to pick up a technical from the bench against the Pacers and a suspension after he “shoved” Marcus Hayes in the locker room.
Paul George:
Paul George kicked off his Philly tenure with a preseason bone bruise. He dodged a season-ending disaster, but he’s still been out and has since been easing his way back in with a minutes restriction. George returned for Game 6, but he’s clearly not at 100%, and without playing alongside Joel Embiid and now, Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are stuck in limbo until all three return.
Tyrese Maxey:
Tyrese Maxey has always been the guy who’s supposed to be the one constant—and now he’s dealing with an injury, too. Nick Nurse is calling it “precautionary,” but if you’ve been around this team long enough, you know to be skeptical when it comes to Sixers injury reports.
Maxey’s had a slow start himself, and while I’ve got all the love in the world for the guy, every time I hear someone suggest “building around Maxey,” I have to remind them that when he’s the lone star, this team’s practically begging for a lottery pick.
The Result:
At 1-6, Philadelphia is off to its worst start to the regular season since the 2016-2017 season. Joel Embiid will make his season debut against the Knicks next week, Paul George is still working on his “cardio” and Tyrese Maxey is sidelined for at least a few weeks with a strained hamstring. Needless to say, things will not get immediately better for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fans are already spinning the Tankathon wheel:
Speaking of which, some folks are already talking about tanking. Posts have flooded social media with Sixers fans spinning the Tankathon wheel, dreaming of Cooper Flagg.
I’m sure most of the posts are jokes but just so we’re on the same page, for the Sixers to hold onto their pick, they would have to finish this year with one of the absolute worst records in the league.
Our old friend Al Horford is to blame.
When the Sixers sent his contract to OKC, they threw in a lightly protected 2025 first-rounder to sweeten the deal. Now, that pick is only Top-6 protected, which means Philly would have to go full meltdown to keep it.
Cooper Flagg would be nice though, right?
Looking Ahead: Embiid finally makes his debut on Tuesday
Joel Embiid will suit up for his first game of the season on Tuesday against the New York Knicks. Considering all the drama from the 76ers’ playoff series with New York in April, there truly isn’t a better team for Embiid to debut against.
However, Embiid’s return may not solve all of Philadelphia’s problems – not right away at least.
Throughout his 76ers tenure, Embiid is known to struggle in his first few games as he plays himself into shape. I would expect the same this season, especially with how his left knee has been “load-managed.”
Ironically, the rationale behind Embiid load-managing in the regular season was so that he could prioritize the postseason and not have to carry such a load through 82 games. Now, he and the 76ers are in a situation where he’ll have to play at an MVP level for the team to crawl back to .500 in November.
What will the guard rotation be without Tyrese Maxey?
Having already started in four games this season, it’s safe to say that veteran Kyle Lowry will slot in at starting point guard, especially when his trust with Nick Nurse is factored in.
Lowry, who has been the 76ers’ most efficient perimeter shooter this season, will provide value doing just that along with facilitating – mostly off the pick-and-roll.
With the exception of LeBron James, having a player north of 37 years old as a starter isn’t ideal, but it’s the best option for the 76ers.
Rookie Jared McCain is in line to have a more significant role in these next few games. He’s shown flashes of being a dynamic offensive threat, but is shooting just 25.0% from three.
When you consider the state of Philadelphia’s offense this season, it’s easy to understand why. Playing next to Joel Embiid, McCain will surely get great perimeter looks, especially from the corner – similar to how Nicolas Batum once did.
Reggie Jackson is another veteran guard who will surely get playing time – likely off the bench. In three appearances, Jackson averaged 6.3 minutes per game and hasn’t shown much in limited action.
Where does Paul George fit into the immediate future?
Paul George returned to action this week and has posted per-game averages of 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, on 47.8/30.0/88.9 shooting splits in his first two games. George’s shot diet has been solid, but his decision-making and explosiveness have fallen victim to rust – averaging 5.0 turnovers per game.
Paul George ‘didn’t get’ the boo’s from Clippers fans in his return to Los Angeles
The 76ers have two games before Embiid returns – the Los Angeles Lakers (4-4) tonight and the Charlotte Hornets (3-5) on Sunday. Two games off a left knee bone bruise, George will have to carry the entire offensive load, which isn’t ideal considering the circumstances.
There’s a real chance Philadelphia will be 1-8 when Embiid returns to action. Perhaps the offense will establish some identity and rhythm when Embiid and George share the floor together but for now, the 76ers’ offensive struggles will seemingly continue this weekend.
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