Nobody in the national media knows where to rank Sixers players heading into the 2025 season

It’s the worst time of year for Sixers fans and NBA fans in general.

National media outlets are trying to cram every player in the league into cute little lists that immediately get torn apart on social media and once again, our guys have become the biggest mystery in the rankings.

Obviously, everyone is down on Joel Embiid because of his health. However the levels of “down” need to be addressed.

For Tyrese Maxey, it’s all about his “rise” and what his ceiling is this season. As for Paul George it’s a more cut and dry outlook of whether or not he’s washed and can still contribute as a member of the current “Big 3” on the Sixers.

So yeah, the general dialogue is all over the place, but that was expected right?

Four major outlets dropped their lists (ESPN, The Ringer, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports), and the range of opinions on the Sixers’ top players is pretty wild.

Outlet Note: The Ringer is Boston propaganda. I debated on whether or not they should be included in the first place but for the sake of journalism, they will be added.

Tyrese Maxey

• ESPN: 28
• The Ringer: 33
• Bleacher Report: 31
• CBS Sports: 21

Shockingly enough, there is some consistency. Maxey’s getting national respect as one of the best guards in the league and rightfully so. He averaged 26+ points and six assists for the second straight season, joining a group that includes Jokić, SGA, Giannis, Luka, and Brunson. That’s elite company.

CBS Sports went the boldest, basically declaring Maxey as the new franchise centerpiece which is laughable if Joel Embiid can remain healthy. Yes, that’s always a massive “if” but go ahead CBS Sports. The season hasn’t even started and you’re already making me mad. That’s on you.

CBS Sports:

“This is Maxey’s team. The Sixers might be fooling themselves into thinking they’re still a Joel Embiid team.”

Regardless of Embiid. Tyrese Maxey is still just 24-years old. He plays every night, and represents both Philly’s present and future. You can feel the front office hedging its bets by trying to build for Embiid’s now while setting up Maxey’s next.

Paul George

• ESPN: 54
• The Ringer: 71
• Bleacher Report: 52
• CBS Sports: 43

As expected, this one’s all over the place. Some writers still believe in that Paul George is still the smooth, two-way scorer who can guard anyone. Others see a guy who played 41 games last season, made $50 million, and vanished from any rankings available.

Hate to admit it but The Ringer nailed it here:

“He’s gotta play more games, or else his time in Philly will be remembered as a debacle.”

If the Sixers get even 65 games of healthy, engaged Paul George, he’s still a massive asset. If 2025 looks anything like 2024, his contract’s just another anchor on the books.

Joel Embiid

• ESPN: 47
• The Ringer: Not Ranked
• Bleacher Report: 26
• CBS Sports: 26

The Ringer can respectively fuck off. They didn’t even rank Joel Embiid. If that’s not an agenda in the works, then I’m not sure what else would qualify.

We’ve officially hit the part of the timeline where one outlet says “Top 25 player” and another says, “Nah, we’re good.”

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:

“It is almost impossible to rank Embiid after the former MVP played just 19 games last season.”

I mean, I guess…? Not really though.

Joel Embiid is a Top 10 player at minimum in the NBA. The only reason he’s not Top 3 is because of his injury history. After missing most of last year, even optimists are hedging. Nobody knows if we’re getting the 2023 MVP version or a guy fighting his own body for another season.

I still cannot openly accept the disrespect. They Hate The Process still runs through my blood and I’m ready to ride it ’til the wheels fall off.

Into the night we go >>

The National Media is all over the place with the Sixers

Fucking great, right? Again, it’s all expected. There’s too many health concerns. It just is what it is right now and at the end of the day, this is the national media heads talking shit about the Sixers – the same thing they have done for decades.

Some outlets think Philly’s a Maxey-led playoff team with a fading superstar. Others still think Embiid has one more MVP season left in him. A few seem convinced Paul George is about to turn back the clock.

The truth? Probably somewhere in between and until the Sixers prove it on the court, these rankings are just more noise for the league’s favorite contradiction.

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