The Philadelphia 76ers have
lived in the shadow of “what if” for far too long. What if Joel
Embiid had been healthy all along after all these years? What if
the roster had held together when it mattered most? What if the
Sixers had caught a break in a wide-open East?
Heading into the 2025-26 season,
those questions remain, but there is also renewed belief.
Philadelphia has retooled its roster with a mix of established
veterans and rising stars. The blueprint is simple: keep their core
healthy, and the Sixers will once again be among the conference’s
most dangerous teams.
The Embiid factor
It all starts with Joel
Embiid.
When healthy, the 2023 MVP
remains one of the most dominant players in basketball. A 7-foot
force who blends power, touch, and skill in ways few big men in
history ever have, Embiid can take over a game from the post, the
midrange, or even beyond the arc. He can anchor an elite defense
with rim protection and physicality, while also functioning as the
fulcrum of the offense.
At his best, Embiid isn’t just a
top-5 player in the league. He’s arguably top-3, the kind of
singular star who can tilt playoff series on his own. But the
caveat has always been health. Time and again, Embiid’s postseason
runs have been cut short by injuries, leaving Philadelphia to
wonder how far they could have gone at full strength.
The Sixers’ entire trajectory
hinges on Embiid’s body holding up. If he can stay on the floor,
they’re contenders. If not, they risk fading into the middle of the
pack in an unforgiving Eastern Conference.
The co-stars and the role players
For years, the Sixers searched
for the right running mate for Embiid. After experiments with James
Harden, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler, they may have finally found
the answer in Tyrese Maxey.
The 24-year-old guard has
blossomed into an All-Star caliber player, one of the league’s most
explosive scoring guards with blinding speed and an ever-improving
jumper. Two seasons ago, he averaged career-best numbers and
announced himself as Philadelphia’s backcourt centerpiece. Injuries
slowed him briefly, but now, fully healthy, Maxey is poised to
build on that success.
Maxey’s ability to create his
own shot and stretch defenses makes him the perfect complement to
Embiid. When defenses collapse on the big man, Maxey thrives in
attacking closeouts or pulling up from deep. If both stay healthy,
they give the Sixers one of the best inside-out duos in the
NBA.
And make no mistake: if
Philadelphia is to make noise this season, Maxey will need to not
just support Embiid but shoulder stretches as the lead option,
particularly in moments when the big man rests.
The Sixers made one of the
offseason’s splashiest moves by adding Paul George. At 35, George
is no longer in his prime, but he doesn’t have to be. In fact, his
age and experience could make him a perfect fit.
Rather than being asked to carry
a team, George can settle into the role of one of the league’s best
third options. Behind Embiid and Maxey, he provides spacing,
secondary playmaking, and the ability to guard multiple positions.
On nights when Maxey is off or Embiid is limited, George still has
the scoring chops to step into a larger role.
If he embraces this shift and
stays healthy, he could be one of the most valuable veterans in the
league – the kind of player who wins playoff games with savvy,
shot-making, and timely defense.
Last season, rookie guard Jared
McCain gave Philadelphia fans a glimpse of the future. His
confidence, shooting, and poise belied his age, and he quickly
earned rotation minutes. Unfortunately, an injury cut his promising
campaign short.
Now, as he works his way back
from another minor setback, McCain remains an X-factor for the
Sixers. If he can replicate and build on what he showed last year,
Philadelphia suddenly has a young spark who can keep defenses
honest and provide much-needed floor spacing.
For a team often plagued by a
lack of reliable shooting in the postseason, McCain’s development
could quietly swing a series.
The bigger picture ahead
The Sixers’ fate doesn’t exist
in a vacuum. The Eastern Conference landscape has shifted. The
Knicks are loaded and ready to chase a title, Milwaukee still has
Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Miami continues to hang
around.
In this environment,
Philadelphia’s margin for error is slim. They don’t need to be
perfect – but they do need to be healthy.
With Embiid at his peak, Maxey
rising, and George easing into a defined role, the Sixers have
enough firepower to contend with anyone. Add a deep rotation, a
hungry young guard in McCain, some role player caveats in Kelly
Oubre, rookie VJ Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Trendon Watford, among
others, and a coaching staff that knows the stakes, and the recipe
for success is there.
But again, it circles back to
health. That word has become synonymous with the Embiid era in
Philadelphia. Each season feels like a battle against the clock,
with fans waiting to see if their star center can withstand the
grind of an 82-game season and beyond.
For Philadelphia, the 2025-26
season isn’t about the ‘Process’ anymore. It’s about
answers.
Can Embiid stay on the floor and
finally deliver a postseason run worthy of his talent? Can Maxey
take another leap into true superstardom? Can George flourish in
his role and become the third piece that pushes the Sixers over the
top? Can McCain provide that youthful burst the rotation
needs?
If the answer is yes to enough
of those questions, the Sixers could very well make noise in the
East and perhaps beyond. If not, they risk another year lost to the
cruel combination of injuries and unmet expectations.
The Sixers know what they’re up
against. They’ve seen seasons crumble under the weight of injuries.
They’ve seen championship windows slam shut before they were fully
open.
This year feels like another
chance, perhaps one of the last with this iteration of the roster.
Embiid remains a generational talent, Maxey is in his prime, George
is hungry to win, and McCain is eager to break out.
Health will determine
everything. For Philadelphia, the question isn’t whether they can
contend – it’s whether they’ll be healthy enough to show
it.
