The Sixers have big plans for the 2024-25 season — but they’ll make sacrifices along the way

Keeping a clean bill of health will be critical for the Sixers as they chase the title.

The Sixers have surrounded guard Tyrese Maxey (left) and center Joel Embiid with several new players, including All-Star Paul George. Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Published Oct. 22, 2024, 4:59 p.m. ET

Will the 76ers live up to their lofty expectations?

That’s one of the biggest questions the franchise faces heading into this season. Oddsmakers have the Sixers winning around 52 regular-season games and landing third in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

But come playoff time, the assumption is that the Sixers will elevate their play and be in position to win their first NBA title in more than four decades. The team returns two stars in 2023 MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers also signed nine-time All-Star Paul George and a plethora of veteran role players.

But despite the hype, the Sixers' tallest task will be remaining healthy enough to build on-court chemistry. And they haven’t done that this preseason.

Embiid and George will miss Wednesday’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. Embiid is ramping up for the season with a surgically repaired left knee, while George is recovering from a bone bruise suffered to his left knee in an Oct. 14 preseason game. Maxey will play despite bruising his right thumb on Friday. On top of that, Embiid will remain sidelined for the two-game road trip against the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Beginning a franchise-defining season without two of their best three players isn’t ideal for the Sixers. But this will be the norm for the team, to some degree. The Sixers have said that Embiid doesn’t intend to play both games of back-to-backs, meaning he will miss at least 15 games this year. George also periodically will receive the night off as part of a plan to keep both players healthy for the postseason.

But there could be a catch-22 to resting Embiid and George with the postseason in mind in a competitive conference, where the Milwaukee Bucks and Pacers also are well-regarded.

Playing so often without their full complement of players could push the Sixers down the standings and lead to a tougher playoff path. And even though rest will ensure better health, it also could lead to a lack of chemistry.

Coach Nick Nurse said load management doesn’t make him concerned about continuity.

“Listen, I think we’re really being smart at this stage of the plan for Joel,” Nurse said. “PG, him not playing was certainly not part of the plan, right? He had an injury in a game, so we’re managing that now.

“I absolutely respect how good both conferences are. East is really good; West is really good. Going out there and winning ballgames is going to be a challenge, not only for us but for everyone, every night. We’ve got some depth and we’ve got some experience and we’ve got some good players. We’ll go out there and see what we look like.”

The Sixers do have enhanced depth after acquiring Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, and Guerschon Yabusele and re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, and KJ Martin in free agency.

Still, as the lone star without a long injury list, Maxey will have to carry the load when Embiid and/or George are out. He was thrust into that position last season when Embiid played in just 39 games, including 29 consecutive contests after the center suffered a torn meniscus in his knee on Jan. 30.

Maxey played in 23 games during the stretch, averaging 25.6 points and 5.6 assists. He scored 30 or more points eight times, highlighted by a 51-point effort against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 1 at the Delta Center. Maxey added a career-high 52 points on April 7 against the San Antonio Spurs when Embiid missed another game.

“I learned a lot,” Maxey said of stepping into the starring role with Embiid sidelined. “I said multiple times, I hate to see him go down last year, of course. But I think it really helped me grow my game, my mind. I saw a lot of different coverages. Teams tried to do a lot of different things. They tried to take my success scoring and passing away. So I had to find ways around that to get my teammates involved and kind of play off the ball some, do different things to help my team be successful.”

But while Maxey soared, the Sixers floundered. They finished 16-27 in the 43 games Embiid missed last season. That’s one of the reasons the George acquisition was important. The Sixers hope George’s presence will make it harder for teams to blitz Maxey like they did last season. The swingman also can help initiate the offense, close out games, and provide solid defense and rebounding.

“I think every coach would tell you that you probably can’t have enough two-way wing players,” Nurse said during training camp. “That archetype has not always been plentiful on 76ers rosters in the Embiid era, especially those who play at a star level. This makes George, even at age 34, the freshest breath of air.”

But like Embiid, George has an extensive injury history. And while he missed only eight games last season, he sat out a combined 119 regular-season contests in the four seasons before that. The Sixers are aware of this and are determined to keep George — and Embiid — healthy. Without a plan in place, they’ll have a slim chance of living up to their lofty expectations. But the same could be true about being too cautious.