76ers expect Paul George to fit as missing championship piece next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey
Philadelphia 76ers
Last season: 47-35, lost to New York in first round
COACH: Nick Nurse (2nd season with 76ers; 7th overall, 274-198)
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 23 vs. Milwaukee
DEPARTURES: F Nicolas Batum, C Mo Bamba, G Buddy Hield, G De’Anthony Melton, F Cameron Payne, C Paul Reed
ADDITIONS: G Paul George, C Andre Drummond, G Eric Gordon, G Reggie Jackson, PF Caleb Martin, PF Guerschon Yabusele
BetMGM championship odds: 10-1
What to expect
The 76ers committed more than $400 million in salary to Tyrese Maxey and Paul George in free agency and then signed Joel Embiid to a $193 million extension shortly before training camp. Embiid will be an old 30 this season and expecting the All-Star center to miss a significant chunk of playing time because of injuries is an unfortunate rite of the season for the Sixers. Embiid, who won Olympic gold with Team USA, has never played more than 68 games in a season and was limited to only 39 last season in large part because of knee surgery. The 76ers finished 31-8 in the regular season with Embiid and a woeful 16-27 without him. The 76ers needed another star to keep the franchise steady should Embiid go down again so they signed George. If the trio of George, Embiid and Maxey can stay the Sixers expect to advance out of the second round for the first time since 2001.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: George was a stellar offseason acquisition, and should form an ideal pairing with Embiid. The 76ers have been down this high-priced, high-expectations road before without a championship to show for their efforts. They have failed to find the right pieces to field a winner around their franchise player Embiid, falling short with Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, Al Horford, among others. George is a six-time member of the All-NBA Team. He’s a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team and was the league’s most improved player in 2013.
The not-so-good: Much like Embiid, George’s injury history should give the 76ers reason for some concern. George played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19. The Sixers aren’t expecting George and Embiid to serve as Iron Men during the regular season and push 75 games. Embiid has never been healthy for an entire postseason run, one reason the Sixers have stumbled in the postseason on his watch and a pretty big blight -- fair or not -- on his legacy. If the Sixers can’t keep George and Embiid in one piece come April, another empty season awaits.
Players to watch
George and Embiid are no-brainers. But the one player to watch this season is Maxey. Last season he made his first All-Star team and was named NBA most improved player. The question looms, will he get lost in the shuffle with George aboard or will Maxey make more strides into true stardom. His scoring rose for the third consecutive year, and he finished the regular season averaging 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game — all career bests.
