The Philadelphia 76ers face mounting pressure as their star lineup of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey enters the 2025 season, with a clear imperative to achieve playoff success or risk significant roster changes. After a challenging 2024 marked by injuries and underperformance, the franchise and its supporters are urging the trio to deliver tangible results and salvage the team’s championship aspirations.
The Star Trio’s Struggles and High Expectations
The 76ers‘ core was considered one of the <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/basketball/nba/”>NBA’s most promising when the club invested heavily last offseason to secure a superstar trio: reigning MVP Joel Embiid, nine-time All-Star Paul George, and rising guard Tyrese Maxey. However, injuries severely disrupted their season. Embiid and George combined for just 60 total games, while Maxey was sidelined late to increase the team’s chances at a favorable draft pick. Despite this, Philadelphia won the No. 3 pick in the draft and selected VJ Edgecombe, adding potential support to the roster. Still, the spotlight remains firmly on Embiid, George, and Maxey to lead the team to success in the next season.
Joel Embiid, who has been the franchise cornerstone since the 2014 NBA Draft, suffered through an injury-plagued stretch over the last two seasons. Last year, he played just 19 games, averaging 23.8 points per game—the lowest output since the 2019-20 season—due to persistent health issues.
Paul George signed a lucrative four-year contract worth $212 million but appeared in only 41 games last season after dealing with multiple injuries, including a preseason knee bone bruise and a season-ending adductor injury. His production dipped to a decade-low 16.2 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists, raising concerns about his ability to contribute at an elite level consistently.
Tyrese Maxey fared better relative to his teammates, playing 52 games and posting a career-high 26.3 points per game, alongside 1.8 steals. Maxey must maintain or improve these performances to give the 76ers a legitimate chance of reaching the playoffs.
Kendrick Perkins Demands Proof from Embiid and George
Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins expressed strong views on the situation, predicting immense pressure on Joel Embiid and Paul George heading into the next season. On the latest episode of Perk Unplugged, Perkins characterized the upcoming campaign as a “revenge season” for Embiid, who will be eager to prove his dominance after a disappointing year.
“I believe Joel Embiid is going to come back on a revenge tour. I believe so. This is going to be a revenge season for Joel Embiid,”
—Kendrick Perkins, former NBA player and analyst
Perkins stressed the urgency for both Embiid and George to meet expectations, insisting that there is no alternative but to advance past the Eastern Conference Semifinals at a minimum.
“Nobody wants to hear nothing else. You got to get it done. You got to get that sh*t done. Period. No other way around it. Conference Finals minimum with that Big Three with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid.”
—Kendrick Perkins, former NBA player and analyst
Offseason Moves and Future Implications for the 76ers
Despite rumors of disbanding this star trio to free cap space and build around Maxey, the 76ers opted to keep the core intact, supplementing the roster with promising new additions like Edgecombe and Johni Broome. These young players provide depth, but also represent potential future replacements should the veterans fail to lead the franchise forward.
Embiid and George will need to demonstrate their capacity to contend seriously for a championship together in the upcoming season. Failure to improve upon the previous year’s results may prompt Philadelphia to reconsider its roster strategy drastically. The possibility of major changes, including trading one or both stars, looms if the team cannot reach at least the later stages of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Pressure Builds as 2025 Season Approaches
The 2025 season will be a pivotal moment for the 76ers‘ leadership and coaching staff as well, who must optimize health, chemistry, and overall performance to realize the championship vision built around this trio. Fans and analysts alike will watch closely to see if Embiid, George, and Maxey can overcome injury setbacks and deliver the results expected by a franchise hungry for NBA glory.
The coming months will define whether the 76ers continue their current championship push or are forced into a major restructuring that could reshape Philadelphia’s basketball identity for years to come.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What injury did Paul George suffer?
A. I began taking medication to dull the pain. Afterward, I discovered an injury I hadn’t noticed earlier. I realized I had a torn adductor. In March, the Sixers revealed that George would sit out the rest of the season because of his torn adductor and knee injuries.