Can the Philadelphia 76ers ever contend again with aging, injured Embiid, George on the roster?
The "Process" in Philadelphia was always predicated on patience, but as the calendar turns to December 2025, that patience is being tested by a cruel, repetitive reality. The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2025-26 campaign with championship aspirations anchored by a newly formed "Big Three," yet they find themselves trudging through the early season mud with a pedestrian 10-9 record. The vision of a dominant triumvirate has been blurred by the training room report, leaving the franchise to grapple with an existential question: Can a team built around two aging, injury-prone superstars ever truly contend?
At the heart of the anxiety is the availability—or lack thereof—of Joel Embiid and Paul George. Embiid, now 31, continues to manage a "sore right knee" that has limited him to just a handful of appearances this season. His reluctance to discuss the injury after games speaks volumes about the frustration mounting within the organization. Beside him, the 35-year-old George has spent much of his Sixers tenure battling his own attrition, recently seen pulling a sleeve over his left leg to manage recovery. The duo’s inability to stay on the floor together has reduced the team’s chemistry to a theoretical concept rather than an on-court reality.
The burden of this fragility has fallen squarely on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey. The 25-year-old guard has been nothing short of spectacular, surging toward All-NBA status, but the workload is unsustainable. In a recent double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Maxey logged a staggering 52 minutes, playing the role of a hardened veteran alongside rookies like Jared McCain and V.J. Edgecombe. While Maxey’s brilliance provides a glimmer of hope, asking him to carry a max-contract payroll hampered by inactive stars is a recipe for burnout, not banners.
With a grueling schedule ahead—including matchups against the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks—the Sixers are teetering. The talent is undeniable, but in the modern NBA, availability is the most important ability. Unless Embiid and George can defy their injury histories and remain active for a postseason run, Philadelphia risks remaining in basketball purgatory: too talented to rebuild, but too fragile to win.
At the heart of the anxiety is the availability—or lack thereof—of Joel Embiid and Paul George. Embiid, now 31, continues to manage a "sore right knee" that has limited him to just a handful of appearances this season. His reluctance to discuss the injury after games speaks volumes about the frustration mounting within the organization. Beside him, the 35-year-old George has spent much of his Sixers tenure battling his own attrition, recently seen pulling a sleeve over his left leg to manage recovery. The duo’s inability to stay on the floor together has reduced the team’s chemistry to a theoretical concept rather than an on-court reality.
The burden of this fragility has fallen squarely on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey. The 25-year-old guard has been nothing short of spectacular, surging toward All-NBA status, but the workload is unsustainable. In a recent double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Maxey logged a staggering 52 minutes, playing the role of a hardened veteran alongside rookies like Jared McCain and V.J. Edgecombe. While Maxey’s brilliance provides a glimmer of hope, asking him to carry a max-contract payroll hampered by inactive stars is a recipe for burnout, not banners.
With a grueling schedule ahead—including matchups against the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks—the Sixers are teetering. The talent is undeniable, but in the modern NBA, availability is the most important ability. Unless Embiid and George can defy their injury histories and remain active for a postseason run, Philadelphia risks remaining in basketball purgatory: too talented to rebuild, but too fragile to win.
