Injuries have been a difficult hurdle for the Philadelphia 76ers over the past two seasons. The 2024-25 campaign saw Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all have their seasons cut short due to injury issues. Of course, they shouldn’t stop us from approaching the upcoming campaign with a level of cautious optimism, but it does mean that there could be minutes up for grabs within the rotation.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who was speaking via an August 15 edition of ESPN’s “NBA Today,” the Sixers’ young guard trio of Maxey, Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe could be ready to step into the limelight if the injury bug continues to haunt the franchise’s star veterans this season.
“I’ll say this. All the videos I see, all the word I get out of Philly is that Tyrese Maxey, and McCain, and the younger guys in VJ Edgecombe, they’ve all been in the gym all summer long,” Shelburne said. “Embiid, Paul George miss a lot of time last year. That young group, they may not wait. They may not be able to wait.”
There’s no denying that a healthy George and Embiid is the ideal scenario for the Sixers. If both veterans are at or near their best, then Philadelphia will be a contending team. However, if that outcome fails to materialize, the young trio of guards should be more than capable of stepping up and giving the fanbase a season to be excited about.
For now, Sixers fans will need to wait and see what version of the team they’re going to get. Both Embiid and George are recovering from offseason surgeries. Still, with three hungry young talents ready to shoulder a bigger burden, Nick Nurse’s roster will likely enjoy a stronger run than in the 2024-25, and that in itself is a win.