CAMDEN, N.J. — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2025-26 season, one thing’s for sure: there are no expectations for this group.
The Sixers, led by a star trio, had their eyes on a championship in the 2024-25 season. That didn’t work out as they were decimated by injuries. They then went out and got younger and more versatile in the offseason in order to better handle the grind of an 82-game season.
With that being said, all of this comes down to Joel Embiid and him being on the floor to lead this group. The 2023 MVP winner was limited to only 19 games in the 2024-25 season due to a bothersome left knee injury, but the hope is that he can come back at a high level and give the Sixers that superstar player they have grown accustomed to knowing.
“I don’t know,” Embiid pondered at media day when asked how important the upcoming season is. “I think I’m past the stage of focusing on ceilings. I think, for me, it’s taking it day by day and getting better every single day. Obviously, we know that, for us, the biggest thing is health. That’s really the biggest thing so focused on doing the right things every single day.”
Obviously, this is still a talented group the Sixers will put out there. If Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey are ready to go, there’s no telling what this group can do on a regular basis. Embiid knows that, but there’s not much reason to put championship or bust expectations on the coming season. The Sixers should focus on building everything back towards that goal at the moment.
“On the court, we have a pretty—I know it’s the same team as last year—but we got a lot of talent on the court,” Embiid added. “So, it’s all about putting it together, but you can’t put it together if everybody’s not on the same page and is not healthy so the main focus is taking it day-by-day, and just be with each other.”