CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers had a miserable 2024-25 season as injuries ravaged any chance they had at winning. They had a vision of having success after bringing in Paul George, Andre Drummond, and a slew of other proven veterans in this league.
Instead, injuries destroyed any chance they had as they started 3-14 and were never able to recover.
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As the Sixers entered 2025-26, they focused on getting younger and adding more depth in order to survive the grind of an 82-game season. While the injuries have struck the Sixers again, they have handled it much better. They are currently 16-11 while they were 10-17 in 2024-25 at this stage of the season.
“I think this year we did a really good job of just staying together despite the injuries,” Drummond explained. “I think it’s very easy to separate when things are going bad and things are just like plummeting little by little. It’s very easy to separate and kind of go into your own shell, and I think for us this year, despite the injuries, we’ve managed to still keep that bond and that cohesiveness on the court with whoever’s out there.”
The Sixers are certainly a more tight-knit group out on the floor and in the locker room. They have developed chemistry off of it through playing video games and being able to get to know each other off the court which helps them on it.
“The chemistry is starting to show game in and game out,” Drummond added. “No matter who plays and who’s in or out of the rotation. So that’s all we can ask for. It’s just the chemistry and the rest will take care of itself.”
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Drummond, who was limited to 40 games in 2024-25 due to a bothersome toe injury, has been able to learn his teammates off the floor. That helps him when it comes to the chemistry on the court as he looks to be a positive contributor to this team.
“I think, from last year to now, I think I know my teammates a little bit better,” he added. “I know their tendencies. I know what they’re going to do more times than not. More than what they think I know. It’s becoming a lot easier to be out there and understand where I need to be in my positioning and what type of game I need to bring on a nightly basis.”
The Sixers will be counting on everybody up and down the roster to get the job done in the future.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Andre Drummond reveals why Sixers have handled injuries better