The past few seasons, the Philadelphia Sixers have had some high expectations entering the season, due in large part because of the presence of Joel Embiid.
With the Sixers’ 2025-26 season tipping off Wednesday in Boston, the Sixers are ranked 19th and are projected to have 45.5 wins.
Analyst Tim Bontemps thinks the club will finish with a record of 41-41 on the season, suggesting that the team has been either really good or really bad, and that it might be time for them to be just average.
For the past 12 seasons, Philadelphia has been either terrible or very good in the regular season, either losing at least 54 games or winning at least 47 games (extrapolating shorter seasons to 82 games), with no in between. So, wouldn’t it be something if the 76ers are average in 2025-26?
The East is wide open this season. Two playoff teams from last season, Boston, are missing Jayson Tatum, and Indiana is without Tyrese Haliburton.
Youth Movement Brings New Energy to Philadelphia
The Sixers ended last season 13th in the East while having one of the oldest teams in the NBA. The team did get younger this offseason, with rookie VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in the draft, second-year player Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes, whom they added in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline.
Health Remains the Big Question for Embiid and George
When it comes to the Sixers, though, it’s always about the health of Embiid and Paul George, who they signed last offseason. George was limited to just 41 games last season, and he will miss the start of this season with a knee injury. Overall, the trio of Embiid, George and Maxey played together just 15 times last season.
The 76ers played 15 games last season in which Embiid, George and Maxey were all available, going 7-8. Philadelphia outscored its opponents by just two points in the 294 minutes all three players were on the floor together..
The Sixers need an MVP-level Embiid and a healthy George and Maxey to entertain making any sort of playoff run, but adding some of the younger talent should make them much more competitive this season.
What Will Success Look Like in 2025-26?
ESPN’s top question for the Sixers this season is about the health of Embiid.
How much will Joel Embiid play — and what will he look like when he does? That has been the dominant question in Philadelphia for years, and it is yet again after he played just 19 games last season and is coming back from yet another knee surgery. If Embiid can regain his MVP form, the 76ers could be a factor in the East. If he can’t? Well, it could be another long season in Philly.
The Sixers will kick off the 2025-26 season on Wednesday in Boston against the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. on 97.3 ESPN.
The Best Philly Athletes Age 25 or Younger
Philadelphia has some great young athletes right now, from All-Star Tyrese Maxey to two first-round draft picks on the Eagles Defensive Line (Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter). In honor of the Philly Sports Youth Movement, here is my ranking of the Top Ten Philadelphia Professional Athletes who are 25 years old or younger:
Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media