The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Chicago Bulls 110-142 on Monday. This game sums up how Philly’s season has gone so far.
With their loss to Chicago, the Sixers have lost 8 games in a row and have fallen to a 20-37 record on the season. They are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Before the start of the 2024-25 season, Sixers fans had a reason to be optimistic. The offseason saw them sign 9-time All-Star Paul George to form a big 3 along with fellow All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
They re-signed forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who made solid contributions to the team the prior season. Oubre averaged 15.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Philadelphia also added veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond to the roster.
In the 2025 NBA Draft, the Sixers selected Duke guard Jared McCain with the 16th overall pick.
With their new trio and additions, many expected the Sixers to challenge the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics for dominance in the Eastern Conference.
Then the injury bug hit Philly. Embiid and George would both miss time with injuries to start the season. The Sixers got off to a rocky 1-7 start. Despite this, critics still expected them to right the ship once their stars got healthy.
This would never happen, as injuries would be a recurring theme throughout the season. As of Feb. 25, Philadelphia’s big 3 has only played 15 games together.
Even when their stars are healthy, Philly has failed to catch rhythm. They are 7-8 in those 15 games.
McCain was enjoying a standout rookie season before a season-ending torn meniscus. He averaged 15.3 points on 46 percent shooting through 23 games.
Aside from the injuries, many have pointed to George’s underwhelming season as a factor for the Sixers’ struggles.
In July 2024, George signed a four-year $212 million contract with the 76ers. Many feel that he has not lived up to that contract.
George is averaging 16.2 points, a 6-point drop off from his prior season with the LA Clippers. This is George’s lowest scoring season since the 2012-13 season, when he averaged 17.4 points.
He has been criticized by the media and fans for continuing with his Podcast P show, amidst the Sixers’ struggles.
The rest of the Sixers’ season can go in two completely different routes, but both depend on Embiid’s health.
Philadelphia still has a shot at making the play-in tournament, as they are currently a couple of games behind the 10th seed. With a healthy Embiid and company, the Sixers can attempt to sneak into the playoffs as the 8th seed.
However, the more realistic route sees them cutting their losses, accepting this as a failed season and focusing on the next.
The Sixers own a top 6 protected first-rounder in the 2025 NBA Draft. If they finish in the top 6 of the draft lottery, they will keep their pick. Otherwise, that pick will belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Regardless of how the season ends for the 76ers, they will have many questions to answer in the offseason.
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