The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a disastrous 2024-25 campaign in which several key contributors missed significant time due to injuries.
Philadelphia had high expectations going into the 2024-25 season after signing Paul George to a four-year, $211.6 million contract in July. However, injuries to George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain derailed the Sixers’ season, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
While the club will look to start the 2025-26 season healthy, there are already lingering injury concerns surrounding Embiid and George, both of whom have undergone arthroscopic knee surgery since April.
Jeff Teague questions Paul George’s impact
George underwent surgery in mid-July after injuring his knee during an offseason workout. The veteran forward also missed extended periods last season due to knee, finger and groin injuries, appearing in only 41 regular-season games.
George has played in at least 60 regular-season games just once in the past six years, and former NBA point guard Jeff Teague said on the Club 520 podcast that he believes injuries will continue to limit George’s impact.
“PG is cooked, bro… he’s one of the coldest players I’ve ever seen play basketball. He was a third option last year, bro. There’s a great chance he’s going to be hurt this year,” he said.
George’s injury history is alarming, and another lackluster season will almost certainly lead to questions surrounding the Sixers’ core. Additionally, the club selected Baylor standout V.J. Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, so George’s usage could continue to decline.
The 76ers have a potential future core in Maxey, McCain and Edgecombe. If their stars aren’t able to stay healthy and contribute to a deep playoff run, tough conversations may be unavoidable in Philadelphia.
