76ers becoming a devastating reminder of the harsh reality of a Big Three

The Philadelphia 76ers have constructed a roster that should give the Boston Celtics fits during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. More ambitiously, Daryl Morey has put together a team that has a chance to end what will soon become a 42-year championship drought.

The harsh reality of a roster that's built around a Big Three, however, is that the team has no chance to consistently win without at least two-thirds of its three-headed monster.

That unfortunate truth has defined the early stages of the 2024-25 regular season for the 76ers. Joel Embiid and Paul George have missed each of the team's first four games and could be held out of at least one leg of each of Philadelphia's 13 back-to-backs.

Tyrese Maxey has been gifted the opportunity to cut his teeth in a true No. 1 role, but the 76ers are also 1-3—3.5 games off the pace being set by the 5-0 Cleveland Cavaliers.

It's hard to get too upset about the first four games of a season, as 78 remain for Nick Nurse and company to right the ship. Once Embiid and George return, it's also fair to assume that the 76ers will be among the best teams in the NBA—reinforced by Philadelphia going 31-8 when Embiid played in 2023-24.

For as encouraging as that possibility may be, the harsh reality of an inevitably lopsided roster during the Big Three era will continue to be the black cloud over the 76ers' otherwise promising season.

Big Threes are great when healthy, but the 76ers have an injury issue

Based on their current time missed and the controversial plan for back-to-backs, the 76ers project to be without Embiid and George for at least 17 games in 2024-25. Factoring in the current record without them, that puts Philadelphia on pace for 4.25 wins—meaning they'd be 5-12 if one were to round up.

It's possible that the 76ers will be dominant when Embiid, George, and Maxey are all on the court, but those 12 losses could prove to be the difference between a top-four seed and not a single round of home-court advantage.

It's obviously possible that the 76ers will improve to the point of being better than the 5-12 projection. It's simply worth noting that the team went 16-27 when Embiid didn't play last season, and that was with a healthy Tobias Harris flanking Maxey.

In 2024-25, the 76ers could be without two of the top three players on the roster instead of just one—leaving fans in an understandable state of uncertainty.

There are silver linings to be found, including the fact that the reserves are receiving a unique opportunity to establish a prominent place in the rotation. Philadelphia has yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs with Joel Embiid, however, which makes regular season seeding nothing short of essential.

To secure a top-four seed in an Eastern Conference that consists of the likes of the Cavaliers, Celtics, New York Knicks, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is simply easier said than done.

It's far too soon to ring the panic alarms. If the 76ers' current plan goes perfectly, then Embiid, George, and Maxey will all avoid potential injuries and share the court for 65 games that should consist of far more victories than losses.

The unfortunate reality facing Philadelphia for the next few seasons, however, is that their stars will need to be as healthy as possible for a top-four seed to be a possibility.