Without trying to sound overly cliché, defense wins championships -- an element of the game that the Philadelphia 76ers greatly struggled with throughout their 2025-26 campaign. This was just one of an endless list of issues that caused the Sixers' season to implode spectacularly, yet the front office has chosen not to address it.
Philadelphia has the luxury of boasting one of the greatest big men ever to grace a basketball court in Joel Embiid. However, for all the dominating offensive abilities that the 2023 Most Valuable Player possesses, his defensive prowess does not reach the same elite levels. Most importantly, he is rarely on the court for a long enough period to make a difference on that end of the floor due to his own fitness problems.
Of course, this is not an Embiid criticism, as he has carried this franchise for the majority of his career. Fans will aim their frustration at the door of general manager Daryl Morey, who has refused to manufacture a stable defensive foundation for the 76ers to build upon.
The 76ers' defensive rating remains a point of concern
Statistics should always be the start of a conversation, and not necessarily the end of one. Nevertheless, when your team is labeled with the fifth-worst defense in the entire NBA, alarm bells should begin to sound ferociously.
Due to the shambolic defensive showings from the Sixers, they ended the previous campaign with a defensive rating of 117.3. In comparison, the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, sat at the summit of these rankings with an outstanding score of 106.6.
Kelly Oubre Jr. exhibited traits of an impressive perimeter defender throughout the season, but Philadelphia couldn't formulate an effective plan in the paint to contain the opposition. Not only this, but the 76ers' inability to snatch defensive rebounds was enough to pour cold water on the enthusiasm of any remaining positive supporters.
Morey remains adamant that veteran Andre Drummond can be the antidote to a defensive headache that has plagued the Sixers for several years. After exercising his player-option to stay with the Sixers for a second year, Drummond will have to recapture his commanding presence around the basket that saw him average nine rebounds per game in just 17 minutes on the floor for the Chicago Bulls during the 2023/24 season.
Is this an issue that the front office will be willing to address before the NBA season commences? Or will the Philadelphia supporters have to pin their hopes on Joel Embiid staying healthy and contributing an obscene amount of points to counteract the franchise's defensive woes?