The Philadelphia 76ers were, without hesitation, the most disappointing ball club in the league in the entire 2024-25 season. Aside from probably a couple of standouts, nothing good happened to them in this campaign, and at this very juncture, their future does not look very bright, either.
As a result, the front office has to double down on establishing a sustainable plan for the franchise moving forward. A vast majority of their win-now moves last year backfired, and right now, the teams does not have much going for it when it comes to making a swift, hard pivot to hopefully get back to contention while regaining control of their future.
The team’s ceiling in the near future majorly hinges on the fate of Joel Embiid who, despite a recent knee procedure, is probably too dicey of a player to rely on as the centerpiece given his lack of availability and age. That is the status quo in Philly, although Tyrese Maxey definitely needs to make a bold statement after a down year himself.
Tyrese Maxey took a major leap as a clutch weapon for the 76ers this season
The 76ers will not be getting ay love from the media panel for awards this year, which is probably fair given how bad the on-court product was. Still, it is nice to see Maxey get some consideration for Clutch Player of the Year award, which ultimately went to New York’s Jalen Brunson.
Maxey received one third-place vote for the relatively new plum, which is actually already a feat given the All-Star’s subtle decline efficiency-wise this season. Still, he was evidently much more confident in rubber games, as his clutch scoring saved the 76ers numerous times this year.
Maxey burgeoning as a primary option in tight contests will be especially crucial for a 76ers team looking to adopt an offensive design that is less reliant on the injury-prone Embiid. This is moreso the case given that Paul George, who was expected to be the nominal secondary option, greatly declined in his first season with the 76ers.
Moving forward, it would probably be in their best interests to empower Tyrese Maxey to be the go-to guy, especiallyn in late-game situations. He is already one of the toughest players to cover one-on-one in the NBA, and him continuing to grow in that regard could raise the ceiling of this Philadelphia 76ers core, even if the team’s initial returns look poignant at best.