3 Burning questions for the 76ers ahead of the 2024-25 season

The Philadelphia 76ers will tip off their season on October 23 when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. After an eventful offseason, fans around the NBA are interested in seeing how this new-look squad will fare against tougher competition. What are the biggest questions facing this team as the season approaches?

3 Burning Questions 76ers fans are curious of ahead of the 2024-25 NBA Season 

1. How quickly will Paul George mesh alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey?

Building strong team chemistry on and off the court takes time. The new-look 76ers will have to build chemistry quickly if they want to have success in the first month of the season. There are several pieces that the team brought in and that are expected to play important roles for this team, none of which are bigger than the role that Paul George is expected to play. Philly landed the biggest name in free agency and his signing is one of the primary reasons behind higher expectations in Philadelphia. 

On paper, this is a team that can compete with the best of the best in the Eastern Conference. While the health of their core players is an obvious necessity, so too is this theory of George being a perfect fit for this team. All speculations aside, the reality is that we will not know the true potential of this team until they’re on the court together. There could very well be growing pains in the early going. How long the growing pains lasts remains to be seen.

2. Who will be the starting guard alongside Tyrese Maxey?

Philadelphia brought in several new players and re-signed some from last season. What remains to be seen is where each player fits into the big picture for Nick Nurse and the 76ers. Sure, the NBA has a long regular season and everyone on the roster will get a chance to prove themselves, but should everyone be available to play, who is the Sixers starting guard next to Tyrese Maxey? Does Kelly Oubre play the position? Will Kyle Lowry start again after starting in 20 of 23 Sixers appearances last season? Eric Gordon? Reggie Jackson? Ricky Council IV? 

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see Nurse’s lineup configuration during the first few games of the season. What lineup gives the Sixers the best chance to win and how many changes will be made between games 1 and 82 remains to be seen. 

3. How will the younger players contribute?

The Sixers drafted Jared McCain (20) and Adem Bona (21) in June. In addition, Ricky Council IV is just 23 years old and looking to build upon a 2023-24 season in which he showed great flashes of potential. In terms of role players, it will be interesting to see the balance between young players and veterans like Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson. An overuse of one or the other could lead to issues. Nurse will be tasked with carving out roles for players (young and old) on this very deep team.