3. Paul George, SF
Can he sustain his outstanding shooting splits from last season?
Paul George registered career-highs in all shooting categories last season for the LA Clippers. With Embiid and Maxey now here to pull defenders farther away from him, he should theoretically be able to at least sustain those sterling shooting splits. History suggests he can, and the hope is that precedence keeps up.
2. Tyrese Maxey, PG
Is he ready to take the next step as a co-star and not just a sidekick?
Coming off his first All-Star appearance and a Most Improved Player campaign, Tyrese Maxey is widely expected to take that next step into becoming a full-fledged superstar. With Embiid now on the wrong side of the 30, he has to be comfortable taking the heavy lifting, even when the 2023 MVP is still at the peak of his powers.
1. Joel Embiid, C
Will the Olympics momentum carry on?
Embiid is coming off a splendid summer where he won gold with Team USA at the Paris Olympics. And as response to an otherwise magnificent campaign last season that was derailed by a major injury, hopefully, he can take that Olympic momentum with him and continue playing at an MVP level.