NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia 76ers entered last season with championship aspirations but fell way short. Their failure was not due to a lack of talent, but more so to injuries. No matter how you feel about Joel Embiid or even Paul George, fans of the team and the NBA never got a chance to see what they could do as a unit.
This offseason, the 76ers didn’t need to make any major moves in a way that other teams had to do to move up that pecking order. Truth be told, their core was already in place. The issue is getting and staying on the court as a whole. If they can achieve that, this is the team the rest of the league should worry about.
Throw out my fandom for a second and let’s look at the facts. Yes, they are injury-prone, but so is every other team in the league. How do you think the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, and even the Milwaukee Bucks feel? Injuries happen; the big issue is that it hits the 76ers more often than others.
But heading into the 2025-26 season, all appears to be well. And when free agency hit full swing, fans of the Philadelphia 76ers were screaming for Daryl Morey to sign any players who could lace them up. But why?
While they did finish last season with an abysmal 24-58 record, how many games did their Big 3 of Tyrese Maxey, George, and Embiid miss? Put them on the floor, and this is not even a discussion. Looking at their now-constructed roster, what happened last season could be a blessing in disguise.
The players who were brought in as limited role players had to step into the fire and produce. While their play didn’t account for many wins, the silver lining in a lost season was that they gained valuable experience in trying times.
Kelly Oubre Jr and Andre Drummond are back. Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon will add the needed veteran presence, then it’s a young man’s game with Jared McCain, Trendon Watford, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, Quentin Grimes, Johni Broome, and the 2025 No. 3 pick, VJ Edgecombe. The 76ers are a deep team and one that many are pushing under the rug as if their starting unit does not boast 3 All-Stars.
Aside from the obvious injuries to their main stars, McCain, in his rookie season, was well on his way to making it close between him and Stephon Castle for Rookie of the Year. But he’s back and healthy and adds more depth the the 76ers backcourt.
Analysts can talk about the New York Knicks and the moves the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic made, and the experience of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it’s the Philadelphia 76ers that teams in the Eastern Conference should be fearing.
But what if they get injured again? Well, that’s the same question you can ask for any team. What happens if SGA goes down? What happens if Luka, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, or Anthony Edwards catches a bad break? History is not on the side of Embiid and PG, but that’s the price you have to pay. No one knows.
But what we do know is that as of now, this team is healthy and ready to take control of the East. Stop laughing and talking shit and pay attention.
