The Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA 2024-25 preview arrives. Data, results from the previous season, a look at their squad and their future free agents, the objectives of the course, the player to follow and a prediction about the franchise.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Balance 2023-24: 47-35 (7th in the East; qualified for the play-in)
- Coach: Nick Nurse (2nd season on the bench)
- Top free agents in 2025: Kelly Oubre Jr. (player option); Andre Drummond (player option) and Eric Gordon (team option).
The template
- Movements in the market: signings of free agents Paul George, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, Adem Bona, Reggie Jackson and Guerschon Yabusele; and the extensions of Maxey, Oubre Jr., KJ Martin, Lowry and Embiid.
- Backcourt: Ricky Council IV, Jeff Dowtin Jr., Paul George, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Frontcourt: Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin and Guerschon Yabusele.
This is how they face the season
“This is the first time in my entire career that I am going to play with an elite center and point guard,” said Paul George in his first press conference as a Sixer.
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Paul George’s adventure in Philadelphia begins strong. A message to his former teammates and another message for Joel and Tyrese, that he has only come to contribute, that the main stars are them.
The truth is that on paper they are a great quintet, and a more than acceptable squad with the only weak point being the power forward position. At least that’s my feeling because the Sixers give me very good vibes.
Embiid, Maxey, George, Oubre Jr. and let’s say Caleb Martin as the fourth starter. This is a five-star quintet. Size, points, rebounds, experience and defense. An MVP among their ranks; one of the best exteriors of the last decade and a budding star like Maxey, who did not hesitate to take a step forward when Embiid was injured again.
Regarding the Cameroonian, we only ask for health. Health so that he can at least play 60 games and reach the playoffs safely because let’s remember that last year he was at half throttle against the Knicks, and yet he was able to dominate the paint. Imagine him with his physique at one hundred percent. Fear.
Just as I am also very afraid of that maximum salary that he has signed for almost ‘200 kilos’ for the next three years. I understand that the contract will have its fine print, and that Daryl Morey will have foreseen any unforeseen events. By the way, bravo to Morey who has done a magnificent job in the offices. And I’m not just talking about the renewals, but about all their signings, which are varied and notable.
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- Paul Georgethird star from the Clippers.
- Caleb Martinanother player from Pat Riley’s youth team.
- Eric Gordonexperience and points from Phoenix Suns.
- DrummondEmbiid’s main relief in painting (note his previous course in Chicago).
- ¡Guerschon Yabusele from Real Madrid!
- Reggie Jackson on the portal of waivers.
In addition, as he noted at the beginning of the preview, he has also closed the respective extensions of Maxey, Embiid, Oubre Jr., KJ Martin and veteran Kyle Lowry.
Maximum salary for Tyrese Maxey in case there was any doubt about his sporting future. This seems like a now or never project to me, with the bet of its three highest salaries: Embiid, the aforementioned Maxey and also Paul George, who is already 34 years old.
The mystery of Yabusele
These Sixers give me as good a feeling as Yabusele’s return to the NBA after his triumphant time in Europe. The French player has shone in the ranks of Real Madrid, and especially at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where he won the silver medal.
Now well. My doubts with him are the same as always. Too slow for the forward position and too short for the four position. But this time I do believe that he will be able to adapt to the NBA and succeed as a rotation player, and who knows if he will finally be able to start as a starter. Above all because I have a lot of confidence in Nurse’s work with this squad one hundred percent, and because as I have previously mentioned, I don’t see a permanent fixture for the four position. Unless they want to fish for the next free agent, that will be another story.
Eastern Finals
And with this team I have it very clear. Eastern Finals. That should be your goal without any excuse. As long as injuries stop Joel Embiid, that should be his aspiration at least. Get a good record in the regular season, because remember that last year they finished seventh, and from there establish a chemistry between your new Big Three and its very important secondary ones.
The player to watch
Paul George has been a personal weakness throughout his entire sporting career. He triumphed in Indiana Pacers; His time in OKC was rather discreet and not to mention in Clipperland where they were unlucky with injuries. What did you prefer to choose when signing for Philadelphia? Of course. But behind it there is also a project, stars and secondary players with which to build a future championship team.
Although it is true that he arrives a little late to the project, George is by no means up to the task. He is a player with an abundance of offensive talent, who knows how to defend and, above all, with a lot of experience under his belt. I think it is the third piece that this team was missing to think about higher levels, and with little that complements Embiid and Maxey, we have a curious (and powerful) Big Three. I give them at least two full years at one hundred percent of their capabilities.
What you have to be clear about is that to succeed, you must understand that you are no longer the team’s reference. And neither did the second. I reserve that role for Maxey. In any case, it should be the third, and on certain occasions, especially in the playoffs, where he assumes more responsibilities in terms of direction, motivation for his teammates, and why not, in the clutch of possession.
NBA Preview 2024-25 76ers, the forecast
Of course I don’t know if I’ve gone a little too far with the Sixers, but as I said, the project looks very good on paper. Especially because I trust Nick Nurse’s hand a lot up front. We already saw things for this team last year after the departure of Doc Rivers, and as I have repeated ad nauseam, if the injuries respect them, Boston, New York, or whoever, they are going to have a serious problem ahead .
Perhaps last year they choked a little in the second half of the season, finishing outside the playoff spots with 47 wins. Cleveland, Indiana and Orlando were ahead, but I don’t think this will happen again and I have them as a fixture in the Top-3 of the Eastern Conference.
Next team: Indiana Pacers.
