2024-2025 Sixers Season

[xogfog]

The Knicks are addressing their one real weakness, center, by making a blockbuster trade sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. Not sure how the Villanova connection on the Knicks will like losing DiVincenzo, but this probably makes them the 2nd best team in the East.

[phillychuck]

Reports from media day and the first day of practice include Yabusele among players who stood out. Right now the depth looks like:

Starters:
Maxey
Oubre
George
C.Martin
Embiid

Rotation locks:
Lowry
Gordon
Drummond

Competing for rotation time:
Yabusele
Jackson
Council IV

Deep bench:
Bona
McCain
KJ Martin
Dowtin
Quinones

Delaware bound:
Mintz
Tucker
Fielder
Mobley

Right now one weakness looks to be the age of the first guys off the bench, the "rotation locks". It would be great if Council IV and Yabusele could move into that group just for energy/toughness reasons. Also, it's going to be hard to find time for Gordon+Lowry+Jackson...that's a lot of small guards.

[bkeich]

To me we have a huge weakness. Rebounding. We are counting on Embiid (or Drummond when he is in) to hold off all of the other teams efforts on the boards. If you count Caleb Martin a PF (which he is not) he will lose to the other teams PF on the boards. George is a good rebounder for a SF, but he is old and if he has to help a lot on the boards he will wear down. Our guards are smallish.

I fear this is going to be our biggest problem, one that will have to be addressed at the trade deadline.z

[VoteForKalas]

To me we have a huge weakness. Rebounding.

Agreed, and it has been for years now.

[xogfog]

Rebounding would be better if a tired Embiid would not settle for 3's and crash the boards.

[bkeich]

The window on Embiid is not much longer. Hopefully we get 50 games out of him and the playoffs, but it is really hard to imagine.

I appreciate his effort in losing weight, but he wasn’t overweight. I wonder if he will have trouble with “rough play”

Sadly every team knows his knees are fragile. They might not doing anything intentional in the season, but pretty much guarantee they will in the playoffs if he is dominating.

76ers' Embiid (knee) out for rest of preseason

[bigegypt0417]

Embiid saying he may never play in back to back games again seems to me to be a logical step but also one that makes me hope they have a plan on what to do on those nights...

[Docs]

they should turn the regular season over to maxey. he seems to play with unlimited energy and does not play the physical kind of game that beat up Iverson (i think).

[bkeich]

they should turn the regular season over to maxey. he seems to play with unlimited energy and does not play the physical kind of game that beat up Iverson (i think).

It isn’t a terrible idea, I just worry that Embiid can’t “turn it on” suddenly for the playoffs. They have to try something, how many years of Embiid and the problem remains exactly the same.

Try it. Limit his minutes, lose some winnable games and hope Maxey can win 50. George probably isn’t far behind Embiid needing to have his effort monitored.

I guess it is a good problem to have.

[flyers19rw]

In the NBA all that matters are the playoffs. Get in and then roll with what you have. Seeding doesn't matter as much as health.

[phillychuck]

Opening Roster
C = ~(knee)Joel Embiid (30), Andre Drummond (31), Adem Bona (21)
F/C = Guerschon Yabusele (28)
F = ~(knee bruise)Paul George (34), Caleb Martin (29), KJ Martin (23)
G/F = Kelly Oubre Jr (28), Ricky Council IV (23)
G = ~(thumb bruise)Tyrese Maxey (23), Eric Gordon (35), Kyle Lowry (38), Reggie Jackson (34), ~(lung bruise)Jared McCain (20)

---

G/F Justin Edwards (20) (Two-Way)
G Lester Quinones (23) (Two-Way)
G Jeff Dowtin (27) (Two-Way)

~ = injured/dinged-up to start the year

It's an old team but talented enough to go all the way if they stay relatively healthy. I can't wait to see Maxey, Embiid, and George playing together. Might be a little while, though, with all three recovering from various injuries.

After pre-season:

Starters:
Maxey
Oubre
George
C.Martin
Embiid

Rotation locks:
Lowry
Gordon
Drummond

Competing for rotation time:
Yabusele
Jackson
KJ Martin

Rotation fringe:
McCain
Council IV

Deep bench:
Bona
Dowtin
Quinones

[jimbomill]

if they stay relatively healthy.

Embiid and George are already dinged up. It is going to be a long season, I fear.

[phillychuck]

I think they can deal with "dinged-up". Their depth is pretty good, even though it's also pretty old. Stay away from actually injured, though.

[jimbomill]

also pretty old

aye - Lowry, Jackson and Gordon do help make up an aging team. Basketball is still, to me, a young man's game. By young I mean under 30 .... or at least under 32 if a special athlete/baller.

[zambonir]

It should be a fun season but hard not to expect the disappointment of one or both of Joel and George not being healthy enough at some point in the playoffs.

And in the end they had to make this big splash merely to stay in Eastern Conference mix. Not sure it's gotten any easier to get past the second round, but of course the one thing is related to the other. Be fully healthy and get the right bracket and you never know.

[bigegypt0417]

Paul and Embiid out for the opener...should be fun.

lol

[phillychuck]

I'm fine with Embiid being out, but I don't understand it. He played in the Olympics, did not have a setback in between, and now he's not OK to play in the opener? I wonder if the Sixers will be honest about the reasoning?

Anyway, here are my guesses as to the rotation

Starters
Maxey
Gordon
Oubre
KJ Martin
Drummond

Rotation subs
Lowry
Jackson
Council
C Martin
Yabusele

Will Nurse go 10-deep tonight? Who defends Giannis? Sixers are 2.5 point favorites..what side do you bet?

[bkeich]

I suspect they are trying a completely different approach with Embiid. First he supposedly lost alot of weight, I think they are probably looking at soft injuries all year to keep him somewhere around 30 games and then hope to get him playing during the playoffs. With 10 games left in the season I suspect he will miraculously be cured of his ills. It didnt work last year, but honestly it is the only thing to try. We know he cant hold up all season.

George, same plan, lesser degree. Maybe 50 games at most.

Can Maxey get a #6 seed and not have to do a play in? It is going to be tough with the guys he has around him, not much (no?) offense at all. Oubre is really the next best offensive player.

[zambonir]

It seems like "left knee injury management" is just code for "load management."

[phillychuck]

I would put a boatload of money on the "over" if Embiid's over/under were at 30 games. I think the casino odds are 52 or 53 games depending on the place. If you really think 30 is likely get some big bucks down NOW!

I don't think they are load managing him now, I think they are being super cautious figuring he will be closer to 100% pretty soon. I think he was close to a 50/50 decision for tomorrow.

Nurse was not happy about being asked to explain today.