The 2025 NBA season was one to forget for both the Philadelphia 76ers and star man Joel Embiid, for a myriad of reasons.
Limping to 13th place in the final season standings in the Eastern Conference was a direct representation of the struggles the club endured during the 2025 campaign.
Injuries and loss of form for key players, specifically with Joel Embiid, have quickly been identified as one of the key factors for the struggles endured by the 76ers but with the post-season well under way, the inquest has now begun as to how the Sixers completely fell off a cliff this term.
As mainstays in the Eastern Conference, many punters and sports betting sites predicted that the Philadelphia 76ers would be bang in the mix for the playoffs once again this term.
2025 is the first year since 2017 that the 76ers are not competing in the post-season shake up and many gamblers using betting apps have been taken aback by their alarming slide in form.
However, basketball, and the NBA in particular, is a cyclical competition, and all Philadelphia 76ers fans will be desperate to see their side get back on track in 2026 and beyond.
Inevitably, though, answers are always needed when results are not going well, and Joel Embiid’s performances and contributions this term have been brought into question, with his position on the roster at the 76ers looking uncertain ahead of next season.
Injury Ignominy
For all the opinions and narratives being offered around the role of Joel Embiid this season, the fact of the matter is he hasn’t been able to get enough minutes on the court to influence proceedings for Philadelphia.
Embiid has only been able to take to the court in 19 games this season, down from 39 in 2024 and over 65 in both 2022 and 2023.
In fact, this is Embiid’s lowest ever games played total by the end of a campaign, with his previous low coming back in 2017, where he only featured in 31 games.
Whether it is fitness or confidence, or more likely a combination of the two, Embiid’s numbers just haven’t lit up the NBA in the way that they have done in the past few seasons.
Averaging just over 23 points per game is Embiid’s lowest return in three full campaigns, indicative of the individual and team struggles being felt by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025.
With rebound numbers down and field goal percentages also on the slide, it is clear that Embiid hasn’t felt comfortable in the 76ers set up this season and having to tackle his injury problems has only exacerbated this for him and the team.
Poor Philadelphia
Such are the high standards that the 76ers have set in the Eastern Conference over the past decade that any finish outside the playoffs was also going to be newsworthy.
2017 was the last year that the 76ers weren’t involved in any postseason action, and with just 24 wins registered from 82 games this season, they have lacked the cutting edge and consistency that they are normally able to show.
As the main man on the roster, Joel Embiid’s absence has been continually referred to, but there are plenty of players on the books at the 76ers who have toiled this term.
Both Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been out of the team with injuries this term and with a makeshift squad often out on match days, there have been many moments where the 76ers have been poor this season.
Embiid The Enigma
Writing off any player in the NBA is never wise, but particularly in the case of Joel Embiid, a ferocious competitor who will be desperate to turn things around in Philadelphia.
Whether he will be in the roster for the 76ers in 2026 remains to be seen but provided he can return to a decent level of fitness and contribute more on court, he looks set to be a big part of any potential progress made by Philadelphia next season.
Now aged 31, Embiid feels very much in his prime as an NBA player, and his link with the 76ers and their fans remains as solid as ever, meaning if he can get back into the groove, he and Philadelphia will be a force to be reckoned with next season.
For the time being, though, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are left to reflect on a tough campaign, safe in the knowledge that the 2026 season is already on the horizon.
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