This was a season to forget for the Sixers — and they’d like to do just that heading into 2025-26.
This isn’t going to be breaking a ton of news here, but the Sixers had a tough year in 2024-25. Going from a popular pick to win the conference in the preseason to trying to lose games for the final month of the season, it was frustrating for everyone involved.
A big part of the fanbase’s frustration is that there didn’t seem to be the necessary level of desperation coming from the team as they continued to spiral.
From Paul George forgetting the score in the final possession of his Sixers’ debut, to handstands in practice, to claims that it just took a bit of squinting to still see this team as a contender, it just felt like the team was not concerned enough about the disaster that was unfolding.
Another fuel of the frustration is how unclear the future suddenly looks. With health playing such a large part of what derailed this in the first place, it’s unclear if two stars on the wrong side of 30 will ever be healthy enough to take this team where it wants to go.
Addressing the media for one last time this year, the Sixers presented the best case they possibly could for turning things around next year. The whole team is excited about what Jared McCain, Justin Edwards and Adem Bona showed as rookies. George and Tyrese Maxey both feel good about where they stand in their injury recoveries, as well as being hopeful Joel Embiid can get back to some form of dominance.
As much as they tried to talk up some four-game winning streaks in December or January, or a few surprising rookies, one sentiment quickly became the theme — everyone is reeling from the mental toll this year took on them.
Maxey, who’s been a beam of positivity his whole life, gave some of his most candid answers of his entire career.
“This is going to sound bad, but the one positive I can take away is the only way we can go from here is up, honestly,” he said.
Even after being injured for the final month of the season, he needs some time off.
“I think we all need a mental break,” he said, “we need a mental reset, figure out how this franchise moves forward from this.”
Kelly Oubre, Jr. had a very similar overall thought on this season, saying, “it can’t get any worse.”
Obviously injuries are always difficult to overcome. The sheer volume of injuries that hit this team were just too much to bear. Shuffling guys in literally every night, setting the record for most unique starting lineups in a season, getting hardship exceptions to fill out the roster the last month of the season — it was a lot to process for a group that thought they’d be contenders.
“I’d say this game is 50% physical, 50% mental, so finding that balance between the two is what makes a great professional, no matter what sport you play,” Oubre said. “For me and for us, this team, it’s been a really hard teeter-totter throughout the whole year of balancing those because once your mind goes, your body goes as well.”
Take Guerschon Yabusele, who had a career renaissance in his first year back in the NBA after five years in Europe. He is sure to make himself a lot of money this summer as a result, and quickly became a fan favorite. Even he called this year a hard one for him personally.
Their points about Bona and Edwards are true. It speaks to their mentalities and work ethic that they got praised by just about the entire roster during exit interviews.
Maxey and McCain still should have bright futures ahead of them. Even George may be able to string two healthy weeks together next year, regardless of the big looming threat that is Embiid’s health.
For once though, the Sixers said what everyone has been thinking: this season sucked and better soon forgotten. Veteran Kyle Lowry put it past when asked what he’ll remember most about this season:
“I’ll try not to.”