The Philadelphia 76ers fell to 2-12 on the season after a 111-117 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies without Ja Morant last night. They also lost Paul George after he reinjured his left knee during the third quarter. Tyrese Maxey returned from injury himself but he didn’t look 100% healthy in his 19-minute outing. With the team’s plans to load manage superstar Joel Embiid, they need to confront the harsh reality of their season.
The 76ers came into this season with championship expectations but have seen multiple things slow them down, primarily injuries across the roster. They probably knew they would see star players like Embiid and George miss games over the season, they definitely didn’t expect that to lead to a 2-12 start.
With their first-round draft pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft sitting top-6 protected with the OKC Thunder, it might give the 76ers an opportunity to boost new life into their franchise by tanking the season to ensure they keep that pick.
The 2025 Draft Class Is Very Strong At The Top
Ensuring they don’t hand a lottery pick to the OKC Thunder should be something GM Daryl Morey keeps in mind given the strength of this year’s class, especially at the top. If the 76ers have one of the three worst records in the NBA at the end of the season, they’re guaranteed a top-five pick, which means they’ll keep their pick instead of giving it to the Thunder.
Players around that range in next year’s Draft are considered some of the best NBA prospects in a long time. Potentially adding Cooper Flagg to fill their hole at power forward or adding Ace Bailey to their forward line could not only strengthen them for next season, it could secure the franchise’s future for years after George and Embiid’s primes are over.
Outside Flagg and Bailey, even playmaking guards like Nolan Traore or Dylan Harper could be phenomenal additions to the franchise next to Maxey in the backcourt. VJ Edgecombe is another prospect who could be available to the 76ers, provided they stay at the bottom of the table.
The 76ers already have the second-worst record in the NBA right now and even going below .500 over the next 10-15 games could be season-ending for them anyway. Staying the course to ensure they have their pick like Sam Hinkie would have done might be their best route forward.
Jared McCain And Tyrese Maxey Continue Developing
This season could become a year where the 76ers let their young players dictate the future of the franchise. Give McCain and Maxey the keys while the veteran stars continue prioritizing their health over results. If that leads to a 76ers turnaround naturally, they could compete for a Play-In spot or even the sixth seed, but just to get run over in the first round by a top seed.
McCain is averaging 15.6 points on 47.5% from the field and 41.0% from three in his rookie season, making a strong case to be recognized as the Rookie of the Year. McCain could lose minutes this season if everyone’s looking to compete, so giving him a greater role without winning pressures might be the best for his individual development.
Maxey has emerged as a young leader for the franchise and dealt with minor injuries this season, but he and McCain could use this time to develop a partnership that the 76ers could maximize next season. He’s still just 23 years old, so any long-term play with a talented prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft will factor in Maxey as the co-star.
If McCain also develops into becoming a foundational piece, the 76ers could easily be a terrifying team to compete against next season with Embiid and George being ready to handle a heavy load again.
Joel Embiid And Paul George Get To Come Into The 2025-26 Season Fully Healthy
Joel Embiid was the league MVP two seasons ago and was on-pace to win it again last season until he forced himself to play through nagging knee injuries until he suffered a meniscus tear in January. He forced himself to return early from that injury, picked up new injuries in the Playoffs, and then elected to play for Team USA over the summer instead of resting and recovering.
Embiid is trying to maximize rest and recovery in the middle of the season, averaging 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in four appearances this season. He had a great 35 points and 10 rebounds against the Grizzlies last night but it was still not enough to carry them to the win. He’ll need to consistently produce like that for the 76ers to have a chance this season given their overall issues, something his body can’t do.
With George re-injuring the same left knee against the Grizzlies, the 76ers will need to sideline him for the foreseeable future as George playing without being 100% opens the gateway to far more serious injury in the future. He might be out for a month or two, which would be long enough to send the 76ers deeper into their current hole, leaving no choice but to tank and save their pick.
George is averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 38.3% from the field, so he was clearly not comfortable on the court anyway after initially hurting his knee during the preseason. With Embiid and George looking to be in poor physical shape right now, shutting them down for a few months to let them recover could be enough to send the 76ers into a tankathon.
They can return later in the season on minutes restrictions to stay in game shape, but forcing them to essentially play Playoff-level basketball from now until the 76ers get their record above .500 is not realistic.
Given these facts, a tanking year is their best option.
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