October 30, 2024
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Tyrese Maxey continues to lead the charge for the Sixers as the team awaits the season debuts of Joel Embiid and Paul George.
It goes without saying that the opening week of Sixers basketball did not spark excitement. The team's 1-2 start in the first week of the season with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined -- and plenty of injury updates during that time, particularly regarding Embiid's mysterious situation -- has caused frustration.
From a national perspective, everyone is awaiting the Sixers' two stars to make their season debuts. In the meantime, the team's standing across power rankings has suffered. Let's get into this week's batch of power rankings:
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Writer John Schuhmann identifies a harrowing stat about the Sixers' struggles without Embiid -- not just in the young 2024-25 season, but over Embiid's entire career:
"This is the eighth season since the Sixers became a playoff team. Over that stretch (and including playoffs), they’re 304-158 (.658) with Embiid and now 79-85 (.482) without him."
Of course, the Sixers hope to offset Embiid's missed time in part thanks to George, a nine-time All-Star whose left knee bone bruise has prevented him from stepping on the court in a regular season game. Another player who the Sixers hope will help them survive time without Embiid has had a strong start to the season...
ESPN analysts partaking in this exercise were asked to highlight one newcomer who has made an impact for each team. Writer Tim Bontemps highlighted the early contributions of the Sixers' returning veteran backup center:
"Andre Drummond came to Philadelphia this summer knowing that he would get plenty of playing time as the primary backup for Joel Embiid. And now, with Embiid's continued absence with a knee injury, it turns out Drummond instantly has all the time he could ask for. The 13-year veteran is averaging 10 points and 13 rebounds through Philadelphia's first three games."
The stability that comes with Drummond's dominance on the glass is particularly beneficial for a Sixers team which was often bullied on the boards during their first-round playoff series loss to the New York Knicks last season.
Whenever Embiid and George are both sidelined, the Sixers will need Maxey to be in absolute peak form. There is no doubt that for the first two games of 2024-25, he was not that. But on Sunday in Indiana, his stellar 45-point outburst in a thrilling overtime victory for the Sixers signaled a breakout. Stephen Noh writes:
"The Sixers aren't a good team without Joel Embiid and Paul George... Tyrese Maxey has struggled trying to carry Philly through Embiid and George's absence, shooting just 34.9 percent from the field. He finally had a good game on Sunday, scoring 45 to help them beat the Pacers."
On several occasions, Maxey has spoken at length about how valuable his experiences last season will be for him moving forward. When Embiid suffered a meniscus injury that forced him to miss two months of action, Maxey became the team's primary scoring option. As a result, Maxey had to learn how to be effective when defenses are centering their defensive plans around stopping him.
Writer Law Murray presents "The Big Question" for each team, for the Sixers, you can easily guess it: When will Joel Embiid play?
"I guess we can add Paul George to this after he missed Week 1 with a knee bone bruise, but it all begins and ends with Embiid after what has been a rocky 2024."
Murray is exactly right: none of what the Sixers have created around Embiid matters if the former NBA MVP is not on the floor himself.
Instant observations after each Sixers game
Bucks 124, Sixers 109 | Sixers 107, Raptors 115 | Sixers 118, Pacers 114 (OT)
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