January 15, 2025
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Tyrese Maxey is having his least efficient season since his rookie campaign.
Just a few weeks ago, the Sixers seemed on the verge of turning around a horrific season which they began with just three wins in 17 games. They were climbing in the standings and power rankings thanks to renewed health from Joel Embiid. Excitement was brewing as the team's All-Star trio of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George had some runway to establish some chemistry and continuity.
Now, it feels like the team has already crashed back down to a harsh reality. Embiid has missed five consecutive games over the last 11 days with a left foot sprain which the Sixers continue to insist is a day-to-day injury, and the Sixers have dropped four of those five contests (their lone victory during this stretch came against a short-handed version of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards).
As the Sixers find themselves sliding once again, let's take the temperature of the national media's feelings about the team as their schedule heats up:
One of the more troubling aspects of the Sixers' season to date has been Maxey's inability to score the ball with high volume and efficiency. Writer John Schuhmann digs into Maxey's numbers in his fifth NBA campaign and makes some ominous points when comparing them to his prior seasons and the rest of the NBA:
"Maxey’s most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 60.5%) was the one (2022-23) when he played more than half of his minutes alongside James Harden. He’s seen big drops in efficiency in each of the two seasons since then, and his mark this season (55.0%) ranks 39th among the 43 players who’ve averaged at least 20 points per game." [NBA.com]
This is not merely a reflection of substandard performance from Maxey, but also enormously difficult circumstances which the reigning NBA Most Improved Player has had to play under. With Embiid rarely available and George toggling between injured and inefficient for much of the season, Maxey has shouldered far too significant of a workload, even for a player of his skill level.
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As writer Tim Bontemps points out, the time must be now for the Sixers to stage a turnaround. Given the nature of their schedule over the next few weeks, they cannot afford to play poorly leading up to the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline:
"The next three weeks will define Philadelphia's season... With 11 of the remaining 12 games before the trade deadline being against winning teams, which includes five back-to-back sets, a struggle here for Philadelphia could spell doom for the 76ers' chances of getting even into the play-in -- let alone the playoffs." [ESPN]
While the Sixers even struggle to put away some of the NBA's least intimidating teams, it is difficult to look at their upcoming schedule and not wonder where these much-needed wins are going to come. There are quite literally no bankable games on the docket for at least a month.
Throughout his power rankings, writer Law Murray revisits each team's preseason win total over/under figures and compares them to the team's current trajectory near the midway point of the regular season. It is jarring to recall the Sixers' win total being placed at 50.5.
"By far the most disappointing team in the East. A Bulls demolition would help the Sixers’ Play-In chances, but they need a month of decent play to aspire toward anything more than that. They simply haven’t gotten enough games out of the star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. When all three players suit up, Philadelphia is 7-3. The team makes sense with those three available. But Embiid’s health has exposed all of Philadelphia’s holes, especially offensively, where Maxey is often overwhelmed and George has struggled to score consistently." [The Athletic]
The severity of the disaster which has taken place over the last few months seems to have sunk in for most by now. But it truly is hard to believe just how poorly things have gone relative to expectation for the Sixers in 2024-25.
MORE: Diving into George's scoring struggles
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