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Knicks Star Reveals Reasons for Sixers' Struggles
Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Last offseason saw the Philadelphia 76ers overhaul their roster, bringing in the likes of superstars such as Paul George, while bringing back some familiar faces like Andre Drummond, but they'd also take a risk on an international superstar in Guerschon Yabusele.

Yabusele's return to the NBA saw the Frenchman prove why he deserves a spot in the league, as he would average 11 points per game while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc. These numbers are leagues above what the 29-year-old averaged during his two seasons with the Boston Celtics eariler on in his career.

Despite Yabusele himself excelling on the court, the Sixers didn't, as they finished the season with a record of 24-58, the worst they had since the 2015-16 season. In a recent episode of the Roommates Show , Yabusele talked with his new teammates, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, about what he believes led to Philadelphia's downfall last season.

Where do injuries play a role in the Sixers' struggles?

One reason that Yabusele points to when discussing Philadelphia's lackluster season was the constant injuries that raddled the team. No one on the team was immune to the injury bug, with the likes of Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, Tyrese Maxey, and the aforementioned George, amongst others, all having their seasons cut short due to injuries.

This was something that Yabusele was quick to point out, but not being the main reason for the Sixers' woes last season.

"To be honest, because a lot of people have been asking me, I don't know what happened," explained Yabusele. "People were injured so we tried I would say, I feel like we tried."

What were the other reasons according to Yabusele?

More than the injuries, the Frenchman believes that the constant moves Philadelphia's front office made last season caused there to be some issues with the team, as he feels they should've just waited on the injured players to come back rather than introduce a whole new group of players.

"What really changed the team a little bit was, in my opinion, the trades," the former Sixer explained. "Because I feel like we were there, guys were just injured, we should've trusted a little bit more of that, and try to let the guys come back to pursue and try to get to the playoffs."

To Yabusele's point, over the course of the season, Philadelphia conducted more than a few moves, with the likes of Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler arriving through various acquisitions, while players such as KJ Martin and Reggie Jackson were sent out.

This, on top of the various free agency moves that the team made during the season, which include four ten-day contract pick-ups in March alone, made it difficult for the squad to find cohesion on the court, according to Yabusele.

"I feel like when we change that, we changed four guys, something like that. Then there's four new guys coming up, then there were a lot of guys keep getting signed for ten-day contracts," Yabusele stated. "It was hard to find the chemistry with the teammates, but other than that, I would say we tried, or at least I tried my best to give everything...

For now, the Sixers will look to continue to ramp up for the regular season with the hopes of improving on last year's struggles. While Yabusele is set to get settled into his life as a member of the New York Knicks.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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