Three questions facing Philadelphia 76ers ahead of 2024-25 season

The new NBA season is right around the corner. Teams around the league will be finishing their training camp preparations and gearing up for their preseason schedule. To help get ready for the 2024-25 NBA season, we're looking at three questions each NBA team could face next season. 

Today, we have the Philadelphia 76ers, who will again enter the season contending for a championship. 

Can Paul George and Joel Embiid both stay healthy? 

The Sixers swung for the fences when signing George to a four-year, $211.5 million deal. His arrival gives Philadelphia a legitimate Big Three. However, he and Embiid have significant injury histories, which should concern the coaching staff and fanbase.

If the Sixers are going to challenge the Boston Celtics for the top of the Eastern Conference, it needs its star talents healthy and available. George missed 147 regular-season games throughout his five-year tenure with the L.A. Clippers, meaning he was unavailable for 36% of the franchise's games. 

On paper, pairing George and Embiid makes total sense, and could be the start of a fearsome partnership. That can only happen if both players avoid significant stretches on the sideline due to injury. 

Will Tyrese Maxey shine as part of a Big Three?

Maxey enjoyed a breakout season following the departure of James Harden. The 23-year-old averaged 259 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his 70 regular-season outings for Nick Nurse's team. He also shot 45% from the field, 37.3% from three-point range and 86.8% from the free-throw line.

Now that George is part of the rotation, Maxey's touches will likely decrease, and his role could begin to revolve around his playmaking rather than his scoring. It will be interesting to see how the rising star deals with that change, especially early in the year when everyone is still getting used to each other on the court. 

Can Guerschon Yabusele make an impact?

Yabusele is returning to the NBA for the first time since his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Celtics. He stood out for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics and will immediately plug a gap in the Sixers' rotation.

His impressive performance against Team USA in the gold medal game was played under FIBA rules. Yabusele must re-adjust to the American game and its physicality and pace. If Yabusele can adjust and re-create what he displayed in Paris, he will be a significant asset to Nurse's rotation. If not, his second spell in the NBA might be shorter than his first.