The Philadelphia 76ers’ nightmare season has officially reached its lowest point. As reported by Shams Charania, rising star Tyrese Maxey is expected to be ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season due to a lingering finger tendon injury.
Maxey has been sidelined since March 3 and, despite attempts to rehab the injury, continues to experience discomfort, ultimately forcing him and the team to shut things down.
This devastating news completes a brutal collapse for the Sixers, who began the season with high hopes after forming a new Big 3 of Maxey, Joel Embiid, and marquee free-agent signing Paul George. Instead of contending for a title, Philadelphia sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with a miserable 23-53 record, eliminated from playoff contention months ago.
Maxey was the bright spot of the season and the last remaining All-Star from the trio to be active. In 52 games, he posted career highs across the board—averaging 26.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game—while leading the NBA in minutes played at 37.7 per night.
His dynamic scoring, electric pace, and leadership gave Sixers fans a reason to hope. But as injuries mounted around him, Maxey carried too much of the load, and now his own body has finally broken down too.
Paul George, who was expected to bring championship pedigree and two-way excellence to the Sixers, struggled mightily with injuries of his own. The 34-year-old forward played through a litany of ailments—groin, finger, and knee injuries—often relying on painkilling injections just to suit up.
His body finally gave out in late March, and the team shut him down for the season. George finishes his first year in Philadelphia with averages of 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in just 41 games—the lowest scoring output since his second year in the league.
Then there’s Joel Embiid, whose 2024-25 campaign never really got going. The former MVP entered the season on a load management plan, avoiding back-to-backs and showing visible discomfort early on.
The knee that required surgery in early 2024 continued to give him trouble. He appeared in just 19 games, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists before being shut down for good on February 28. The Sixers confirmed that Embiid will undergo another arthroscopic procedure on the same left knee, with a re-evaluation scheduled six weeks post-operation.
All three All-Stars are now out, and the Sixers’ championship dreams have completely unraveled. What was billed as a potential title team has turned into one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments this season.
The franchise now heads into the offseason with more questions than answers—uncertainty surrounding Embiid’s long-term health, George’s fit and future, and whether Maxey can be the face of the franchise moving forward.
For now, all that remains is the wreckage of what could have been. The Sixers didn’t just miss the playoffs—they collapsed in the most brutal way imaginable.
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