When Did the Philadelphia 76ers' 2024-25 Season Hit Rock Bottom?
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Was it on November 14, 2024, when Joel Embiid, already sidelined with an injury, was suspended after a locker room altercation with a journalist? Or on February 27, 2025, when Paul George announced he was pausing his podcast to focus on a playoff push—only to undergo season-ending medical procedures a week later? Or maybe it was on March 18, 2025, when the 76ers suffered a humiliating home loss to the Eastern Conference’s worst team, the Washington Wizards, as part of an obvious late-season tanking effort?
Each of these moments could easily be considered the lowest point of Philadelphia’s disastrous campaign. Now, adding to the misery, Embiid is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week—just a month after he had already been ruled out for the season.
This is not where the 76ers expected to be in April 2025, after seven straight playoff appearances and an offseason that seemingly solidified their championship aspirations. Philadelphia extended Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, landed George—the most significant free-agent signing in years—and bolstered their depth across all positions. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave only two teams an "A" grade for their offseason: the 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Thunder have surged to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and are on track to set a league record for point differential, the 76ers have been actively trying to lose games to avoid sending Oklahoma City a valuable top-six protected draft pick in June 2025.
At the very least, the Sixers are executing their tanking strategy well. Since February 4, 2025, Philadelphia has posted the NBA’s worst record at 3-24, with a staggering -10.9 net rating.
Unfortunately, that’s about the only thing they’ve succeeded in this season. As this nightmare of a campaign nears its end, it’s time to evaluate the 76ers' monumental failure—its causes, its historical standing, and what comes next.
Superstars Who Fell Short
Philadelphia’s disastrous season begins with Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP, who played just 19 games this year and has now missed 49% of the 76ers' contests since entering the league. Embiid joins Derrick Rose as only the second MVP in the past 20 years to fail to finish in the top 10 in MVP voting two seasons after winning the award.
Simply put, nearly every MVP remains an elite superstar for at least a few years after their triumph. But not Embiid—at least based on his on-court results.
Even if he had played more, he probably wouldn’t have been in the awards race. His raw numbers and efficiency dropped—his scoring plummeted from 34.7 to 23.8 points per game, and his true shooting percentage fell from 64% to 58%—but more alarmingly, for the first time in his career, the 76ers were outscored when he was on the floor. He posted a net rating of -5.5 this season after finishing at +8 or higher over the past four years.
For years, Philadelphia’s formula was simple: dominate when Embiid played and survive when he sat. But this season, they failed at the first part. Even when their supposed "Big Three" of Embiid, George, and Maxey shared the court, the Sixers averaged just 109 points per 100 possessions—ranking in the 17th percentile leaguewide, per Cleaning the Glass.
George, in the first year of his four-year max contract that runs through age 37, struggled to stay healthy and to perform at his usual standard when available. After nine straight seasons averaging at least 21 points per game, he dropped to just 16 this year.
Despite a lower offensive workload—which, in theory, should have allowed him to be more selective—his efficiency collapsed. Last season, George shot 6% better than the NBA average; this season, he was 6% below it. Advanced stats suggest that George has been less valuable than Tobias Harris, the much-criticized forward he replaced in Philadelphia, who is now heading to the playoffs with the Detroit Pistons.
Maxey was much more productive than his All-NBA teammates, but even he took a slight step back. With Embiid and George frequently absent, he had to take on a bigger role, and while he still scored plenty, his efficiency suffered. His three-point accuracy fell from 37% to 34%, and his turnovers jumped from 1.7 per game last season to 2.4 this year. It seems Maxey has found his ceiling—he excels as a secondary star but may not be an ideal primary option for a playoff team.
Beyond individual struggles, injuries played a major role in derailing the 76ers’ season from the outset. According to Spotrac, the 76ers have lost more salary-cap dollars to injuries than any other team this year. The New Orleans Pelicans rank second on that list—and they, too, have drastically underperformed expectations.
These injuries prevented the Sixers from developing any stability in their rotations. They have used 52 different starting lineups so far, setting a new NBA record.
One of the Biggest Disappointments of the Century?
Before the season, Philadelphia had a projected win total of 50.5, according to Basketball Reference. At this point, they won’t come close to hitting that number. In fact, as their losing streak continues, they might not even reach the halfway mark.
If the 76ers lose out and finish with 23 wins, they’ll fall 27.5 wins short of their preseason expectation; if they match their current BPI projection of 24 wins, they’ll still be 26.5 wins short.
The biggest underachiever of the century remains the 2007-08 Miami Heat, who lost Dwyane Wade to injury, traded Shaquille O’Neal, and tanked down the stretch, finishing 15-67 in what was Pat Riley’s worst and final season as a head coach.
Second on the list are the 2019-20 Golden State Warriors, who collapsed after five straight Finals appearances. Kevin Durant had left for Brooklyn, Klay Thompson missed the entire season, and Stephen Curry played only five games. Rookie Eric Paschall ended up leading the team in total points.
But those teams weren’t expected to be as good as this year’s 76ers. When narrowing the list to teams with a preseason over/under of at least 50 wins, Philadelphia becomes the biggest disappointment ever—eclipsing the 2021-22 Lakers (who had a 52.5 over/under but finished 33-49).
The Sixers were projected to have a top-six record this year. Instead, they are desperately trying to finish in the bottom six to keep their draft pick. Given the contrast between preseason hype and their eventual collapse, one could argue that this is the most disappointing team of the 21st century.
What’s Next After This Failure?
And yet—believe it or not—there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
History suggests that teams that massively underperform expectations often rebound quickly. This aligns with Bill James’ "Plexiglass Principle"—the idea that teams that fall far below projections tend to bounce back.
The 2007-08 Heat collapsed but reached the Finals three years later thanks to Wade and two high-profile free-agent signings in LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The 2019-20 Warriors bounced back and won a championship two years later. The 2021-22 Lakers flopped but reached the Western Conference Finals the following season.
If Embiid can return to form, and with young talent like Maxey, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes—along with a potential top-five pick in June 2025—Philadelphia might have a path back to contention.
Their foundation may be shakier than it has been since "The Process" years, but history suggests that even a historically disappointing season doesn’t have to define a franchise’s future.