The Philadelphia 76ers have lived in the shadow of “what if” for far too long. What if Joel Embiid had been healthy all along after all these years? What if the roster had held together when it mattered most? What if the Sixers had caught a break in a wide-open East?

Heading into the 2025-26 season, those questions remain, but there is also renewed belief. Philadelphia has retooled its roster with a mix of established veterans and rising stars. The blueprint is simple: keep their core healthy, and the Sixers will once again be among the conference’s most dangerous teams.

The Embiid factor

It all starts with Joel Embiid.

When healthy, the 2023 MVP remains one of the most dominant players in basketball. A 7-foot force who blends power, touch, and skill in ways few big men in history ever have, Embiid can take over a game from the post, the midrange, or even beyond the arc. He can anchor an elite defense with rim protection and physicality, while also functioning as the fulcrum of the offense.

At his best, Embiid isn’t just a top-5 player in the league. He’s arguably top-3, the kind of singular star who can tilt playoff series on his own. But the caveat has always been health. Time and again, Embiid’s postseason runs have been cut short by injuries, leaving Philadelphia to wonder how far they could have gone at full strength.

The Sixers’ entire trajectory hinges on Embiid’s body holding up. If he can stay on the floor, they’re contenders. If not, they risk fading into the middle of the pack in an unforgiving Eastern Conference.

The co-stars and the role players

For years, the Sixers searched for the right running mate for Embiid. After experiments with James Harden, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler, they may have finally found the answer in Tyrese Maxey.

The 24-year-old guard has blossomed into an All-Star caliber player, one of the league’s most explosive scoring guards with blinding speed and an ever-improving jumper. Two seasons ago, he averaged career-best numbers and announced himself as Philadelphia’s backcourt centerpiece. Injuries slowed him briefly, but now, fully healthy, Maxey is poised to build on that success.

Maxey’s ability to create his own shot and stretch defenses makes him the perfect complement to Embiid. When defenses collapse on the big man, Maxey thrives in attacking closeouts or pulling up from deep. If both stay healthy, they give the Sixers one of the best inside-out duos in the NBA.

And make no mistake: if Philadelphia is to make noise this season, Maxey will need to not just support Embiid but shoulder stretches as the lead option, particularly in moments when the big man rests.

The Sixers made one of the offseason’s splashiest moves by adding Paul George. At 35, George is no longer in his prime, but he doesn’t have to be. In fact, his age and experience could make him a perfect fit.

Rather than being asked to carry a team, George can settle into the role of one of the league’s best third options. Behind Embiid and Maxey, he provides spacing, secondary playmaking, and the ability to guard multiple positions. On nights when Maxey is off or Embiid is limited, George still has the scoring chops to step into a larger role.

If he embraces this shift and stays healthy, he could be one of the most valuable veterans in the league – the kind of player who wins playoff games with savvy, shot-making, and timely defense.

Last season, rookie guard Jared McCain gave Philadelphia fans a glimpse of the future. His confidence, shooting, and poise belied his age, and he quickly earned rotation minutes. Unfortunately, an injury cut his promising campaign short.

Now, as he works his way back from another minor setback, McCain remains an X-factor for the Sixers. If he can replicate and build on what he showed last year, Philadelphia suddenly has a young spark who can keep defenses honest and provide much-needed floor spacing.

For a team often plagued by a lack of reliable shooting in the postseason, McCain’s development could quietly swing a series.

The bigger picture ahead

The Sixers’ fate doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The Eastern Conference landscape has shifted. The Knicks are loaded and ready to chase a title, Milwaukee still has Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Miami continues to hang around.

In this environment, Philadelphia’s margin for error is slim. They don’t need to be perfect – but they do need to be healthy.

With Embiid at his peak, Maxey rising, and George easing into a defined role, the Sixers have enough firepower to contend with anyone. Add a deep rotation, a hungry young guard in McCain, some role player caveats in Kelly Oubre, rookie VJ Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Trendon Watford, among others, and a coaching staff that knows the stakes, and the recipe for success is there.

But again, it circles back to health. That word has become synonymous with the Embiid era in Philadelphia. Each season feels like a battle against the clock, with fans waiting to see if their star center can withstand the grind of an 82-game season and beyond.

For Philadelphia, the 2025-26 season isn’t about the ‘Process’ anymore. It’s about answers.

Can Embiid stay on the floor and finally deliver a postseason run worthy of his talent? Can Maxey take another leap into true superstardom? Can George flourish in his role and become the third piece that pushes the Sixers over the top? Can McCain provide that youthful burst the rotation needs?

If the answer is yes to enough of those questions, the Sixers could very well make noise in the East and perhaps beyond. If not, they risk another year lost to the cruel combination of injuries and unmet expectations.

The Sixers know what they’re up against. They’ve seen seasons crumble under the weight of injuries. They’ve seen championship windows slam shut before they were fully open.

This year feels like another chance, perhaps one of the last with this iteration of the roster. Embiid remains a generational talent, Maxey is in his prime, George is hungry to win, and McCain is eager to break out.

Health will determine everything. For Philadelphia, the question isn’t whether they can contend – it’s whether they’ll be healthy enough to show it.