The Philadelphia 76ers, went into the 2024 offseason looking to completely reshape their roster. They accomplished that mission throughout the summer obtaining Paul George, re-signing Tyrese Maxey, and signing Caleb Martin. Furthermore, Philly added some players who have improved their second unit (Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Guerschon Yabusele). Entering this upcoming season the Sixers have one of the best rosters in the association. The hardest part will be to get all of these players to play as one unit.
3 Things the Sixers Can Do to Start the 2024-25 Season Fast
Figure Out Pecking Order
As a result of signing Paul George, Philly has created one of the most explosive scoring trios in the association. Based on their scoring averages last season, the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey combined for 82 points per game. So, if Philly can get close to that production from them this season they should be able to compete with any team. The one thing Philly’s new trio will need to figure out is the pecking order between them. While most people will say it should be game dependent. For chemistry and team unity, this needs to be worked out. To limit drama during and after the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season.
Joel Embiid should be the number one option since this roster was created to maximize his skill set. Tyrese Maxey should be the second option since he is one of the fastest-rising talents in the NBA. However, as the point guard of this roster, it will be up to him to make sure he creates scoring opportunities for his teammates. Improving as a playmaker will also be vital for Maxey to take his game to the next level. That leaves George as a third option who can be a number two or primary option on the right night.
If Embiid, Maxey, and George can figure out a way to establish the scoring pecking order on the team without creating any drama then the Sixers will be able to start the season fast and contend for a title this season.
Establish Great Team Chemistry
When superstar talents come together in the NBA the first year of their partnership is always the hardest year. This is largely because they are learning how to play with each other. If the Sixers want to avoid that trap, they will need to work extremely hard to create effective team chemistry between all of their players.
In addition, the majority of that work has to be done by the players. Their willingness to create that type of environment where they can bond on and off the court will be a huge factor in Philly’s success during this season. That type of environment can be created during the rest of the summer, through training camp in early October, and in the early part of the 2024-25 season.
Build Team Trust
The Sixers are entering this season with a really balanced roster from top to bottom. Additionally, for the Sixers to be true title contenders each player on the roster will have to trust each other.
Building trust requires each player committing to doing the little things to build that environment of trust. That requires making that extra space for a higher percentage shot, grabbing that tough rebound in the heat of battle, and communicating on the defensive end. If Philly can implement these things during the rest of the 2024 offseason then the Sixers will be in great shape to win their first championship since 1983.
