Mike Gansey addresses the durability concerns surrounding Philadelphia’s veteran stars, emphasizing that maximizing their current roster is the key to future success
The Philadelphia 76ers’ current roster construction is easy to criticize.
Joel Embiid has major health concerns. Paul George is older, expensive, and coming off another injury-affected stretch. Tyrese Maxey is good enough to build around, but the pieces around him have not always been stable. Because of that, it is understandable why many people look at the Sixers’ veteran core and wonder whether the team is simply setting itself up for another frustrating season.
But the basketball fit is not the main issue.
When Embiid, George, and Maxey have actually shared the floor, the results have not been nearly as bad as the conversation around them suggests. New President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey pointed towards the same idea in a recent press conference.
He went on to add that he has full faith in the team's ability to play when they are at full flow. “I don't look at it as a timeline. I just look at it like we have those four and we got to maximize those 4. Obviously, VJ and Tyrese are younger, but Paul and Joel can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played.”
The question is whether those four are really the future of the franchise.
Maxey gives the Sixers speed, downhill pressure, and perimeter scoring. Embiid gives them a dominant half-court hub who can score, draw fouls, and bend defenses from the middle of the floor. George gives them size on the wing, spot-up shooting, defensive versatility, and another veteran who can make plays when the offense slows down.
That blend should work in stretches. Maxey’s quickness can loosen the floor for Embiid. Embiid’s gravity can create open threes for George. George’s ability to space and defend allows him to fit next to both without needing to dominate the ball. Add VJ Edgecombe’s dynamism, and the Sixers have enough talent to be dangerous if everyone is right.
The problem is that “if” is doing too much work.
Embiid’s body has become the central question of the franchise. He was limited to 19 games last season, underwent knee surgery, and has spent much of the last few years dealing with some form of injury management. Even when he plays, the Sixers have to ask whether he can move well enough to anchor a defense deep into the playoffs.
George brings similar concerns. He can still help when healthy, but he is entering the back end of his career and has dealt with knee issues of his own. Philadelphia cannot just assume he will play heavy minutes, defend elite wings, and provide consistent secondary scoring over a full season.
The Sixers may be good enough when the main pieces are on the court. The issue is that the NBA season is not played in theory. If Embiid and George are constantly in and out of the lineup, the Sixers will never build the chemistry needed to compete at the highest level.
That puts pressure on the front office.
Philadelphia cannot build as if Embiid and George will be available every night. It needs depth, athleticism, shooting, and players who can survive when the stars sit. Maxey and Edgecombe give the team a bridge to the future, but the veterans still determine how far this team will go.
When the stars play, there is enough talent to win games and scare good teams. The concern is whether they can stay on the court long enough for that talent to matter.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
