Sixers

Joel Embiid and Paul George are Showing Max Contract Flashes for the First Time this Sixers Season

By Sean Barnard

Published: Dec 17th, 2025 · 10:39 AM EST

---

The lack of expectation surrounding the Sixers has been refreshing.

For an organization in which the fan base approached recent seasons with the mentality of “Wake me up when the playoffs start,” and only judging if they could get past the second round, it almost feels as if every game matters a little more this season.

This is especially the case as the team works through its own identity struggles and figures out exactly what it is. In the early portions of the season, the clear takeaway was the influx of youthful talent. Tyrese Maxey has elevated his game again this year and has consistently put forth Herculean efforts, leading the league in minutes played. VJ Edgecombe looks like a seasoned veteran despite being just 20 years old, and he has already made notable improvement in several areas of his game. Quentin Grimes proved last season’s scoring output was not just a fluke and has been a major part of the team, and there have been flashes from players like Adem Bona, Jared McCain, Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker.

But over the past handful of games, Joel Embiid and Paul George have each shown they still have something left in the tank. It’s felt like 2022 all over again, the way there are significant point swings whenever Embiid steps off the floor while George is conclusively putting together the best stretch of his Sixers career.

Joel Embiid Outlook

The Sixers entered the season with a clearer injury management plan for Joel Embiid than has been the case throughout most of his career. They have mostly stuck to ensuring he has two rest days between each game and kept to a strict minutes limit when he has been made available. Across 11 games, Embiid is averaging 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 26.2 minutes per game. This is not up to the sky-high standard that has become the norm of his career, but is still better than what most players hit in their peak.

But Embiid showed he was able to turn back the clock a bit over the past week. In the first game without Maxey, who has missed back-to-back games with an illness, Embiid dropped 39 points along with nine rebounds against the Pacers. This marked the most points the two-time scoring champion has poured in during an NBA matchup since the 2024 playoff series against the Knicks, and most in a regular-season game since he dropped 70 against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on January 22nd, 2024.

Even more encouraging, Embiid suited up again on Sunday against the Hawks. This marks the first time all season he has played three consecutive games as well as the first time he has played two games in the span of three days. Also noteworthy, Embiid did not log more than 25:57 of game time in any of the first six games. Once he returned from the knee issue flare-up, he has clocked 30+ minutes of game action in four of the past five.

No conclusions can be fully made from Embiid’s level of play at this stage of the year. There will likely be a two steps forward, two steps back type of outlook as the season continues, as we are far from out of the woods from a health standpoint. But seeing some flashes of the Sixers’ star still possessing his first gear is extremely encouraging. How repeatable and consistently he can look like this is to be determined, but Embiid as an All-Star caliber talent is not a conversation of the past in the way it seemed to be trending.

Paul George Outlook

Similar to Embiid, the Sixers have been cautious in their approach with George. The 35-year-old also underwent offseason knee surgery after his first year in Philadelphia was limited to 41 games due to a laundry list of issues starting right when he hyperextended his knee in preseason. George has played 11 games so far this season and is averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across his 26.2 minutes. The nine-time All-Star has brought high-level defense and has shot the ball well, connecting on 43.3% from beyond the three-point arc overall and 53.8% on corner three-point attempts.

George set a Sixers career-high in the previous matchup with the Hawks, scoring 35 points along with four rebounds and shooting 7-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc. He was feeling himself and attacked as a first option at a rate that has not been seen often since coming to Philadelphia. George has now played four consecutive games for the first time this season and has played a season-high in minutes in three consecutive games. The veteran also heard quite a few chants in Atlanta about him being washed, which he had plenty to say about postgame:

Paul George fires back at people who think he’s washed

"I mean, prior to coming here, I was coming off one of my most efficient seasons. All-Star that year. I didn't see myself being washed that fast, but I knew. I knew that this league is about what you can do now, and they… pic.twitter.com/hGPkHFRckD

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 15, 2025

George may never be the true max contract player the Sixers hoped, but the level of impact he’s bringing cannot be fully ignored. Especially when sharing the floor with Edgecombe, there is an impressive level of athleticism that wreaks havoc in getting in passing lanes defensively. The metrics don’t show it just yet, but this is a huge part of the identity the Sixers are seeking to build.

The issue with George has largely been availability and not quality for most of his Sixers’ tenure. When he has been on the floor, he has been at least solid; it just has not happened at a regular enough rate. Lately, he has been much more than this, and the Sixers will hope for it to continue.

What This Means for the Sixers

The Sixers are still attempting to blend the two timelines of youthful development and for the veteran stars to have enough left in the tank for a push. The past week was a massive leap of confidence for the latter.

It’s also important to note that the leap for the two aging stars came while Maxey was sidelined with his illness. There have been individual leaps forward from each of these key players with about 18% of the season now played. For the next 72%, the goal has to be making it all work together.

It has always largely felt like a pipe dream for this iteration of the Sixers to have a chance at competing. This is a season for evaluation and sorting through what exactly the best path forward is. But with the Eastern Conference wide open, with no team firmly a contender, it starts to become easier to talk yourself back in. The Sixers currently sit in sixth place with a 14-11 record on the year. The Pistons, Knicks, Celtics, Raptors, and Magic are ahead of them in standings, while it feels nearly a certainty that they will at least qualify for a play-in seed with teams like the Wizards, Pacers, Nets, and Hornets already falling off the postseason map.

The ifs will not be answered until the season’s conclusion. But we have to accept the wins when they are put in front of us, and the Sixers have answered some questions in recent weeks. It is not the time to buy all the way back in and believe in this team to break that second-round curse just yet. But they continue to be a fun and entertaining watch with this potential postseason path looking a bit clearer than was the case a few weeks ago. Seeing the flashes of Embiid and George still possessing their top gear, with Maxey playing like a top-10 player in the sport, there is a pathway to this becoming a complete basketball team. 

For the time being, the Sixers will remain sidelined until Friday night’s matchup with the Knicks. This provides an opportunity for Embiid and George to rest their aging bodies while Maxey recovers from his illness. Assuming no surprising changers, this will also pave the path for this being just the being the third game this season in which Maxey, Embiid, and George have all suited up together. There are still plenty of hypotheticals when you break down the outlook for the Sixers. But the recent surge of production from Embiid and George should open the door to a bit more belief, and the remainder of the season will cement what the ceiling of this team could be. Maybe it is time to mentally prepare to be hurt once again after all.