Projecting Joel Embiid, 76ers Stars' Ceilings and Floors for 2024-25 NBA Season

NBA teams seem split on the efficacy of the three-star model, but the Philadelphia 76ers are clearly big believers in it.

They tied all their hopes in this year's free agency and seemingly hit a jackpot when they managed to pry Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers.

With George now alongside former MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers may have a trio talented enough to bring the franchise its first championship since 1983.

Philadelphia's success will, by design, be determined in large part by the performance of its stars. Let's put the league's newest Big Three under the spotlight and see what could go right or wrong for each member.

Ceiling: Embiid flirts with 70 appearances, leads the Sixers to a top-two seed in the East and brings home his second MVP in three seasons.

A healthy Embiid is about as dominant as any player you'll find in the modern NBA. There might be arguments for others, but there are few nits to pick with the 30-year-old's production.

Last season, he not only averaged a career-high 34.7 points (plus 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 combined steals and blocks), but he also did so while nearing the famed 50/40/90 slash line (52.9/38.8/88.3).

The big fella's challenge is keeping himself upright and conditioned well enough to run through the proverbial tape. If he checks both boxes, the Sixers could be in line for a special season, and he might have to clear out space for another MVP trophy.

Floor: He doesn't play enough to qualify for end-of-season awards or to put Philly in position to truly challenge Boston for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Anyone remember the last time Embiid played 70 games in a season? That's actually a trick question, as the 2014 No. 3 pick has never hit that mark. It's never been a matter of if he will be injured in a season, but rather how much time he'll miss.

His absence count could easily climb into the 20s (it was 43 last season), and if it does, he'll land well shy of the 65 games required to qualify for end-of-season accolades.

Philly's top-heavy roster isn't built to withstand a lengthy Embiid absence, so if he's shelved for a significant time, the Sixers could land closer to the play-in tournament than to the conference's top seed.

Ceiling: George is a hand-in-glove fit as Philly's third star and finds the right blend of volume and efficiency to earn All-NBA honors.

Some stars shine brighter than George, but not many can match his versatility.

The 34-year-old is equally comfortable and competent serving as a primary option or a support piece. And when he's not shredding nets or finding shots for himself or his teammates, he's locking horns with some of the league's elites on the defensive end.

Moving to Philadelphia seems unlikely to help his volume—though he'll still see plenty of touches—but it could allow him to be more selective and ultimately more efficient.

If George is a 20-plus-point scorer who shoots near the 50/40/90 range, averages a decent amount more assists than assists and holds his own defensively, he might convince All-NBA voters to give him his first selection since 2020-21.

Floor: Injury problems plague George and the Sixers, and he never appears fully comfortable with the others.

A healthy George is probably an All-Star, but he isn't always healthy.

While he made 74 appearances last season, it was his first time clearing the 60-game mark since 2018-19. The time lost always hurts, but it could prove especially painful this season as he needs to establish a rhythm with Embiid and Maxey, neither of whom is a carbon copy of his previous co-stars.

If the Sixers can't get healthy enough to get on the same page, there could be a lot of your-turn, my-turn on offense.

Injuries are a concern for every club (and player), but the worries seem more significant with George, given his health history and the fact that he turned 34 in May.

Ceiling: Maxey continues pushing his production higher, this time forcing his way onto an All-NBA roster.

There will be a point when Maxey maxes out his growth, but don't bet on that happening just yet. His season-over-season stats seemingly show perpetual improvements, yet he still has another level he can reach.

In a perfect world, the 23-year-old could mix the volume he found last season (25.9 points, 6.2 assists) with the efficiency he enjoyed the two prior campaigns (48.3 percent shooting from the field, 43.1 percent from the perimeter).

The 2020 first-rounder could lose a few counting stats to accommodate for George's arrival (and a hopefully more available Embiid), but the hope is the extra help will improve Maxey's efficiency.

This past season, he was a first-time All-Star and the league's Most Improved Player. If he manages to keep trending up, All-NBA honors could be next.

Floor: He puts up numbers, but they aren't the most efficient, and the whole of Philly's offense never matches the sum of its parts.

Maxey's shooting growth has been incredible to see. In four years, he went from averaging 0.5 threes on 30.1 percent shooting to splashing 3.0 triples at a 37.3 percent clip.

It's fair to wonder whether he can maintain that efficiency, especially while trying to find his footing with a largely retooled roster.

The Kentucky product is also less of a natural playmaker than he is a scorer who can create. That could be a big distinction, as there are a lot of mouths to feed in this offense, and not everyone plays at the same speed and style.

The onus will fall on Maxey to bring this roster together, but he may not have quite the passing chops needed to solve this puzzle.