The 76ers won only 5 of their last 36 games! George is confident that he can win the championship in the future Embiid was absent from the closing game

On April 14, Beijing time, after one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history, George and Maxey said they believe the Philadelphia 76ers can still achieve their far unattainable championship dream this season.

"I do think so," George said before the 76ers lost 102-122 at home to the Chicago Bulls and ended the 2024-25 season dismally, "and I think with the staffing we have, we can find some young talent to help us......I think in the future we can be a team that has the quality to compete for the championship。”

Maxi said: "One of the positive things I get from this is that from now on, we're only going to get better. ”

It's been a tough season for the 76ers. They have won just 24 games, the joint-seventh fewest wins in the 76-year history of the 1994-1995 season.

In their last 36 matches, their record has been miserable, with just 5 wins and 31 losses. In the two-and-a-half-month period, the 76ers have the potential to achieve something that was once unimaginable: keep their top-six first-round picks protected.

However, that possibility doesn't make the losses of the past few months any easier for the 76ers to accept. George hasn't played since March 5 and was officially declared out for the season on March 18 after injections to his left adductor and left knee.

George, who will turn 35 next month, signed a four-year, $212 million max contract with the 76ers last summer. The signing was supposed to make Philadelphia truly capable of competing for a championship, but he has been one of many disappointing factors for Philadelphia this season.

He played in just 41 games, down from 74 last season, averaging 16.2 points per game, the lowest in nearly a decade and more than five points less than a decade ago. That's just over six points per game from his past two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, when he was named to the All-Star team.

"To be honest, this has been one of the toughest seasons for me," said George, a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-Star selection, "and there were a lot of struggles on and off the court, and injuries I didn't realize...... It's frustrating. ”

Maxey rose to prominence last season, averaging 25.9 points per game, being named an All-Star for the first time and winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award. But his performances have slipped this season. While his points per game average improved (26.3 points), his shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 43.7 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three-point range, his lowest average since his rookie season.

The talented 24-year-old was officially declared out for the season last Thursday with a sprained finger in his right hand. He said that to recover from this season's defeat and return to the championship next season, it will take the joint efforts of all members.

"The roster on paper...... It looks good, it does," Maxi said, "and I think we've seen the best form we can achieve this year. There weren't many times like that, but there were a few moments when we played with all our strength and we did really well. We found the right rotation and knew who to give the ball to, how to get it to them, everybody got a shot and everybody was in good shape.

"So, our potential is limitless. That's what I want to say. But we have to work hard from the start and not start until the middle of the season...... Today is our last game of the season. From the moment everyone decides to start training again, our journey for next season begins, both individually and as a team. We have to take it seriously, I'm sure we will, and I have a lot of confidence in the management and the senior leadership and my team-mates. ”

Whether the 76ers can make the jump up the rankings next season may also depend on whether Flagg or other top rookies end up joining Philadelphia if they retain their protected draft picks. It also depends in part on the health of Embiid, the team's other star. Last Saturday, the team announced that Embiid had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee that had been bothering him at the New York Special Surgery Hospital. It is reported that he has a recovery appointment, so after Monday's game,Embiid is the only player who hasn't been interviewed as planned。 A left knee injury has seen Embiid play in just 19 games this season;This season, the three stars have played just 15 games together (with just 294 minutes of playing at the same time).

"It's terrible," Maxey said of Embiid's injury struggling this season, "it's really bad, bro, because at the end of the day, Embiid is the kind of guy who really wants to play." So to see him suffer, to see him try to play but not be able to show his true self...... You can feel it clearly. Sometimes I pass the ball to him, I've been in the team the longest time, I've seen him do so many great performances, and sometimes I pass the ball to him and I think he's going to do a great job, but I guess he just can't do it, he's limited physically. ”

"So hopefully everything goes well with the surgery and he gets back to the Embiid we know and love. To be honest, I hope so, because it will make him feel so much better. ”

Whatever the future holds, Monday's race finally capped off a terrible season. Over the course of the season, the 76ers have failed to put all the factors together as expected.

"To be honest, I feel like we've been struggling all year," George said, "and we've been struggling to cope. One player comes in, one player leaves, and that's pretty much the cycle throughout the season. I'm very grateful to [Nick] Coach Nurse, he's really trying to pick up the pieces and keep figuring it out throughout the season. ”

"But I think there's really no consistency in terms of the squad, the staff, the people on the pitch. So, in addition to the injury factor, it can also be said that it is because of the lack of consistency in the combination of players on the field. ”