Liberty Ballers’ 2024-25 season predictions

The regular season is upon us. The crew here at Liberty Ballers have their predictions for the Sixers and the NBA in 2024-25.

The 2024-25 NBA season is upon us, and with it comes another brand new iteration of this Sixers squad built around Joel Embiid — whenever he’s ready to play. After adding nine-time All-Star Paul George to their roster in free agency, there is quite a lot of hype surrounding this year’s squad.

And with that hype, expectations follow. The Sixers are under more pressure than ever to break through their second round barrier and make a meaningful playoff run.

With what many are calling the best roster of the Embiid era, I asked the LB staff what they make of this year’s squad and what to expect.

An annoying caveat before we can get underway is that most of these questions were asked and answered before Embiid and George were ruled out for the opener.

How many games will the Sixers win and which seed will they get?

Harrison Grimm: Last season, the Sixers won 47 games — and that was largely without Embiid for most of the season. I expect them to comfortably win 50 games, with their ceiling likely in the high 50s. Aside from George being a major addition, Andre Drummond should give them a huge boost in the regular season when Embiid sits that they simply did not have last year. Assuming there aren’t major injuries, and I think 55 wins is around where I’d expect them to finish.

If I had to guess seeding, I’d say they should finish top three in the Eastern Conference. I don’t think they’ll surpass the Boston Celtics’ regular season win total — as they have the benefit of built chemistry and less roster turnover — but they should be neck and neck with the New York Knicks for the two/three seed.

I’ll give the Sixers the edge here based off of top-tier talent, and how the New York Knicks have to figure out chemistry with Julius Randle returning along with Mikal Bridges. It will take some time for Paul George to develop chemistry in Philly, but things should come along faster as his skillset as an off-ball shooter should help things early on.

Erin Grugan: If everyone stays relatively healthy, there’s no reason this team can’t win over 50 games and have a real shot at the two-seed behind the Boston Celtics. For the sake of making a precise prediction I can laugh at later when it all goes horribly wrong somehow, let’s say 52 wins.

Seth Gupwell: I think they’ll finish with 49 wins. They had 47 last year and added PG and pieces that fit on paper. The six seed should be the bare minimum goal just to avoid the play-in and get some extra rest. I see them ending with the five seed purely because of the rest Embiid and PG are set to have this season. Celtics, Knicks, Cavs and one of Indiana, Orlando, or Milwaukee finish above them.

Paul Hudrick: I’ll say 50 wins on the dot. The Sixers won 47 games last season. Imagine what that total could’ve been if they had Drummond in the fold for the games Embiid missed. Well, no more imagining — Drummond is here to fix a perpetual mess at the backup center spot. As for seeding, I would say no worse than the three seed. The Celtics are the class of the conference (yuck). After that, it’s pretty wide open with a bunch of young teams that are coming.

Does Embiid average o/u 30 points this season and why?

HG: Last year we saw Embiid’s best scoring season ever, averaging north of 35 points per game. Part of this was due to a lack of scoring punch with the James Harden fiasco, but nobody in the league could stop Embiid. If I had to guess his scoring average, I’d probably say slightly over the 30-point line. He’ll be asked to do less this year — which is a good thing long-term — but Paul George and other new additions should cut a bit of his usage and shot attempts down compared to last year.

EG: I think he will average under 30 points this season, and, frankly, it’s what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping with the addition of George, continued development of Maxey and the supporting cast around the trio takes some of that pressure off Embiid to put up 40 every night. I want to see more of Embiid sinking elbow jumpers and less of him taking a beating down in the post.

SG: I’d say 30 points per game is bang on for Embiid. I would lean slightly under (for the record, I’ll go 29.7) because of the PG addition and I’m very high on Maxey this season. Prioritizing Embiid’s postseason is more than just resting games, its also about a more efficient workload: let Maxey and PG cook more. Embiid is so dominant that even a step back in the offensive hierarchy can lead to 30 points a night.

PH: I’m going to say comfortably under 30. Crazy, right? I just think there’s been an attitudinal shift with Embiid. He genuinely trusts Maxey and George — something that could not be said about most of his co-stars. The bold prediction here is that Maxey is the one that pushes his scoring average close to 30 this season.

How do you think Paul George will acclimate next to Embiid and Maxey? What growing pains (if any) do you expect?

HG: As stated earlier, George’s off-ball shooting ability should drastically help production from the Big 3 early on. I imagine there will be growing pains in the sense that you have three great players capable of creating and making their own shots. Figuring out who defers to who when will be a test early on for the Sixers.

EG: I desperately hope I’m right on this but I think it will be relatively smooth because I don’t think the offensive plan changes that much with him. You still have Maxey commanding the offense and Embiid looking to get open in or near the paint. Now, you just have an actually-competent player outside the arc waiting to shoot it from outside, spacing out the entire floor. Any time a team’s composition changes this much in an offseason, there’s going to be some growing pains. Honestly though, I don’t expect them to be a “playing together” issue and more an issue of managing the rotation and making sure the bench units can at the very least mitigate damage until the starters are back on the floor.

SG: PG is one of the premiere plug-and-play stars in the league. He’s effective off-ball and can break down a defense at the end of the shot clock. He’s the best third option in the league and should feast on teams when they collapse on Maxey and Embiid.

If there are growing pains, they’ll come if he misses extended periods of time and never gains enough play time to acclimate with the roster.

PH: I’m actually expecting little growing pains offensively. George is such a scalable star, capable of playing on or off ball and adapting his role to the team’s needs. There will definitely be little nuances to work out, but the trio complement each other perfectly. As a team, I do worry defensively. Nick Nurse is a mad scientist and is going to throw out exotic looks that will require exceptional communication and guys being where they’re supposed to be.

How many All-Stars will the Sixers have this season?

HG: I think we’ll see a step back in George’s season production, given age, situation and talent on the roster. Therefore I’d expect two All-Stars from the Sixers: Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Though, I could see George making it as a legacy type of vote if the Sixers are the first seed in the conference and dominating early on.

EG: Three. Guess who.

SG: I think Maxey and Embiid are selected as All-Stars, but only Maxey plays in the game.

PH: Embiid and Maxey are locks. I could see PG getting in there too though. He’s established, and if he gets off to a good start, he will undoubtedly get plenty of national attention for it.

Which incoming Sixer not named Paul George will have the biggest impact?

HG: I want to say Caleb Martin, just because he’s truly a Swiss army knife-type of player who brings a blend of many things. However, I think it will be Drummond. The Sixers didn’t have an innings-eater last year in the regular season and it cost them plenty of games. We’ve seen Drummond thrive and produce when given time, and he certainly raises the Sixers’ regular season floor by a considerable amount.

EG: I want to say Drummond. Hear me out. The Sixers’ backup center situation has been questionable to say the least over the last few years. I couldn’t tell you the amount of times the Sixers blew a lead or fell completely out of reach of an opponent when Embiid was on the bench. Drummond should be a lot more equipped to eat those minutes without Embiid on the floor with his capability to score some points and rebound, limiting the opponent’s offensive rebounding that plagued the Sixers’ last year.

SG: With the rest Embiid is set to have, Drummond is going to play a lot this season. Embiid-less minutes sucked last year, largely because of the rebounding issues. We know Drummond can fix that problem. If he can set screens, finish plays and protect the rim half as well as he can rebound, the team will be a top four seed. Yabusele and Martin are intriguing but Drummond will have the biggest shoes to fill of the incoming players.

PH: I’ll keep the trendy pick going and say Drummond … for the regular season. Drummond will make games without Embiid competitive and make sure the second unit doesn’t hemorrhage points. When the lights get bright, I’ll say Caleb Martin. Martin is a playoff riser, the type of player the Sixers have lacked in years past. His versatility will be a huge plus.

Which Sixer do you think could surprise people this season?

HG: I must go with Guerschon Yabusele here. He had a dominant Olympic run, sure, but a lot of NBA fans typically tune out basketball during that time. Yabusele’s skillset is desperately needed on this roster, and if he’s able to maintain his improved three-point shot he’ll go from a late offseason addition to a potential starter.

EG: Ricky Council IV. He took a few unexpected opportunities to have a bigger role with the Sixers ravaged by injuries last season and looked damn good. I’m not sure how prominent he’ll be in the rotation this season but I think he has the potential for more standout moments if he’s given the chance.

SG: Can I say Maxey? I see an All-NBA path for him this season and think, with Embiid and PG’s rest, he’ll be the team’s MVP this season. He’s looked incredible this preseason: a quicker, deeper jumpshot and smarter, faster passes to teammates. He’s an instant advantage creator with a slice of space and will have the ball in his hands a lot. Sixers fans may not be surpised, but he’ll put the wider NBA fanbase on notice.

PH: Two outside-the-box picks: KJ Martin and Jared McCain. Martin was basically signed as a human trade exception, but he’s impressed during camp and the preseason. He looks more comfortable and confident. The jumper looks better. If he’s a willing shooter, his other skills should fit nicely into this group.

McCain is going to play some games this season. The Sixers’ guard rotation is old — no other way to put it. There will be nights when McCain can get some run. I believe the 20-year-old could help them win a game or two this season.

Besides the Celtics, what team in the East scares you the most?

HG: The New York Knicks are the obvious choice here — they’re deep, Jalen Brunson is a superstar, and they’ve only gotten better. However, I’ll bring up the Orlando Magic in regard to an intimidating matchup. Sure, they lack experience and scoring but they are a big, physical and athletic team that would be an annoying first-round series at minimum. Nobody can stop Joel Embiid, but they have several lengthy, big bodies they could throw at him to tire him out.

EG: The Knicks, and it’s because I genuinely have no idea what to expect from them. They lost a big piece n Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson is hurt, but gained a player like Karl-Anthony Towns. But as we’ve seen in Philadelphia time and time again, just adding in another star doesn’t always guarantee success. I won’t give you any hot takes because I genuinely have no clue if I believe they’ll end up with 55 wins or 40 or what have you. That’s what scares me.

SG: It’s New York or Cleveland. The Knicks have elite floor spacing combined with the best wing defense duo in the league. Embiid chasing KAT on defense and being swarmed on offense isn’t fun to think about. If Mobley takes the leap he’s prophesied to than the Cavs are scary as is, but could upgrade their roster further with a Jarrett Allen trade. The Sixers perimeter defense is a weak point and Donovan Mitchell could exploit that. I think Philly beats them in a series, but it wouldn’t be easy.

PH: As a whole, I think the East is going to be sooo much better this season. The Knicks made all-in blockbuster moves and already have an MVP candidate in Brunson. The Bucks are in Year 2 of Giannis and Dame. The Cavs, Magic and Pacers are all coming. The Heat cannot be killed. The Celtics, for as dominant as they were last season, got a soft path to the Finals because so many big injuries occurred. If the stars in the East stay healthy, it’s going to be damn competitive.

Finish the sentence: to break through to the ECF and beyond this season, the Sixers will have to …

HG: Beat the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. It’s simple, but the truth. There’s a small chance that the Sixers actually get the one seed, and if that’s the case they’ll have to go through at least one of these ‘juggernauts’ just to see the conference finals. All of this can obviously be avoided, but the Sixers typically don’t finish with the best record in the East, apart from the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

EG: Stay healthy. If the four knees of Joel Embiid and Paul George can hold up, and if Tyrese Maxey can stay on the floor, they have a damn good shot. But that’s a big “if”.

SG: The Sixers will have to avoid the play-in, have an All-NBA season from Maxey and a rested one for Embiid, and win a game six or seven against New York or Cleveland.

PH: Stay healthy (not off to a great start!), get an All-NBA season from Maxey and nail whatever trade deadline move they make with all their draft assets.