Sixers Finally Get Their Big Three on the Floor-Now Comes the Real Work
PHILADELPHIA - For the first time this season, the Philadelphia 76ers finally got a glimpse of the team they envisioned when they went all-in last summer. Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey shared the court together for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign, marking a long-awaited moment for a franchise that’s been waiting to see its star trio fully operational.
This wasn’t just a symbolic milestone. After signing George to a four-year, $212 million deal in the 2024 offseason, the Sixers expected to build a contender around their new core.
But last season, that trio only managed to play 18 games together-and finished just 15 of them. Sunday’s double-overtime thriller against the Atlanta Hawks was game No. 16 with all three finishing, and while it ended in a 142-134 loss, the bigger picture was clear: Philly’s stars are finally back on the floor together, and that’s the first step toward building something real.
“We just gotta keep playing,” Joel Embiid said postgame. “Keep playing with each other and keep getting better.”
That’s going to be the mantra moving forward. The Sixers are now 7-9 in games where Embiid, George, and Maxey have all played and finished.
That record might not scream "contender" just yet, but context matters. Injuries, minute restrictions, and disrupted rotations have all played a role in the bumpy start.
On Sunday, for example, Embiid was on a hard minutes cap and couldn’t play in the second overtime after hitting the 30-minute mark in the first.
Still, the takeaway from Sunday wasn’t about the final score-it was about finally seeing the pieces on the board.
For Paul George, the night was about progress. The nine-time All-Star has had a rocky start to his Sixers tenure, battling injuries and struggling to find rhythm. But the joy of simply being out there with Embiid and Maxey wasn’t lost on him.
“It was just great to get out there with those guys,” George said. “Just log minutes together.
I thought it was just a ton of excitement. Obviously, we’ve got work to do, but it was great-for how hard we’ve been trying to get healthy and be available-it was great that we were able to be out there together tonight.”
And that’s the key: availability. On paper, this trio has the firepower to compete with anyone in the East.
But getting them on the floor together consistently is the only way to build chemistry, trust, and flow. That’s especially important in a system that’s trying to emphasize ball movement and offensive balance.
Head coach Nick Nurse’s offense this season is built around sharing the rock-making sure everyone touches the ball, gets involved, and stays in rhythm. But when you’ve got a reigning MVP in Embiid and a rising star in Maxey who thrive in the pick-and-roll, it’s easy to fall back on what works.
That two-man game between Maxey and Embiid can generate quality looks almost every time down the floor. But leaning on it too heavily can stifle the development of other players-like rookie VJ Edgecombe, who’s shown flashes early in the year and deserves touches in the flow of the offense.
That’s where Maxey’s role becomes even more nuanced. He’s not just the lightning-quick scoring guard anymore.
He’s the connector. The guy who has to find the balance between feeding Embiid, keeping George involved, and making sure the offense doesn’t devolve into isolation-heavy sets.
“It’s different because, you know, [Embiid’s] still really good,” Maxey said. “We still gotta give him the ball, you know what I mean?
We also gotta run our stuff. It’s gonna come with time.”
Maxey’s not wrong. This was the first time he’s played in a game with both George and Embiid healthy and active.
For Edgecombe and several other rotation players, this was their first time sharing the floor with both stars. That lack of practice time together showed at times, especially in crunch moments, but the Sixers still put themselves in position to win.
They just couldn’t close it out.
“I think we did a good enough job to win the game,” Maxey added. “Played well. Gotta finish those out.”
That’s the next step-learning how to close games with this group. The talent is there.
The chemistry? That’s still a work in progress.
But Sunday night was a reminder of what this team could be once the pieces start clicking.
The Sixers won’t have long to dwell on the loss. They’re back in action Tuesday against the Washington Wizards. And if Embiid, George, and Maxey can keep logging minutes together, the wins-and the chemistry-should follow.