Are the Philadelphia 76ers contenders next season? Former NBA guard Jeff Teague is skeptical.

Unsurprisingly, the loudest criticism surrounding the Sixers has everything to do with their health. Last season, there was no consistency, as core players were in and out of the lineup due to injuries.

This year, the Sixers are seemingly off to a bad start, as Paul George and Joel Embiid are recovering from surgery. Training camp is just weeks away, yet the availability of George and Embiid remains unclear.

As the questions about their health continue to pop up, Jeff Teague is convinced that the Sixers are going to be a Play-In team at best next season. That’s due to the idea that Embiid and George will continue to deal with ailments as the 2025-2026 season plays out.

“Paul George is cooked. PG is cooked,” Teague said on Club 520.

“He was the third option last year. It’s a great chance he’s gonna be hurt this year. It’s just for real. They’ll be at full strength for the first game of the season, and in Game 2, [Embiid, George] are going to be out. [Embiid] is gonna have 20 [points] that first game, then he’ll sit out for 2, then after the next one, he’ll be out for 40. Then, he’s gonna be done.”

Harsh.. Yet, hard to debate. Embiid has battled with setbacks all throughout his career. After he played in a career-high 68 games in 2021-2022, his availability has decreased rapidly over time. During the season Embiid won MVP, he appeared in 66 games.

Due to a knee injury during the 2023-2024 NBA season, Embiid’s run was split, and he totaled 39 games before the playoffs. Last season, he missed the most games of his career since making his debut. Embiid averaged 30 minutes of action in 19 outings. He was shut down early, needing surgery for the second time within a year.

The Sixers went into the 2024-2025 season as a top squad in the Eastern Conference. They finished the year with a 24-58 record, which placed them 13th in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia landed the third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and spent its pick on VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor.

Even with the rise of the youth in Philadelphia, the Sixers are so heavily invested in George and Embiid that it only makes sense to run through them while they are healthy. They might be a top team when they are on the floor, but getting on the court has been a massive issue.

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