September 24, 2025
Petre Thomas/Imagn Images
Will the Sixers turn around their fortunes in 2024-25? Some of our readers are skeptical.
Last week, we published our second annual PhillyVoice preseason Sixers survey, attempting to take the temperature of a frustrated fan base before another pivotal year for the organization.
The response was overwhelming, with 736 responses in all – more than double the turnout before last year's nightmarish campaign.
Before the season begins with Media Day on Friday, we will have a pair of stories unpacking the results of the survey with analysis mixed in.
Finishing off this exercise: where things stand with Joel Embiid and Paul George, evaluating the Sixers' depth, how the organization should balance its short- and long-term ambitions and more...
MORE: Part 1, from Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse to Quentin Grimes and much more
Out of about 700 responses, the range of responses here, of course, ranged from 0 to 82. Good stuff!
The average response came out at 54.6 games, while the median answer was 55 games and the most common one was 50 games. These feel about right -- preventing Embiid from missing so much time that it is impossible for the Sixers to reasonably compete while also theoretically preserving his health as much as possible and optimizing performance.
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| George returns to star-caliber production and stays mostly healthy | 25 | 3.4% |
| George remains healthy and is much better than last season, but does not play like a star | 247 | 33.8% |
| George plays much better than last season when healthy but once again misses significant time | 251 | 34.4% |
| George has an extremely similar season to last, with shaky productivity and limited availability | 166 | 22.7% |
| George's play and/or availability are even worse than last season | 41 | 5.6% |
After a lackluster debut season with the Sixers, it does not look like George has created remarkable expectations in Philadelphia heading into his age-35 season. Perhaps the door is open for a pleasant surprise, but the nine-time All-Star has a whole lot to prove locally.
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| 1 | 209 | 28.6% |
| 2 | 192 | 26.3% |
| 3 | 139 | 19.0% |
| 4 | 127 | 17.4% |
| 5 | 63 | 8.6% |
More than half of respondents are clearly not bothered by the idea of Maxey wanting out. Maxey has been the ultimate champion of optimism within the organization for years, constantly expressing his gratitude for the people whose decision to draft him amid a slide led to such tremendous returns.
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| Long-term development of the team's young players | 464 | 64.3% |
| Maximizing short-term chances of winning around stars | 258 | 35.7% |
This time last year, many people locally and nationally thought the Sixers were in the strongest position to contend for a championship in a half-decade. Now, nearly two out of three respondents prefer a renewed focus on the distant future. Given the ominous nature of the Sixers' short-term ambitions and their impressive collection of young players, it is hard to argue.
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 563 | 92.4% |
| Jared Butler | 79 | 13.0% |
| Ricky Council IV | 68 | 11.2% |
| Lonnie Walker IV | 45 | 7.4% |
Respondents could select any combination of these four of these players -- or none of them at all -- but most just stuck to Yabusele, whose one-year tenure with the team was delightful. However, the Sixers did not feel comfortable matching the offer Yabusele received from the New York Knicks because it could have jeopardized their ability to keep Quentin Grimes.
Meanwhile, Butler is with the Phoenix Suns. Walker is playing in Israel, teaming with two other members of last year's Sixers in Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Oshae Brissett. Council was set to join the Brooklyn Nets for training camp, but the deal apparently fell through because of an injury.
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| Dominick Barlow | 35 | 4.8% |
| Adem Bona | 625 | 86.4% |
| Johni Broome | 141 | 19.5% |
| Andre Drummond | 138 | 19.1% |
| Justin Edwards | 565 | 78.1% |
| Eric Gordon | 65 | 9.0% |
| Kyle Lowry | 41 | 5.7% |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 667 | 92.3% |
| Jabari Walker | 262 | 36.2% |
| Trendon Watford | 529 | 73.2% |
Bona and Edwards generating such significant confidence after their rookie seasons is a positive indication for their futures. Unsurprisingly, there is little faith in veterans like Drummond, Lowry and Gordon emerging as reliable components of a rotation.
• Trading picks owed by Los Angeles Clippers (2028 unprotected first-round pick, 2029 top-three protected first-round pick swap rights) to find short-term rotation upgrades
| Response | Votes |
| Supportive of the idea | 90 |
| Unsure or see argument on both sides | 219 |
| Against the idea | 403 |
• Trying to use Jared McCain as a sweetener to shed Joel Embiid or Paul George's contract in a trade
| Response | Votes |
| Supportive of the idea | 133 |
| Unsure or see argument on both sides | 145 |
| Against the idea | 444 |
• Trading Tyrese Maxey to build around a backcourt of Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe
| Response | Votes |
| Supportive of the idea | 64 |
| Unsure or see argument on both sides | 174 |
| Against the idea | 478 |
Speaking of McCain and Edgecombe, the most interesting result was when the Sixers' two recent first-round picks were posed against each other. Is there a conclusive answer as to which player is more valuable?
| Response | Votes | Percentage |
| VJ Edgecombe | 361 | 50.1% |
| Jared McCain | 359 | 49.9% |
Of course not.
And now, for the best of your bold predictions...
• "Sixers make play-in on backs of young guys"
• "VJ will clearly be the third best player on the Sixers' roster"
• "They'll start off 15-5 and fool us all again into believing"
• "Sixers make playoffs as the 8 seed and upset the 1 seed. Still lose in the second round though"
• "Jared McCain will hit a game winning buzzer beater from at least 40 feet"
• "Jared McCain has a significant sophomore slump and gets mentioned in trade talks for marginal upgrades"
• "Ben Simmons returns"
• "Embiid is gonna hate your poll"
• "Maxey Top 10 player in the NBA"
• "Embiid will go viral for something related to the 2025 Phillies playoff run"
• "Jared McCain wins Kia Clutch Player of the Year"
• "Jabari Walker is the best forward on the team, starts in the postseason (playoffs or maybe just play-ins)"
• "THE CHIP"
