PHILADELPHIA — Has the 76ers’ trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George become the NBA’s best big three?
You can make the argument. But three questions need to be answered before a definitive answer can be established. Will Embiid remain healthy? How much has the 34-year-old George declined? And will Maxey continue to raise his ceiling?
So the Sixers have three big subjects to address that don’t plague some of the league’s other big trios. But on paper the Sixers have all the tools to be the best.
Embiid, George, and Maxey are all coming off All-Star seasons. That’s why, even with the unknowns, they’re comparable to any big three in the league.
Some will argue the best trio could be the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, if they all stay healthy. The problem is, Middleton has lost a step, taking them out of contention. Plus, Lillard is a liability on the defensive end.
You know what you’ll get talent-wise out of the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. It’s just a matter of new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer helping them mesh better than former coach Frank Vogel could.
The New York Knicks have a big four of sorts with Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, but the latter is just a solid player, not an All-Star.
The Sixers, Suns and Bucks trios are made up of players with multiple All-Star berths. The same applies to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ big three of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Gobert is the defensive player of the year.
Edwards, a second-team All-NBA selection, is one of the league’s up-and-coming stars. And Towns is one of the league’s best shooting big men. So an argument can be made for the Timberwolves trio. However, Towns and Gobert are essentially both centers. Towns simply plays at power forward, which enables them to share the floor.
Some may throw the Dallas Mavericks into the conversation.
With the addition of Klay Thompson, the Mavs now have a big three of their own with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. But Thompson, a five-time All-Star and Golden State Warriors legend, has lost a step
because of injuries.
Meanwhile, the Sixers have balance with Maxey at point guard, George on the wing, and Embiid on the block. George is also in a phase of his career in which he wants to win and play the right way. And the Sixers believe George to be a solid passer who can help with some of the ballhandling duties.
In addition to being a nine-time All-Star, George is a six-time All-NBA selection, and four-time All-Defensive pick. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals this season. He shot a career-best 41.3% on 3-pointers in his 14th season.
Maxey averaged career highs in points (25.9), rebounds (3.7), assists (6.2), steals (1.0) and minutes (37.5) this season. He scored a career-high 52 points in a double-overtime road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on April 7. Maxey had two other 50-point outings: 51 points in a road victory over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 1 and 50 points in a home win over the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 12.
And, when healthy, Embiid is arguably the league’s best player. He has averages of 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 3.4 turnovers in 488 career games. Embiid is a two-time scoring champion, five-time All-NBA selection, three-time All-Defensive pick, three-time Eastern Conference player of the month and 12-time player of the week.
But he has missed 336 games — the equivalent of four seasons — since being selected third in the 2014 NBA draft. And his health could be the Sixers’ biggest Achilles’ heel.
This past season, he averaged 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks while playing in just 39 games as he battled a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Injuries aside, he’s one of the NBA’s rare annual MVP candidates. When you combine that with Maxey’s up-and-coming stardom and George’s elite two-way status, one has to strongly consider them as one of best trios.
But again, we’ll have to wait and see because of the unknowns.
