It's safe to say that through fourteen games, the 2024-25 season could not have gotten off to a worse start for the Philadelphia 76ers. After signing Paul George in the offseason, there was optimism in the City of Brotherly Love that after years of processing, this could finally be the season that the 76ers got over the hump and make a run beyond the 2nd Round of the NBA Playoffs. Now if you want to talk about the Playoffs in Philadelphia, you're bound to get a Jim Mora-esque reaction.

At the fourteen game mark, the 76ers are 2-12, which marks their worst start since the 2015-16 Sixers dropped their first 18 games of the season on their way to a 10-72 finish. Fortunately, the 2024-25 season outlook is a little brighter than it was nine years ago, but in order to make the Playoffs for the eighth straight season, Philadelphia will need to defy the odds.

According to Sean Brace of Fox Sports Radio, of the 92 teams who have started a season 2-12, only six of them have gone on to make the Playoffs. But before fans of the 76ers write this season off too quick, there is a sliver of hope. Despite the rocky start, Philadelphia is still only just three games out of the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. If at any point the 76ers can get healthy, it's certainly a possibility that Philly will return to the postseason. However, that may turn out to be a Joel Embiid-sized If. 

Joel Embiid holding out hope for 76ers postseason run 

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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) limps to the bench during a time out during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

On the heels of a behind the scenes dispute between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey that went public, the 76ers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, but Embiid, after lashing out at the “piece of s**t” that leaked the altercation between he and his Philly teammate, made it known that he still believes a postseason run is in the cards.

“We can still compete for a championship,” Embiid said after the loss, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “But this is going to take time. A lot of our issues are coming from us not being on the same page. We have a lot of talent, but we still have to go out and actually do it. We have a pretty good chance; it would be a pretty good story if we did win.”

Philadelphia's chances of making such a run did take a significant hit on Wednesday, as Paul George hyperextended the same knee he injured in the preseason.