How Should the Sixers Disperse Their Minutes?
The Sixers' offseason has been rather slow. The roster looks generally the same as last season, but with a few new faces. Such as forward Trendon Watford, explosive guard VJ Edgecombe, and Johni Broome. The Sixers also picked up Hunter Sallis, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow on a two-way contract. Although Sixer fans are waiting for Quentin Grimes to be re-signed, below is a proposal for how many minutes the Sixers squad could play for the 2025-26 season. On the left is how many minutes the players played, which will make up the roster for the 2025-26 season, and on the right is the proposed minutes the players could play.
2024-25 season: minutes played
Tyrese Maxey: 38 mins per game
Jared McCain: 26 mins per game
Kyle Lowry: 19 mins per game
Quentin Grimes in Philly: 34 mins per game
Eric Gordon: 20 mins per game
Paul George: 33 mins per game
Kelly Oubre Jr: 35 mins per game
Trendon Watford: 21 mins per game
Justin Edwards: 26 mins per game
Joel Embiid: 30 mins per game
Andre Drummond: 19 mins per game
Adem Bona: 16 mins per game
VJ Edgecombe at Baylor: 33 mins per game
Johni Broome at Auburn: 30 mins per game
2025-26 season: proposed minutes
Tyrese Maxey: 30-35 mins per game
Jared McCain: 20-25 mins per game
Kyle Lowry: 10-15 mins per game
Quentin Grimes: 30-35 mins per game
Eric Gordon: 10-15 mins per game
Paul George: 25-30 mins per game
Kelly Oubre Jr: 30-35 mins per game
Trendon Watford: 25-30 mins per game
Justin Edwards: 20-25 mins per game
Joel Embiid: 25-30 mins per game
Andre Drummond: 10-15 mins per game
Adem Bona: 15-20 mins per game
VJ Edgecombe: 10-15 mins per game
Johni Broome: five-10 mins per game
Assuming that the players will come back healthier than before, the proposed minutes are more balanced. Age and injury history do play a factor in the proposed minutes. Examples of this are reducing veteran players' minutes, such as Embiid, George, Lowry, Gordon, and Drummond. It would make more sense to have Lowry, the oldest player on the roster, take the Udonis Haslem route. He can be the team mentor and his version of a locker room leader that can help the young guns get better. The rest of the vets in reduced minutes are more so to keep their bodies from faltering during the intense grind of the 82-game season.
As for the younger players, such as the two rookies and the sophomore players, have them carry the load. Although Edgecombe and Broome will have to earn more minutes, they won’t wait too long. They have a lot to show for why they are the future. Now, as for guys like McCain, Edwards, and Bona, they showed that they can keep up with the high intensity from last year. Completely ignoring the injury issues to McCain, the potential is there. Now, as for Maxey, Grimes, and Oubre Jr, their minutes can remain relatively the same. Those three players are in the middle of, or entering their prime, where 30-35 minutes per game are expected of them. Especially for Maxey, who is an established all-star for the team. This method might prove useful to avoid unnecessary injuries and maximize player outputs for a successful season.
