Where do Sixers' star trio go from here following tough loss to Hawks?

PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time in the 2025-26 season, the Philadelphia 76ers had Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey all on the floor together. After signing George to a 4-year $212 million deal in the 2024 offseason, the Sixers only saw their star trio play together in 18 games in the 2024-25 season--finishing 15 of them--so this was a positive sign for the franchise.

The Sixers went 7-8 in those 15 games in 2024-25. After a 142-134 double overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, they are now 7-9 in the 16 games that the three have played and finished.

Of course, injuries and minutes restrictions have played a factor for Philadelphia. Embiid, for example, was unable to play in the second overtime on Sunday after hitting 30 minutes in the first overtime. The important part is all three of them played and they can build on the performance going forward.

"It was good," Embiid said after the tough loss. "Keep playing. Keep playing with each other and keep getting better."

George, the 9-time All-Star who has been hampered with injuries throughout his short tenure with the Sixers thus far, was proud of the fact that he and Embiid were able to get on the floor with Maxey. They have worked so hard to get to this point and the hope now is that he and the big fella can stay healthy so Philadelphia can take steps forward.

"I mean, it was just great to get out there with those guys," George stated. "Just log minutes together. I thought it was just a ton of excitement, but we obviously got work to do, but it was just great, again, for how hard we've been trying to work to get healthy and get back on the court and be available. It was great that we were able to be out there together tonight."

The offensive scheme for the Sixers in 2025-26 has been about moving the ball, sharing it, and making sure everybody touches it and gets shots within the system. It can be easy for Embiid and Maxey to just fall into ole reliable which is the pick-and-roll game between them. The Sixers can get so many good shots off that action due to the elite play and skill of both players, but it takes away from somebody like rookie VJ Edgecombe who has played well to begin the season.

Therefore, Maxey is stuck between making sure Embiid gets his touches--because he has to--and making sure the rhythm and flow of the offense stays the same. It's a challenge, but the All-Star guard is ready for it. It is going to take time whenever a team brings back a high usage player from a long injury layoff.

"It's different because, you know, he's still really good," Maxey said of Embiid. "We still gotta give him the ball, you know what I mean? We also gotta run our stuff. It's gonna come with time. That's our first time playing in a game with VJ and Jo…So it is first time playing with Joel and Paul. A lot of guys’ first time playing with them. So, we haven't really practiced with that group, so it's kind of hard, but that's no excuse. I think we did a good enough job to win the game. Played well. Gotta finish those out."

The Sixers will take on the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Where do Sixers' star trio go from here following tough loss to Hawks?