Where are Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George among the best players in the NBA?

The 2024-25 NBA regular season begins Tuesday, and as the new year in basketball approaches, the annual onslaught of player rankings has begun.

ESPN and The Ringer released rankings of the NBA's top 100 players this week, while HoopsHype and CBS Sports conducted similar exercises last month.

With four rankings on the airwaves, let's find out where the Sixers' star trio – Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George – rank among the league's best:

Average ranking of Joel Embiid: 5.75

ESPN: 8 | The alarm clock: 5 | HoopsHype: 5 | CBS Sports: 5

ESPN came in low on Embiid because the former NBA MVP's lengthy injury history and history of uncertain playoff availability played a big role. However, there is no question that when Embiid is on the floor, he is as dominant as almost any other basketball player alive today.

Embiid's MVP campaign in the 2022-23 season was historic and his injuries last season suggest that he actually played better at the start of the 2023-24 season. After a good portion of the season, he was the favorite to win another MVP trophy before a meniscus injury derailed his season.

The next step for Embiid — and I'm not giving away any news here — is to be healthy in April, May and (hopefully for the Sixers) June and then translate his regular-season dominance into an iconic playoff run. It's the only thing not already included in the stacked resume he's put together.

MORE: Embiid's medical update shouldn't raise any alarms…yet

Average ranking of Tyrese Maxey: 21.5

ESPN: 19 | The alarm clock: 28 | HoopsHype: 15 | CBS Sports: 24

Maxey's fourth-year rise in 2023-24 was great, earning him his first career All-Star award and the NBA Most Improved Player Award. Maxey just signed a five-year deal worth more than $200 million to stay in Philadelphia and enters the upcoming season with the goal of making the jump again to a new stage in his career.

HoopsHype's rankings seem pretty ambitious here – while The Ringer's are perhaps a little conservative – but if Maxey follows the absurd development path he's been on so far, it's hugely significant for the Sixers' 23-year-old to be an All -To be an NBA candidate. year-old point guard.

If I had made my own list, I probably would have had Maxey at 25 rather than 20, but at the end of the day, Maxey is one of those guys you should just never bet against.

MORE: Does Tyrese Maxey have another jump to go?

Average ranking of Paul George: 22.75

ESPN: 21 | The alarm clock: 23 | HoopsHype: 27 | CBS Sports: 20

George's average rating seems about right. I expect Maxey to have a stronger season than his new co-star in 2024-25, but I believe the chance of George becoming the Sixers' second-best player – ahead of Maxey – is much greater than many people believe .

George is 34 years old, but there's something to be said about the stability that comes with a track record as remarkable as his. In addition to being one of the most prolific wing three-point shooters in NBA history, George is also an outstanding one-on-one competitor. As a goalscorer he truly is the total package and can thrive in any role on or off the ball.

Once one of the league's best defensive players, George had to reduce his role on that end of the field as the yardage and injuries mounted. But if the Sixers make the playoffs, head coach Nick Nurse will most likely ask George to take on key defensive duties.

In reality, the whole thing can be used to bolster the argument of Sixers optimists or Sixers skeptics, depending on how you look at it.

The Sixers have long believed in leaning on stars, and they now have a consensus top-8 player and two consensus top-30 players. Positionally, they can all coexist easily, and their skillset means they theoretically fit together beautifully on the pitch. In today's NBA, putting together a trio like that is incredibly difficult, but the Sixers did it.

Then again, there isn't a single other Sixer featured on any of these four lists. They have players on the sidelines – Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. come to mind – but to achieve the team success they desire, the Sixers need strong seasons from Martin, Oubre and other role players.

MORE: The latest on Paul George's knee

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