It’s been some sort of nightmare start to the season for the 3-13 Sixers, fast falling behind the eight ball despite going into the season with big expectations.
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Even for the ultimate optimist, they’re in a tight spot — sitting six games behind the East’s fourth seed amid a brutal run of injuries and general bad vibes … even if there’s been one serious shining light among the misery.
They have the fourth-worst net rating of all 30 teams in the NBA, with two of their three wins requiring overtime. Even to be around the play-in would be disappointing, so to have the second-worst record in the league is genuine cause for concern.
Joel Embiid has been at the centre of the mess. Starting the season without both Embiid and superstar recruit Paul George was never ideal – even if a marathon 82-game season.
Not that either player has ever been overly reliable.
And yet the oft-injured Embiid played for Team USA in the Olympics before missing the entire NBA pre-season and the first nine games of the campaign proper, which the Sixers put down to mere injury management.
Embiid, who over the off-season claimed he’d lost “25, 30 pounds,” has played in just four of a possible 16 games and hasn’t looked himself. He’s averaged career lows across the board in points per game (19.8), rebounds (7.5) and blocks (one) while shooting 37.9 per cent from the field.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 20: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers goes to the basket against Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the game at FedExForum on November 20, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
The 30-year old also received a three-game suspension for being involved in an altercation with a reporter after the columnist had allegedly written an article with references to Embiid’s son as well as his late brother. Hard to be too critical of Embiid for this, as bad as the optics are.
A bigger blight on Embiid was a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania last week stating Tyrese Maxey at a team meeting called out Embiid for repeatedly being late to practices and team events.
Such friction between superstar teammates is never ideal so early in the season, particularly coming from a player like Maxey, who’s so well regarded for his positive attitude, as well as the fact the information leaked at all.
Philadelphia responded by losing to an undermanned Memphis side, with Embiid’s body language glaring. Afterwards he criticised the person that leaked the team meeting details and hasn’t played since due to ongoing knee management.
It’s also concerning considering Embiid’s significant injury history, so you’d hope he’s more committed to getting his body right and his overall craft than he appears to be on some of those team responsibilities flagged in the report.
But it didn’t exactly paint the picture of a team player completely committed to delivering the Sixers a championship.
It comes after Embiid penned a mammoth three-year, $193 million extension with Philadelphia on the eve of the season, using up an inordinate amount of salary cap for a player with a lot of miles under a big frame that’s undergone multiple surgeries.
We’ve seen injuries deteriorate the careers of other NBA bigs over the years, and you do wonder if all those surgeries are starting to catch up to Embiid.
If that happens, that near $200 million contract would be some sort of disaster.
Embiid suspended over reporter run-in | 00:28
Whether it was the right move to give him such a pay cheque is a tricky one. We know how utterly dominant Embiid is when he’s up and running as one of the best players in the NBA. That’s never been a question. But unfortunately, Embiid’s apex has only come in stretches amid injury after injury.
“We’ve seen a lot of centres hit this point and it usually doesn’t end well,” NBA analyst Bill Simmons said of Embiid on his podcast.
“As you get older and start carrying more weight and have injury history, we saw it happen with Andrew Bynum. He was an All-Star in 2012 and two years later he’s out of the league.
“You’re taking about these big, 7-foot-2 bodies with extra weight. Some of the guys we’ve watched, it ends fast.”
Then there’s George.
The 34-year old was regarded as the best acquisition of any team in the off-season as the planets aligned for Philadelphia by signing George with craftily designed max contract space you rarely see from a bona fide contender.
It was only possible after Maxey held off penning a contract extension the year prior, effectively giving Philadelphia an extra $22 million to spend it wouldn’t have otherwise had.
But George has only played eight games for the 76ers after hyperextending his knee in the pre-season before reinjuring that same knee last week.
If it were another player, it wouldn’t necessarily be as concerning. But George has suffered a plethora of injuries in recent seasons, which is why you imagine the LA Clippers were prepared to lose him after haggling over a contract extension. And at 34 years of age, he’s in his twilight years despite signing a four-year, $212 million deal with Philadelphia.
Even in the games he’s played, George hasn’t been that effective for Philadelphia, though he’s clearly underdone and still adapting to his new team.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 20: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 20, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
George looms as the ideal third star to play alongside Embiid and Maxey. But we frankly haven’t seen enough of the trio together yet — six minutes in total, to be exact — to get a proper grasp of how the dynamic works and how good they could be.
Does George take more of a backseat to Maxey as the third star, or vice versa? Do they share the load as the second star? Does the threesome actually work? Clearly, having George help carry the team now with Embiid sidelined is partially the reason Philly would’ve wanted him.
Nor have we seen enough of this roster as a whole and how it all fits despite most acknowledging team president Daryl Morey did a great job retooling it, with only Embiid and Maxey returning to Nick Nurse’s team from last season.
That’s perhaps the most tragic part about this tumultuous start to the season for Philadelphia – that it has so much potential to be a genuine contender if not for extraneous variables currently clouding the picture.
After all, Philadelphia, arguably the big winner of the off-season, was seen along with New York as the biggest threat to Boston in the East. It was widely viewed as the Sixers’ best chance at competing for a title in the Embiid era, with George and Maxey rounding out a superstar big three.
While it could be argued they’ll be prime once (or if) everyone is healthy, it’s a fine line between that and ensuring the team develops chemistry and winning habits together and is in peak condition for the business end of the season.
VanVleet ejected after explosive rant | 00:30
“Everybody gets a little bit of blame pie. Embiid deserves a slice, Darryl deserves a slice, Paul George deserves a slice, Nick Nurse deserves a slice,” The Ringer’s Chris Ryan said of Philly’s struggles on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“Embiid can’t stop saying stupid s**t, that’s a huge problem … I just think this looks like a team that hates each other.
“You just don’t really see teams that clearly dislike each other this much doing anything.
“The whole entire thing runs through Embiid, especially if Paul George is going to be this passive. That’s one thing that’s been sad … the terrifying thing is this is why the Clippers let him go, they probably saw this coming.
“This would be the team Daryl always dreamt of. If that doesn’t work I don’t really know what the plan is here.”
To go glass half full, the Sixers have the current favourite for Rookie of the Year, Jarred McCain, amid a superb start to the season for the 20-year old guard.
McCain has averaged 15.6 points per game and provided a much-needed spark amid the injury drama.
It’s included McCain averaging 26 points per game as a starter – the most by a rookie since Michael Jordan.
The Pick 16 draftee was perhaps more known for his TikTok antics coming out of the draft, but he’s now letting his basketball do the talking with greater opportunity — and ability — than many other rookies.
You can’t help but love what he’s doing out there as a genuine impact player and real deal rookie. You know when a player, like McCain, has it.
“McCain is the most effective player on a team that has Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid,” NBA analyst David Jacoby said on The Mismatch podcast.
The prospect of McCain further beefing up this already star-studded Philly side at full strength is enticing. It’s not something we were expecting before the season, so it adds to the potential and overall upside of Nurse’s squad if it can overcome this rocky period and get things together.
Of course, it’s still only November. So as grim as Philadelphia’s start has been, there’s time to right the ship if they can get healthy for any sort of meaningful period.
Especially considering Philadelphia is in the much weaker Eastern Conference, where just four teams currently have a winning record. Plus, outside of Cleveland, Boston, Golden State and Oklahoma City, have any other teams in the NBA at large looked truly elite this season?
Perhaps no contender is as flawed as Philadelphia, with the potential of a serious disaster considering how much money is tied up to its superstars. But at least for this season, the Sixers still have 68 games to figure things out.
“This team is still potentially a team to be reckoned with, but it could get to the point where this is so off the rails, they completely get dispirited,” NBA analyst Tim Legler said on the All-NBA Podcast.
“Now you have guys missing more and more time and next thing you know they’re talking about (No. 1 draft prospect) Cooper Flagg, which by the way, they are already talking about in the Philadelphia media base. That’s absurd.
“All I’m saying is there’s a dark cloud right now hanging over everything they’re doing and it’s starting to push the conversation in that direction.”