The Sixer Sense
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The one gift the Sixers need for Christmas: Health

By Christopher Kline

NEWARK, DE - NOVEMBER 21: Robert Covington #33, Markelle Fultz #20, and Justin Anderson #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers are seen during the game between the Wisconsin Herd and the Delaware 87ers during a G-League at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Delaware on November 21, 2017. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEWARK, DE - NOVEMBER 21: Robert Covington #33, Markelle Fultz #20, and Justin Anderson #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers are seen during the game between the Wisconsin Herd and the Delaware 87ers during a G-League at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Delaware on November 21, 2017. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers have been battling injuries for the past few weeks. Hopefully they’re healthy sooner rather than later.

It’s almost Chirstmas and just about everyone’s talking about presents. We’ll even have a piece tomorrow handing out gifts to every Philadelphia 76ers player. My family, however, has a tradition that I’m sure many families across the country share, where we open one gift on Christmas Eve.

Today, let’s talk about the gift Philly needs most: Health.

The Sixers are currently 14-18, a sharp decline after a strong 13-9 start. Poor play from the team’s vets and a tough schedule have played a major role in their struggles, but health (or lack thereof) has been the one glaring hole on a nightly basis.

With a young team, it’s already hard to establish continuity and consistency. If you have injuries plaguing the roster, that becomes even more challenging. That’s where the Sixers are at, and that’s why health is something every fan should be wishing for tonight and tomorrow.

Related Story: 5 things hurting the Sixers on this losing streak

Here’s just a brief rundown of the injuries we’ve seen over the past few weeks:

The weakest point in the Sixers’ depth chart has been the wing, where Jerryd Bayless and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot are both struggling off the bench. Both Justin Anderson and Markelle Fultz are expected to miss a couple more weeks, while Korkmaz is now out for an extended period of time.

Saying Brett Brown’s hands are tied is an understatement.

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Covington only missed one game, but has struggled consistently since his injury. Part of that is a general cold streak — something Covington has never been immune to — but it’s fair to say his back played some role in that.

Redick has missed a couple games now, removing the Sixers’ best floor spacer and third-leading scorer from the rotation.

And, of course, Embiid’s back kept him out three games. That’s the biggest loss this Sixers team can take, as both their offense and defense are significantly better whenever Embiid is on the court. Losing an MVP-caliber piece, partially due to mismanaged minutes, doesn’t help a losing streak.

Moving forward, this Sixers team still has a chance to turn things around. All their shooters are in a slump to some degree, while a healthy Embiid should win some games against lesser competition, if nothing else.

Next: 5 New Years resolutions for the Sixers

I’m not saying they’re a playoff team, but they aren’t as bad as they’ve been for the past two weeks. Give it time, and hope the holidays bring some much-needed health to this team. It’s hard for the pieces to come together if they aren’t on the floor.