No team has become a bigger talking point on the constant this season than the Philadelphia 76ers. After all, despite carrying incredibly lofty expectations with them heading into the present campaign, all they have done so far is to fall way short of those and turn in the most disappointing, season-long display of basketball.
The 76ers have managed to carve out some signature wins to their full credit, but for the most part, they have been incredibly inconsistent on both ends thanks to a lack of lineup stability due to their rollercoaster of injuries and some unprecedented decline from their major contributors. Their 17-27 win-loss card at this juncture says a lot about the brand of basketball they have put out this season.
But among the many reasons and excuses the 76ers have, the utmost lack of Joel Embiid this season is undoubtedly the biggest one. The 2023 Most Valuable Player has only played in 13 out of 44 games this season, succumbing to some setbacks and the required load management program he needs to be subject to moving forward.
76ers owner assures fans on what the franchise feels about Joel Embiid
In full view of the superstar’s never-ending string of absences due to injury this season and really, for his entire career, there were some murmurs about Philly having some internal frustrations with their franchise player. In fact, a reputable source with apparent knowledge of the situation suggested that the 76ers start tearing it down by shipping their center elsewhere.
However, that seems to be nothing more than a natural reflex for the organization. 76ers owner and managing partner Josh Harris bared what he truly feels about Embiid and having him on board to lead the team to where it wants to be in the years to come.
“We’re still really happy with Joel. He’s a warrior. I’ve seen this. He’s fought through a lot of injuries. You remember when we started, in his first (two) years, he didn’t play at all. And then, in his third year, he played 30-something games. And then, he fought through all of that, and became the MVP. So, he’s fighting right now, and we’re fighting. And I’m hopeful and optimistic that we’ll get through”.
It is nice to see the 76ers’ top dogs resonating with Embiid, who has carved out a wildly successful career despite kicking it off by basically missing two seasons due to injury. Despite the numerous invalid shots thrown his way, there is no doubt that he is the heart and soul of the franchise and he can still play like an MVP-caliber player when healthy.
At the same time, this could ultimately end up being nothing definitive about how the Philadelphia 76ers would operate around its star player in the future. Time is already ticking for their current core of players, and at this rate, it could be unrealistic to bank on Joel Embiid to lead a championship cause if he is not even available for the vast majority of games.