Falling to a 112-108 defeat at the hands of a Los Angeles Lakers roster that is bursting at the seams with offensive masterminds such as Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the ever-improving Austin Reaves is far from a travesty. But the Philadelphia 76ers' defensive frailties were again evident, and given the current personnel on their payroll, the only solution is for the front office to commence a soft reset.
Conceding 112 points does not seem to be a disaster, given the earlier-mentioned star-studded trio can cook up 100 between them on any given night; in fact, at times, this looks like an inevitable course of action. However, the lack of resilience to prevent an opponent who is considered a championship contender from attacking the Sixers' painted area is becoming a maddening occurrence.
In recent times, Philadelphia has fallen to defeats in a similar manner to several franchises that currently sit above them in the regular season standings. The Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics have all taken advantage of the 76ers' lack of resistance -- leaving the Sixers languishing in 15th in the defensive rating rankings (113.5).
In addition to this worrying record, the Philadelphia 76ers have conceded 130+ points on three occasions this season, and two of these matchups ended in the Sixers allowing their opponents to accumulate 140+ points.
Philadelphia's roster requires surgery
When the 76ers established their own 'big three' in the form of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, they signalled their intent to challenge at the higher echelons of the Eastern Conference -- this ambition is yet to come to fruition, and probably never will.
Currently, Philadelphia is trapped in purgatory and cannot escape the cold, painful grasp of mediocrity, despite possessing such talent on its roster. This is a team that has flexed its muscles offensively through Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and even Embiid when he is available. The 76ers have displayed that they are too good to fall out of a playoff/play-in spot, but are lightyears away from attaining their first championship since 1983.
Even with the potential that a fully healthy Sixers' roster could have, the defensive stability when playing tougher opponents has been consistently poor and shows no signs of improving. Even though Embiid's mobility did look improved during the defeat to the Lakers, the regression in his ability to protect the rim is evident for all to see, and has been during his nine appearances this campaign.
Paul George has displayed the traits of an impressive defender and the ability to adjust to a less prominent role in the offense this year. Yet, his brutal injury record during his tenure in Philadelphia and the fact that he is fighting a losing battle with Father Time would suggest that he may be one of the first names on the trading block.
Open-heart surgery on this roster may not be needed, as rotational players such as Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker have all shown that they can effectively contribute to a winning team. Nevertheless, the admission that the Embiid and George era is over may be the only alternative to maximise Maxey's potential as the new face of the franchise.
At some point, Philadelphia's front office must accept that even though this roster is an offensive powerhouse when it is occasionally fully healthy, the consistently poor attempts at defending their own rim show that this team is far from capable of winning a championship. For the sake of the franchise, it is time to consider building for the future, rather than settling for a lifetime of being average.