Just when everybody thought they were already trending in the right direction, the Philadelphia 76ers did not fail to undo themselves, kicking off the new calendar year by losing seven of their last nine games. They are now an astonishing nine games below .500, six whole games behind the last guaranteed playoffs spot and a couple wins outside the playoffs-in tournament picture.
At this point in time, even a play-in berth could be a difficult one to obtain for this ball club. The 76ers constantly disappoints from night in and out, and in the games where they play relatively well, they ultimately fall short thanks to being undersized and undermanned, exposing their personnel issues.
Heck, Philly has become a full-time small-ball team during their losing streak. Still without Joel Embiid as well as his primary backup, Andre Drummond, the 76ers have had no choice but to completely rely on Guerschon Yabusele down low against towering opponents This has only exacerbated their already pressing lack of size.
The 76ers are hiding the truth about Joel Embiid’s injury status
Embiid has missed the last five games despite being tagged as day to day. Nick Nurse echoed that status before their previous game, although the fact that he has been a no-show in these games without nursing a new injury, as they claim, is quite suspicious to say the least.
To be frank, the 76ers brass could simply be lying about Embiid’s real status. Why not just provide a more clear designation on his availability? This has been a recurring theme all season long and has frustrated most fans who are left on an island hashing out their own guessworks.
The only explainable reason for this is that the coaching staff wants to keep their opponents on their toes. With Embiid technically hacing the chance to play anytime, game planning becomes a bit uncertain for the other side.
However, it also causes a lot of confusion for the team and the fanbase. The offense is basically operating differently on a nightly basis, and their stance with Embiid reeks of a lack of sense of surgency given their current situation.
To be clear, this is not a shot at Joel Embiid. Rather, it is a call for the Philadelphia 76ers decision-makers to adopt a more transparent approach with his status game to game. They are already stuck in the mud, and the last thing fans want is being lied to about their superstar.