The Philadelphia 76ers are undoubtedly in an unenviable position as of the moment. Despite the heavy and lofty expectations levied on them before the season began, they have already faltered quickly before even getting near to reaching those. As a result, they have been labeled as the league’s most disappointing ball club in the present campaign.
It speaks volumes when a team as talented as the 76ers are already being ruled out of relevance when the second half of the season has not even commenced. That is how bad it has been for the team, and their poor play and utter inconsistencies on both ends of the court have been so obvious that a playoff berth for them would qualify as a huge shocker.
Having said that, it would be highly disingenuous not to give mention to the other factor that has doomed Philly this season — the injury bug. Thier main gunners have all missed significant time, and as you already know by now, Joel Embiid leads the list with 26 missed games this season. As a result, the 76ers have been forced to play without their best player for a huge chunk of the season.
Unfortunately, the 76ers cannot solve this problem concerning Joel Embiid
Embiid’s injury status, which was already hazy to begin with given Nick Nurse and the front office’s constant dilly-dallying, has been given an unfortunate sense of clarity just recently. The superstar center will reportedly be sidelined for at least the next seven to 10 days after his left knee incurred some swelling after a recent practice session where he was a full participant.
This latest development, however, comes as no surprise to everyone following the 76ers. They have been pretty conservative, if not dodgy, about his availability on a nightly basis, and this one is far from unprecedented.
Having said that, this only reinforces a problem Philly has with its superstar. The franchise can no longer compete for championships with Embiid as their best player. While his skill and talent are undeniably elite, the best trait of a plyer is his availability, and already on the wrong side of 30, hoping that he would somehow transform into an icon of durability would be futile sailing.
At this point in time, the front office should already be gearing up for a shift in overall team dynamics. The Philadelphia 76ers cannot solve no longer rely on Joel Embiid to carry them as his body ca no longer handle the insurmountable skills he possess. At best, he can be that tremendous floor-raiser they need to remain relevant for as long as possible.
However, if they want to win a championship, they need someone different to lead them. But whoever that player is stands as something that would be highly difficult to unearth.