As the NBA season reaches its most dramatic point of the year, franchises must decide how their journey will continue. What should they prioritise to create a brighter future for their team? Can tanking open a pathway to a generational talent? Is a final postseason push a realistic enough expectation? For the Philadelphia 76ers, neither option feels particularly realistic. The Athletic's Tony Jones suggestion that the Sixers must stay healthy perfectly sums up the roster’s recent history.
When it comes to the 76ers, nothing is ever easy. In fact, there is an argument to be made that the franchise could find a way to trip over on the flattest of surfaces. Case in point: given the recent injury history among Philadelphia 76ers star players, general manager Daryl Morey still bought into the idea that trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a brilliant plan, with the front office believing it had successfully “sold high” on the young guard. Need I say more?
Now with a depleted roster and an ever-changing landscape for the Sixers, Tony Jones has correctly identified the only factor that the team must focus on if it wishes to make this season a success.
Philadelphia needs a healthy squad to cement a postseason place
Choosing to tank at this late stage of the season would be a risky, albeit not impossible, solution. Nevertheless, if this 76ers roster can return to full strength, it has the potential to defeat any of its Eastern Conference foes. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, 'if' is the most relevant word to the franchise in recent times.
Tony Jones of The Athletic rightfully highlighted the Philadelphia 76ers’ current predicament in the outlet's 'Stretch-Run Priorities' article (subscription required). "The Sixers have only been healthy for about two weeks this season." He then stated, "This is one of the most unhealthy teams in the league, and the time to get healthy is running out."
Before its 104-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the 76ers' injury report boasted players such as Joel Embiid (oblique), Tyrese Maxey (right pinkie injury), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left elbow sprain), Andre Drummond (back), Jabari Walker (illness), and Johni Broome (right meniscus tear). This lengthy list is before factoring in Paul George's ongoing 25-game suspension.
As VJ Edgecombe continues to be burdened with a responsibility that no first-year player should ever have to carry, Philadelphia strives to stay in the rat-race for a place in the Play-In Tournament -- a proposition that does not favour a roster that refuses to stay healthy for the long term. Again, proving that Tony Jones' priority for the 76ers could not be more correct.
While many teams have an ordinary aim to achieve a postseason place or take part in a generational tank that boasts a class of college stars who carry the potential to pivot the trajectory of any franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers must focus on another area to be successful. As Tony Jones of The Athletic suggests, the Sixers must find a way to get healthy before their entire season catastrophically collapses for a second successive year.