Good basketball teams sometimes take a while to find their rhythm. For the Sixers, a 1-3 start to a season will never be when it’s all said and done. Paul George tweaked his knee in the preseason, it happens. Joel Embiid is on a comprehensive plan to save his body for the rigors of the postseason, which should only help in the long term…but context matters.
You lose to the Toronto Raptors sans two starters of their own. To make matters worse, you lose to the Detroit Pistons, at home, in Tobias Harris’ return to Philadelphia. And right in the middle of those events was the crown jewel of them all – the NBA handing down a $100,000 fine to the franchise for withholding the truth regarding the health of Joel Embiid’s knee. Having to learn from the league after investigation that your best player is more hurt than was ever let on from the team itself, is the ultimate slap in the face.
ESPN’s Shams Charania did say Joel Embiid has been ramping up and participating in five-on-five scrimmages in practice, but both he and Paul George have already been ruled out for their next game against the Grizzlies. Then the Sixers head to the West Coast to face the Suns, Clippers, and Lakers. That 1-3 start could soon be 1-7. Panic button pushing time is rapidly approaching.
Here are three takeaways from the most Sixers-esque start to a season that ever did Sixer.
There are no spark plugs
The 2024-25 Sixers’ roster has a lot of useful players that fit well together when at full strength. Take away the team’s best player and the team’s best perimeter wing, and the only person who looks like they know what they are doing is Tyrese Maxey. Without a Herculean 45-point effort from him in Indiana, including 10 just in OT, the Sixers are winless right now.
Kelly Oubre and Caleb Martin are going to be fantastic off-ball cutters to the rim when Joel Embiid has the ball at the nail and defenses are paying extra attention to him. When Joel is not there, those opportunities do not present themselves. When they are relegated to shooters and closeout attackers, both are very streaky, and when the shots are not falling they become obsolete within the flow of the offense.
Maxey not having anyone else to command consistent defensive attention has proven to be too much for him to overcome. Just having Paul George out there would alleviate some of Maxey’s on-ball pressure while unlocking some of his off-ball prowess. He just does not have that at his disposal right now, and nobody else is capable of picking up the slack. Having someone like Duece McBride or Cam Thomas off the bench would completely change the outlook of the Embiid-less and George-less games.
Uncertainty is the new normal
Every morning we wake up with the possibility of some Sixers’ event in the news that would be mind-numbing to most other franchises, yet is just par for the course in Philadelphia. The Sixers are going to have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable for the rest of Joel Embiid’s career.
There will probably never be a rhyme or reason to Joel Embiid’s on-court schedule. There may never be a rhyme or reason to Paul George’s either as he ages. Even if there is, the team will fail to be transparent about it. The last-minute DNP’s and phantom illnesses are not over.
Eric Gordon will play way too many minutes some nights. When the team needs a surge of energy and athleticism, Jared McCain may find himself in the game over Ricky Council IV, even when the book on Nick Nurse has been that he does not play his young guys. Nightmares have been had about Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond sharing the court together. Nothing has been, is, or will be normal about this era of Sixers’ basketball, so get used to it.
Sixers need to give more clarity
There appears to be a disconnect somewhere within the franchise… or two… or ten. Whether Joel Embiid himself does not want the public to be made aware of the extent of his injuries, or the agenda is set by Daryl Morey, the Sixers have been making a joke of themselves since the preseason.
The most information we have been given- which still is not much- did not even come directly from the Sixers. Coach Nick Nurse, someone who has coached an oft-injured superstar to a championship before, often has his guard up when asked about the matter.
The Sixers would still be 1-3 right now had Joel Embiid’s health status been accurately portrayed before the season. The Sixers would still face a very tough next four games not knowing if either Embiid or Paul George will suit up. But the NBA would not have had to investigate and fine them, the external noise and optics would not be nearly as detrimental, and the expectations would have been clear if they had just been honest and forthcoming. That has to change moving forward.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
