Where Do The 76ers Go From Here?

The Philadelphia 76ers have been nothing short of absolutely disappointing this season, to say
the least. The Sixers, at this point in the season, hold the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference
standings with a mere 15-27 record. They were what many, including myself, thought to be the
winners of the offseason. They re-signed Tyrese Maxey to a five-year max contract extension
and former MVP Joel Embiid to a four-year extension after he came off the Olympics, taking
home the gold for the U.S. They also landed the most coveted free agent this past summer,
Paul George, who seemed like a perfect fit next to Maxey and Embiid, playing the wing position.

They formed what many thought was a perfect big three, as they all play different positions and
posed a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Not only did they have a great offseason
acquiring elite talent in free agency, like Paul George and even Guerschon Yabusele—who was
a standout in the Olympics playing for France and earned himself a spot back in the NBA,
proving to be a valuable asset going forward—but they also drafted Jaren McCain with the 16th
overall pick. McCain was easily running away with the Rookie of the Year award before his
unfortunate injury, which will keep him out for the rest of the season.

Now onto why it just hasn’t worked out for the Sixers this year and what their best course of
action is going forward. For starters, Joel Embiid hasn’t been consistently available, and even
when he’s out there, he looks egregiously slow and just doesn’t resemble his usual self for most
of the time he’s on the court. I found it quite strange that he played in the Olympics, given his
injury history and the significant risk of participating in high-intensity basketball. Regardless, it
happened, and he helped the U.S. win gold in key moments against opposing big men, which
was more than likely the sole reason the U.S. wanted him on the team.

I’m not ready to say he’s regressed as a player, but this season, he’s underperformed and
hasn’t lived up to Philly’s expectations. On top of his inconsistency, he’s only played in 13 out of
42 games so far, and the Sixers have suffered on the court without their anchor down low. To
make matters worse, he missed last night’s game in Denver. SportsCenter posted a stat on their
Instagram noting that Joel Embiid hasn’t played a game in Denver in 1,901 days. For those
wondering why this is intriguing, fans often believe Embiid is ducking reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
Even during Joel’s MVP season, he missed the game in Denver, leaving fans livid since many
were eager to see the two face off.

While it’s not groundbreaking, it’s an interesting stat considering how long it’s been. Moments
like these are fun to talk about because they bring attention to the sport. At the end of the day,
you don’t want star players missing games—especially marquee matchups like the two best big
men in the league going head-to-head. It’s just a fun tidbit to keep an eye on.
As for Paul George, this hasn’t been the best statistical season for him, especially coming off a
great year with the Los Angeles Clippers that earned him a four-year max contract worth up to
$212 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. Paul George has significantly regressed compared to
last year, when he shot the ball extremely efficiently, achieving a 3-point field goal percentage of
42%. This season, however, he’s dropped to just 35% from beyond the arc.

To his credit, expectations have significantly increased due to the massive contract he signed
over the summer and his move to Philly, a city known for having one of the most passionate fan
bases in the NBA. His role in the offense has also been quite different from what he likely
expected. Heading into this Sixers situation, George was expected to be the third star in the
lineup, taking some of the load off former MVP Joel Embiid and rising superstar Tyrese Maxey,
who also received a max extension to lead the team from the guard position.

George was supposed to be the missing piece for this roster, unlocking the team’s potential to
reach the Finals and finally overcoming years of frustration following disastrous attempts to tank
for draft capital, which wasted precious seasons. Instead, this team has been a dumpster fire,
lacking any real sense of direction.

The one true bright spot from this season—at least while it lasted—was Jaren McCain.
Unfortunately, he underwent knee surgery in December and is out for the remainder of the
season. So, where does this team go from here? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. Everyone,
including the media and NBA circles, agreed the Sixers were massive winners of the offseason.
But now, with Embiid constantly dealing with injuries and not playing up to his usual
standard—even after signing a lucrative extension this past summer—is that deal even good for
the Sixers?

Are they stuck in this mess? There are so many questions, and only time will tell. That said, I
believe the Sixers should seriously consider being sellers at the trade deadline. They need to try
and acquire any assets they can to regroup and come back stronger next year—hopefully fully
healthy (god willing). Of course, it’s up to management and the front office to figure all that out.

Will Nick Nurse still be coaching next season? I have no idea. But I wish the Sixers all the luck
in the world because, right now, it feels like this could be the beginning of the end after the
disaster they’ve endured over the past few months.