Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers Paul George (R) and Joel Embiid (L) look on through the first quarter in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Middle. Necessary Credit score: Invoice Streicher-Imagn Photos I noticed this put up making the rounds on the socials the opposite day, and it caught with me: “Presumably the one true pearl of knowledge I’ve heard from 94WIP, ever: The Philadelphia 76ers are a PR agency, not a basketball staff.”
With the right hat tip to that nameless WIP host or caller, I feel the comparability is apt. 4 weeks into the common season, 76ers statements and damage updates outpace wins on the basketball courtroom roughly 50 to 2.
It’s all about phrases with this staff. What they’re saying, what’s being stated about their star participant, and when the subsequent replace on somebody’s availability will probably be.
The newest assertion from on excessive took the type of a cagey admission from coach Nick Nurse an hour after the 76ers lifelessly gave away a 19-point lead in a 106-89 loss on the Miami Warmth late Monday night time.
“Sorry for the delay. We simply had just a little assembly. … Gained’t get into specifics of that assembly, however pleased to reply any questions in regards to the sport,” Nurse stated.
Joel Embiid saved the small print of the assembly personal, pretending he didn’t know the 76ers had one, and the web overreacted accordingly.
However I can’t blame basketball followers for not taking Embiid or Nurse or the Sixers critically. Now 2-11 and enjoying some surprisingly horrendous basketball, it is a staff with none apparent options, and the fixed hoopla about who’s enjoying, who’s harm and who’s resting makes them ripe for mockery.
The Philadelphia Inquirer received itself entangled with the Embiid damage saga earlier this month when controversial columnist Marcus Hayes made the poor choice to attach Embiid’s willingness to point out as much as work to his son and his late brother. This was adopted by probably the most bafflingly phrased live-tweeting of a locker room altercation we’ll ever see from beat author Keith Pompey.
However as mad as followers wish to be about Embiid’s ensuing suspension (for shoving, not assaulting, Hayes), the Inquirer didn’t create the 76ers’ terrible begin.
Right here’s which areas of the sport the 76ers are dangerous at: The whole lot.
They rank final within the NBA in scoring (103.3 ppg), assists (21.2 per sport), and efficient area purpose proportion (49.6%). They rank twenty ninth in 3-point capturing (31.6%) and rebounding proportion (46.5%). They’re twenty eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46), and whereas Philadelphia’s protection charges as middle-of-the-pack, the rim safety is past weak. A staff rostering Embiid shouldn’t charge twenty ninth in blocks and twenty seventh in factors per shot allowed on the rim.
So let’s speak about Embiid, who in fact was listed as uncertain for the Miami sport with an sickness earlier than he suited as much as play.
Probably the most optimistic Sixers fan should argue that the staff has not performed a single sport with their new huge three—Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George—wholesome on the similar time, and issues can flip round after they’re all again. However within the 5 video games Philadelphia has had two of these three collectively, it’s gone 0-5! It doesn’t precisely encourage confidence.
Embiid on Monday had his worst output since late within the 2020-21 season, scoring simply 11 factors in 31 minutes, and he didn’t get to the foul line a single time. Kyle Lowry has began the final six video games with Maxey out and made a grand complete of six area targets in that point.
The silver lining for Sixers followers is Jared McCain, who’s discovering his method properly in his rookie yr. However when your first-round draft decide is main you in factors per possession, it’s virtually like a backhanded praise to the remainder of your roster.
All instructed, Monday’s staff assembly was a drop within the bucket within the noise surrounding the 76ers. They’ll be on to one thing new tomorrow, or at any time when we get the subsequent replace on Maxey’s hamstring. However one thing tells me all three stars getting wholesome concurrently isn’t sufficient to unravel the core issues of this franchise.