Very hardly ever have issues gone proper this season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
At 18-27, Philadelphia at present sits in eleventh within the Jap Convention with February simply three days away. If the season have been to finish in the present day, the Sixers wouldn’t even make the play-in event, a harsh realization for a group that has reached the playoffs seven years in a row.
Philadelphia could be beginning to go on somewhat little bit of a run, although, because the 76ers have gained three video games in a row for simply the second time this season due to a 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night time.
Spearheading Philadelphia’s potential turnaround has been Tyrese Maxey. Not 2023 MVP Joel Embiid, not star offseason acquisition Paul George, Maxey.
And that’s precisely who the Sixers needs to be constructing round.
Maxey erupted for 43 factors in opposition to the Lakers and has averaged 31.6 factors, 3.5 rebounds and seven.0 assists over his previous 11 video games—numbers that any fanbase would like to see out of their group’s No. 1 possibility. And to suppose, Maxey was merely imagined to be a sidekick for Embiid and George right here in 2024-25.
Embiid hasn’t even taken the ground since Jan. 4.
In the meantime, you by no means actually know what model of George you’re going to get on a nightly foundation. He may put up 25 factors as a part of a double-double like he did in back-to-back video games in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans and Orlando Magic earlier this month, or he would possibly provide solely 11 factors on 11 shot makes an attempt, one thing he did on Jan. 21 in opposition to the Denver Nuggets.
Embiid can’t be traded this season since he signed an extension with the Sixers again in September, however George can, and he ought to.
This season, imagine it or not, continues to be salvageable for Philadelphia. It is just one recreation behind the Chicago Bulls for the fourth and closing play-in spot, and may the 76ers lock that down, something can occur.
Philadelphia ought to not have the title hopes it as soon as had coming into the season, however attending to the postseason would at the least give the Sixers a glimpse of what Maxey may do at the moment of yr when he’s considered as the man.
However first Philadelphia must be trustworthy with itself. Bringing within the 34-year-old George on a four-year, $212 million contract this previous summer time was a completely horrible resolution. Horrible. If you happen to nonetheless don’t suppose it was, take off the rose-colored glasses and understand that we aren’t in 2019 anymore. Apparently the 76ers didn’t get that message, and now it’s biting them within the rear.
Groups which can be keen to spend for George are on the market, and you’ll wager that they are going to be lively in the course of the commerce deadline on Feb. 6.
As soon as George is out the door, Philadelphia ought to get happening a plan to ensure Embiid is subsequent. Then it’s time to provide the keys to Maxey and hope Jared McCain continues to develop as soon as he’s wholesome—these two guys needs to be the inspiration of what hopefully finally ends up being a new-look Sixers.
As a fan of the Celtics, I’m completely fantastic if Philadelphia needs to depend on a one-legged Embiid and a geriatric George for years to come back. One much less group to fret about within the East for Boston.