Very not often have issues gone proper this season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
At 18-27, Philadelphia presently sits in eleventh within the Jap Convention with February simply three days away. If the season had been to finish in the present day, the Sixers wouldn’t even make the play-in event, a harsh realization for a workforce that has reached the playoffs seven years in a row.
Philadelphia could be beginning to go on a little bit 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 evening.
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 must be constructing round.
Maxey erupted for 43 factors towards 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 workforce’s No. 1 possibility. And to suppose, Maxey was merely purported 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 towards 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 towards the Denver Nuggets.
Embiid can’t be traded this season since he signed an extension with the Sixers back in September, however George can, and he ought to.
This season, consider it or not, continues to be salvageable for Philadelphia. It’s only one recreation behind the Chicago Bulls for the fourth and remaining 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 not less than give the Sixers a glimpse of what Maxey may do at the moment of 12 months 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 past summer was a fully horrible choice. Horrible. Should you nonetheless don’t suppose it was, take off the rose-colored glasses and notice 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 are prepared to spend for George are on the market, and you may guess 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 occurring 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 must be the inspiration of what hopefully finally ends up being a new-look Sixers.
As a fan of the Celtics, I’m completely high quality if Philadelphia desires to depend on a one-legged Embiid and a geriatric George for years to come back. One much less workforce to fret about within the East for Boston.
