The Philadelphia 76ers have misplaced seven consecutive video games, are twelfth within the Japanese Convention with a 20-36 document and have little or no margin for error in the event that they nonetheless stand an opportunity at making the playoffs, which is probably going solely potential with a profitable run via the Play-In Match.
Excellent news is turning into more and more extra uncommon contained in the Sixers group, particularly after the most recent studies recommend celebrity Joel Embiid is contemplating different choices for a nagging knee damage that has restricted him to simply 19 video games. One such choice is one other knee surgical procedure, which Embiid hinted at following a 124-104 loss to the Boston Celtics final week, saying “I consider I most likely want, you understand, to repair the issue, after which I will be again at that stage.”
A number of choices are being thought of, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, as the present routine of knee injections and remedy usually are not serving to the 2023 MVP. Embiid is anticipated to bear additional exams on his knee this week to find out the most effective plan ahead, per Charania, although it is simple to see what the Sixers ought to do no matter what the exams say.
The Sixers must shutdown Embiid for the remainder of the season.
That is not an extremely daring factor to say given he is solely suited up for 19 video games to date, and with 26 video games remaining Embiid was most likely already going to overlook a very good chunk of them. However he entered the season with a murky clarification about his ongoing knee problem, and with no enchancment, he most likely had no enterprise enjoying in any respect this season.
Why the 76ers ought to shut down Embiid… and PG?
The best choice now could be to place him on the shelf for the remainder of the season, and as an alternative of feigning some objective of attempting to compete for a playoff spot, prioritize the upcoming draft, through which the Sixers have the sixth-best odds of touchdown the No. 1 general decide. In reality, shutdown each Embiid and Paul George, the latter of whom has been receiving common injections in his left hand to uninteresting the ache of an damage to the extensor tendon in his left pinky finger he picked up on Jan. 25. George has been admirably enjoying via the ache, although he is additionally solely performed in 37 video games on account of numerous different accidents and has been inefficient (in comparison with his requirements) when he’s on the ground.
It is clearly time to wave the white flag and give attention to the long run. If the Sixers entrance workplace wants extra convincing, then possibly the truth that their first-round decide this 12 months will go to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder if it falls exterior the highest six is cause sufficient to tug the plug on the remainder of this season.
If the season ended right now, Philly would have a forty five.8% probability (per Tankathon) of touchdown a top-six decide, which they’d hold. But when the Sixers’ decide lands at No. 7 or later, then that decide goes to the Thunder.
At this level, it does not seem to be there’s an opportunity the Sixers are going to make any type of deep run within the postseason (regardless of their homeowners’ optimism earlier this month), not with Embiid being a shell of himself all season. As a lot because the Sixers wish to most likely get into the play-in with the tenth spot, it might do them hurt than good for them in the long term.
There is a current instance to observe
The Sixers want to tug a web page out of the 2023 Dallas Mavericks’ e book. Two years in the past, the Mavs tanked their last handful of video games, lacking the postseason completely with the hopes of holding their top-10 protected decide. It labored out extremely properly for the Mavericks, who stored their 2023 decide (No. 10) and managed to draft a rising star in Dereck Full of life II to be their heart for the long run. Full of life performed a giant function in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals the next season.
The Sixers might observe an analogous blueprint, selecting up a promising younger expertise within the draft to additional fill out what’s already a deep roster when totally wholesome. Even when the Sixers do not essentially need the decide, they may use it in commerce negotiations this summer time, but when they fall out of that top-six that leverage and management goes out the window.
This could now not be a tough choice, particularly with how poorly this season has gone. Even when the Sixers are apprehensive in regards to the optics side of it — which I doubt they’re — they would not obtain practically as a lot criticism because the Mavericks did two years in the past. Dallas wasn’t hampered by accidents, and so they simply pulled off a midseason commerce for Kyrie Irving with the intention of contending for a championship. They modified course as soon as the losses began to pile up, and determined holding that first-round decide was extra essential than possibly securing a play-in spot. In the long term they made the suitable transfer, even when on the time they have been closely criticized for it.
The Sixers are in a far completely different scenario proper now, so tanking will not be seen as some horrible choice. It will truly be seen because the sensible transfer to maintain Embiid and George sidelined for the remainder of the season, get wholesome and are available into subsequent season with a full roster and a greater shot at profitable a championship. As a result of proper now they’re teetering between shedding a helpful first-round decide and preventing for a meaningless play-in spot. We’ll should see what the exams on Embiid’s knee says, however from the place I am sitting this choice ought to’ve been made at the very least a month in the past.
