Few expected the Philadelphia 76ers to falter the way they did in the preseason. Paul George’s arrival was supposed to bring much-needed firepower to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as they try to make their first Finals appearance in two decades.
However, the dream quickly transitioned into a nightmare as the Sixers struggled to get things off the ground. Not only did George turn out to be a horrible fit for Philly’s championship aspirations, but Embiid’s reign as the alpha dog in the Philly roster seems to be over with another long-term injury affecting his value to the squad.
The situation leaves Philly in an uncertain situation where no one has a clear idea on what the team would do. While will continue to speculate about the future, the youngest star in the roster clears the air about their oft-injured center.
Tyrese Maxey talks about Joel Embiid’s absence for the Philadelphia 76ers this season
More than anyone, Maxey knew that they could have finished better than their 24-58 record if Embiid managed to shake off his injuries and play for the majority of the season.
He discussed with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps how difficult it was to see the 2023 MVP winner sit out for much of the season given his quality:
“It sucked,” Maxey said of watching Embiid struggle with his health this season. “It really did suck, man, because at the end of the day, Joe is somebody who really wants to be out there. So to see him suffer, to see him go out there and actually try and he just couldn’t be himself … you could tell. You’d give him the ball sometimes, and me being here the longest, I’ve seen him do so many spectacular things and I gave him the ball a couple of times in moments where I think that he’ll do something and I guess he just couldn’t, he was limited.
Aside from Embiid’s desire to get on the floor, his on-court production shows effectiveness in the Sixers’ game plan when available. He averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the 19 games he played. While his knee prevented him from getting a lot of blocks, his 0.9 rejections a game were still respectable as an interior presence.
Philly will likely blow up the roster and rebuild with Maxey at the center. However, it seems like the young guard hopes Embiid remains part of their roster to push for a title in the coming years.
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