It’s no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers will be looking for star power this summer as they look to build a contender around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. As revealed by Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, however, there is an increasingly popular tradition to warn players about teaming with Embiid due to his long history of playoff injuries.
“I’ve heard from multiple agents that if their client wants to go to the Sixers, they are going to be advising that guy; ‘are you sure you want to hitch your wagon to Joel Embiid who has never proven to be healthy in the post-season?,'” said Fischer on the ‘No Cap Room’ podcast.
As a 1x MVP, 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 2x scoring leader, there is no doubt that Joel Embiid has the talent to lead the 76ers to glory. This past season was on track to be his best yet before his injury, with averages of 34.7 points, 11.0 points, and 1.7 blocks per game on 52% shooting.
But for as good as Joel has been, he doesn’t have the playoff success to show for it. In fact, through seven years of NBA action, he’s never been to the Conference Finals despite having star teammates from Ben Simmons to Jimmy Butler, to James Harden, and now Tyrese Maxey. While some choke jobs and breakdowns are to blame, injuries have been the biggest setback for Embiid and it seems every year he’s having to fight through some kind of problem with his health.
As the 76ers continue their hunt for talent in the offseason, Embiid’s health history is going to be a major factor for prospective free agents and they might think twice before hitching their basketball future to a guy who is so unreliable when the team needs him most.
Philadelphia 76ers Disappointed Again
When Daryl Morey finally caved and traded James Harden, there was confidence at the time that Tyrese Maxey would be enough to fill the void. Initially, that idea looked promising when the 76ers started off the season hot, and Joel Embiid was having one of the best stretches in NBA history.
But as the season dragged on, Embiid suffered his usual run with the injury bug and it pulled the 76ers down to the 7th seed in the East. When Embiid came back before the playoffs, optimism again surged that the 76ers could finally make a run and have their breakthrough moment in the post-season.
Instead, they lost in 6 games to the New York Knicks in the very first round. Embiid was hobbled and compromised, Maxey was exhausted, and the 76ers just looked like a team that had nothing left in the tank. Once again, they were sent home in a brutal defeat and there are no clear answers on how to address the flaws.
For now, all that the 76ers can hope for is to add enough talent to offset any injuries that may arrive, but who will want to join them now given that agents are advising their clients against it? Unless Embiid can demonstrate some level of durability in April, May, and June, it will become harder and harder for the 76ers to attract free agents and keep up with the rising competition.
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