The Philadelphia 76ers remain unwilling to shut down Joel Embiid, even as the former MVP reportedly requires regular injections just to play. Despite sitting at 20-38 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers still believe Embiid is their franchise cornerstone and are reluctant to accept that this season is lost.
According to Jake Fischer, the team has no intention of pulling the plug and still views itself as being in the postseason hunt.
“Philadelphia insists that it isn’t pulling any cord out of its plug just yet. It still views Embiid as its franchise cornerstone. Season-ending surgery isn’t necessarily the destined outcome for Embiid either, sources said.”
“As insane as it sounds, despite a miserable record of just 20-38, Philadelphia awoke Thursday just 2 1/2 games out of the No. 10 seed in the East that secures a berth in the league’s Play-In Tournament.”
At this point, the Sixers are completely delusional if they believe they can salvage this season. Sitting on a nine-game losing streak, their situation is dire. Yes, they are technically 2.5 games behind the final play-in spot, but the remaining schedule paints a grim picture.
Out of the 28 games left, only five are against teams with a worse record than the Sixers. Ten of those games are against legitimate contenders or playoff teams, while several others will see them face squads currently in play-in contention.
Philadelphia is in a position where they need to wake up and accept reality. This season is over, and the best thing they can do now is focus on the future. If they fail to secure a top-six pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, that selection will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At this stage, tanking should be the top priority. The best course of action is to shut down both Embiid and Paul George, ensuring they are healthy for next season while increasing their odds of securing a valuable draft asset.
The situation with Embiid is especially concerning. There are already reports that the Sixers and their star center are considering surgery, which would likely keep him out for an extended period.
Embiid himself has admitted that he does not trust his knee, further raising doubts about his ability to carry the team even if he does return.
Some reports suggest that the procedure he is considering is so severe that he could be sidelined for a full year. If he continues playing and worsens the injury, Philadelphia risks losing him not just for the remainder of this season but for the next as well.
Even in the best-case scenario where the Sixers somehow make the play-in tournament, what is the point?
If they scrape their way into the eighth seed, they will have to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently hold the best record in the NBA. That series would be over before it even starts.
If they finish seventh, they will likely face either the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks, both of whom would comfortably handle this depleted Sixers team.
It’s time for Philadelphia to accept the inevitable. This season is a lost cause, and the longer they delay the decision to shut Embiid down, the more they risk turning this year’s disaster into a long-term catastrophe.
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