For more than a decade, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a tragic tale of maladies. From Joel Embiid to Jared McCain, good health has eluded the Sixers like the plague. Health issues have prevented Philadelphia from gaining any momentum, especially in the postseason, a development that is not lost on fans that are aching for some measure of success beyond being a playoff contender.
This season, the Sixers were supposed to be entering with a clean bill of health, but McCain and Paul George continue to recover from surgeries to address their respective thumb and knee injuries. Meanwhile, Embiid’s status remains up in the air despite an offseason of rest.
There seems to be a measure of uncertainty even before preseason, but could there be some cause for optimism?
WHAT’S NEW?
VJ Edgecombe is Philadelphia’s most notable addition. The third overall pick in this year’s draft is a potential two-way menace who has been blowing people away with his athleticism. What has made him a dark horse for the Rookie of the Year race, though, is his smarts. Even in summer league, Edgecombe knew where to go and where to be in a number of instances. Not only does that speak to his coachability, but it points to a versatility that the Sixers need given their usual circumstances.
Johni Broome could provide some depth at the frontcourt, but we’ll only know more about his impact when injuries come in droves.
BIGGEST QUESTIONS
With Philadelphia the question is obvious: Can they stay healthy? Regardless of the Sixers’ talent, which they have plenty of, much of their success is contingent on their health. You have to go back to Philadelphia’s 2017-2018 campaign to find Sixers players who played on average 30 minutes in at least 80 games (Ben Simmons and Robert Covington). Since then, playing 70 games was easier said than done for any of their players with heavy minutes.
Moreover, is it time to transition away to Embiid? No, this isn’t a call to trade the 2023 NBA MVP, but maybe it’s time to begin building around Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is an All-Star caliber player who can take over games when need be. He’s not one to miss a ton of games every year and his skillset complements anyone the Philadelphia has right now and perhaps is considering bringing in.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
That being said, Maxey should be the first one mentioned here, but it’s clear things around the Sixers still go through Embiid. He’s a unique combination of great skill and sheer brute force. However, it has come at a cost as he has missed games and
McCain is another player to watch given how he fits into Philadelphia’s rotation once the lineup becomes more complete and when he becomes healthy. If not for a torn meniscus in his left knee, he would have been a shoo-in for NBA All-Rookie Team honors at the least.
It was, however, a product of circumstance as Maxey and George missed significant time and thus he had more room to operate. How he fits in a loaded roster and whether he gets opportunities again remains to be seen.
George is another player to watch, and if he can tap into some of his two-way potential again, then sky’s the limit for the Sixers.
REASON FOR OPTIMISM/CONCERN:
The Philadelphia Sixers will remain a talented group, but they’ll only go as far as their health permits. To be fair to them, the Sixers have a deep roster, considering how the likes of Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes have stepped up when needed.
But, Philadelphia is tired of seeing their marquee players on the sidelines. They’d rather see a complete roster consistently competing for championships, especially when their peers are assembling contenders and winning titles ahead of them.
