The Sixers‘ season continues to reach new lows. On Monday, Philadelphia was obliterated at home by a Bulls team that came into the game on a six-game losing streak, falling behind Chicago by as many as 50 points in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing by 32. The 76ers are now 20-37, 12th in the Eastern Conference, and sit 2.5 games behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot.
After the game, forward Paul George told reporters that the Sixers need to have more “pride” on defense, adding that he’s “baffled” by how easily they give up layups and easy baskets (YouTube link). Asked about the club’s postseason hopes, he acknowledged that Philadelphia hasn’t looked like a team capable of making noise in the playoffs — or even making it there.
“We’ve shown no signs of a team that will compete,” George said (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We just don’t have the habits that a champion or a playoff-contending team would have. So to be honest right now, it’s a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard, try to keep going for one another. But we’ve shown no signs of – forget championship – a playoff-contending team here.”
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Within a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Marcus Hayes cites medical opinions from doctors who aren’t directly involved in Joel Embiid‘s treatment about what sort of options the big man might have to address his nagging left knee problems. According to Hayes, the original plan was for Embiid to get used to playing with some level of soreness, managing the knee by regularly draining it and injecting it with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). But Embiid has gotten worse instead of better in recent weeks and experienced swelling in the knee on Sunday, which necessitated an additional round of testing. One source tells Hayes that another surgery was never seriously considered as an option for Embiid until this weekend.
- Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, one of the few success stories in Philadelphia this season, left Monday’s game early after suffering an eye injury. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links), Yabusele has been diagnosed with a corneal abrasion in one eye and has swelling around his other eye. He’ll undergo further evaluation on Tuesday and the hope is that there’s no retinal damage, Neubeck adds.
- Despite being currently mired in an eight-game losing streak, the Sixers remain unlikely to finish the season with a worse record than the Pelicans, Jazz, Hornets, or Wizards, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Still, the 76ers could be incentivized to shut down George and Embiid in the hopes that Toronto passes them in the standings. In that scenario, Philadelphia would have the league’s fifth-worst record and roughly a 64% chance of hanging onto its protected first-round draft pick, which will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top six.
The Philly loss was even worse than described. The Bulls were playing without Vucevic, Ayo and Patrick Williams.
At TD
Smart is defensive player of the year
Why didn’t 76ers acquired Marcus Smart and an unprotected first round pick
Smart was viewed as huge negative asset
76ers get a First, Smart, Kennard and filler
Grizzlies get players from third team
Third team gets George
Time for Sixers to clean house. Start in the FO and work their way down. Roster is a joke
Agreed, Roster issue
Nobody plays defense
George and Maxey focus on offense
Other players can’t play defense at all
Keeping George at TD is wrong wrong wrong
Both Butler and Durant were available
Sixers should have trusted the process and not let Hinkie go. Everyone in charge since has slowly ruined what was at one the most promising future for any franchise in the NBA.
The sixers should of been what the Celtics are now but they’ve made bad decisions for years
You have to be a pretty pathetic franchise/team when you let a guy like Dalon Terry put 17 on you last night. Absolutely criminal what this 76ers team has done so far this year.
I can’t stop smiling :)
Josh Giddey set records in game. Only good story from this game. Josh is my guy with Williams. Two guys Bulls don’t know what do with them.
Part of me loves this Philly trainwreck because it’s hilarious to watch.
Part of me is starting to legitimately feel sad for fans, players, and everyone else, excluding the front office.
Nah.
Doctors discuss ‘radical’ surgeries for Joel Embiid
“The same Sixer who made “orbital bone fracture” and “navicular bone fracture” common phrases in Philadelphia sports lexicon — he’s had two of each — might soon add one of these: meniscus replacement; low-dose radiation therapy; or even the ominous-sounding osteotomy, in which doctors break a bone in the hip to realign the joint to alleviate pressure. One source called the procedures “radical” in light of the mundane injury and surgery that brought Embiid to this point. For some reason, what should have been a routine rehab and a routine return to play has gone horribly wrong. – via The Philadelphia Inquirer“
First off — I don’t believe anything with this franchise. Everything was fine at end if last season. Then everything was fine when he went to Olympics. Don’t get why all the misinformation. The secrecy and damage control going on. Since apparently it all came to a headbin preseason. Unprofessional .
Only sense I make. The process is to tank for a top six pick. Even make sure a top three pick. So their top players must get shut down. PG is already looking like he will be shut down . Who’s next Maxey. Then Obrue. The counter Morey is counting his draft odds …… Disaster. Never have I seen this. And I’ve seen a lot.