The Philadelphia 76ers have endured a nightmarish season. Daryl Morey’s gamble to spend big this past summer is yet to pay dividends.
Nick Nurse’s team currently sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, four games behind the Chicago Bulls. According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, regardless of what happens between now and the summer, the Sixers must look to improve their front court.
“Although depth wasn’t the primary reason for Philadelphia’s failure, it disappointed nonetheless,” Pelton wrote on March 2. “Backup centers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona haven’t provided the cover the 76ers expected behind Embiid, and Caleb Martin wasn’t the strong role player Philadelphia expected. As a result, the Sixers have given more than 3,500 minutes to players my metric rates below replacement level this season, the league’s eighth-highest total.”
Outside of Guerschon Yabusele, the Knicks front court has seriously underwhelmed this season. Joel Embiid‘s absence for the majority of the season hasn’t helped. Without the former MVP, other players have had to step into bigger roles.
The Sixers must find a way to shed some underperforming stars once the offseason arrives. Otherwise, Nurse will likely struggle to get the best out of his roster next season. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in Philadelphia due to the injury history of Embiid and Paul George.
Nick Nurse Doesn’t Want to Shut Down George
With the Sixers struggling to close out the regular season, there has been talk within the fanbase of shutting down George for the remainder of the season. However, it would appear Nurse doesn’t buy into the idea of sitting healthy players.
“We want them to play if they’re able to play, right?,” Nurse said. “For me, the medical people tell me if they’re good. … I think, at the end of the third the other night, he just wasn’t able to continue. So that kind of stuff happens too, and I just take my directions from them.”
George is currently absent from the Sixers rotation due to a groin strain. As such, the decision to shut down the All-Star forward may be taken out of Nurse’s hands.
Sixers Joel Embiid is Already Out For The Season
According to a Feb. 28 report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Embiid is out for the remainder of the season. The superstar big man has been dealing with a knee issue this season, after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in 2024.
Embiid has only played 19 games for Philadelphia this season. However, when on the court, he’s averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. The hope will now be that Embiid can get the treatment he needs in order to be ready for the 2024-25 campaign.
Nevertheless, concerns will likely linger regarding Embiid’s ability to lead the Sixers to a championship. Health has been a stumbling block for him throughout his career, especially once the postseason is underway.
Still, if Nurse can get a fully healthy season out of both Embiid and George, the duo could form a frightening rotation alongside Tyrese Maxey. Unfortunately for the Sixers, the chances of both veterans being healthy at the same time appear to be dwindling.
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