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After a season of high expectations, there were more negatives than positives for the Philadelphia 76ers at the All-Star break. So now, with a 20-34 record, what should the 76ers do for the rest of the season.
Let’s start with Paul George. It’s been a nightmare season for George, with injuries and poor play being the main culprits. George is averaging 16.1 points per game, and that’s certainly not what Philly fans expected.
In a game where Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey didn’t play, George struggled, totaling just two points in a game where the offense should have been centered around him. There have been rumors of George dealing with a nagging pinky injury and with tanking as a potential option for the remainder of the season, there may be a discussion about sitting him for the rest of the season.
Which takes us to Joel Embiid. Where do I begin? Embiid is one of the most talented players but has constantly been plagued by injuries. When he’s on the court, he’s been frustrating to watch. There have been games where you say, ‘Wow, he looks great,’ and then games where it’s not even watchable. Just like the George situation, people are wondering whether the 76ers should shut Embiid down to help preserve their draft pick.
On the positive side, Tyrese Maxey has had a rollercoaster of a season, but over the past month, he has been playing the best basketball of his career. Over the last 10 games, he has averaged 31.6 points per game, and this season, he is averaging 27.6 points per game, which is fourth best in the league. Yet, he didn’t even make the All-Star game (which is insane), but Maxey knows it’s been a struggle this season for the 76ers, and his inconsistency early on in the year is a reason why.
Philly knows there is a lot at stake the rest of the season, whether that is tanking and getting a top-five pick in the draft or finding a way to get into the play-in tournament. It will be interesting to see what direction the 76ers coaches and front-office executives want to take for the second half of the year.
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