The Philadelphia 76ers have had a mixed off-season thus far, and it could get worse given a new report from The Athletic. Joel Embiid, who had surgery in March to fix an injured knee, seemingly hasn’t made much progress four months later. Embiid hasn’t even been cleared to get back on the court yet.
I’m not a doctor, but that’s clearly not good news for the Sixers, who were hoping for a healthy Embiid and Paul George next season. While George appears healthy as he prepares for his 17th season and should bounce back from his worst season since his rookie year, Embiid’s recovery remains uncertain.
Their front court also isn’t nearly as deep as last season with the loss of Guerschon Yabusele, who dipped and signed with the New York Knicks. That will hurt, though there is the chance that they can keep Quinten Grimes, whose market in restricted free agency has dried up.
He put up eye-popping numbers when the Sixers so-called Big Three were out for the remainder of last season. Grimes could be a huge help on both sides of the ball with Embiid possibly missing the start of and most of next season.
Sixers President Daryl Morey still expects Embiid to be ready to start the season, according to The Athletic. But even after getting a head start on having surgery, he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near getting back to full health. Then there is the chance that he returns to start the season only to get injured again.
The Sixers must pivot to Tyrese Maxey with Embiid’s injuries
Embiid being in street clothes more often than not underscores the old adage that the best ability is availability. Talented as he may be, he doesn’t seem capable of playing at least two-thirds of the season, not to mention holding up for a deep playoff run.
Most NBA Finals runs typically last a minimum of 25 games. There’s no chance that Embiid can hold up over a regular season and a long playoff run. Instead, the Sixers should pivot toward building around young star Tyrese Maxey.
They have already taken a step in that direction too. They were rumored to be considering trading the third overall pick but instead kept it and selected V.J. Edgecombe.
Maxey, Edgecombe, and Jared McCain are all talented enough and young enough to be considered a young core. With Paul and Embiid closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, the Sixers could take a dual-track approach.
They will still try to contend in the short term while also developing their young players, specifically Edgecombe and McCain. That way, when it comes time for them to move on from George and Embiid, they will hopefully be able to seamlessly transition into a new era.
