weitzman boy
FOX Sports NBA Writer
A loss may have come earlier in the playoffs than usual for this era’s Philadelphia 76ers, but unlike in years past, there was nothing embarrassing about this game. No All-Star missed a layup, no future Hall of Famer played in an elimination game, no questions were asked of the coach after the game, and no player was thrown under the bus.
The only strange thing about the Sixers’ loss this time was how unusually close they were to not losing. They scored 649 points and gave up 650 points in six games against the New York Knicks. The three losses were by three points. The fourth was at 5 o’clock. And Joel Embiid is still coming back from injury and suffering from Bell’s palsy.
“This series probably could have gone the exact opposite way it did,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters Thursday night after his team suffered a heartbreaking 118-115 loss in Game 6. “But it wasn’t like that.”
This series felt more like a conference finals than a first-round matchup. And it might have been one if Embiid hadn’t missed more than half the season with a meniscus injury. The important thing to remember when thinking about the Sixers and where they go from here, and why another early postseason exit (the Sixers haven’t advanced to the conference finals since 2001) is not a reason for concern. At least not yet.
The Sixers’ season ended in the fourth quarter of their game against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30. That night, Embiid underwent surgery for a meniscus injury that will keep him out until early April. At the time, Embiid averaged more than 35 points per game and more than 1 point per minute, something that has only happened once in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain during the 1961-1962 season).
The Sixers won 31 of 39 regular season games in which Embiid and Tyrese Maxey played. We know what Embiid is when healthy. And after he averaged 29.8 points and 6.8 assists in six games. that The Knicks’ defense, and doing so at the age of 23, gave us a look at what Maxey can do when he takes the reins of the offense in the playoffs. The Embiid-Maxey combination is as good a one-two punch as there is in the NBA.
That’s good news. The bad news is that time is running out for the Sixers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey to surround them, especially Embiid, with the right players. In fact, this offseason may be the franchise’s last chance.
The Sixers will enter the summer with about $60 million in cap space. That won’t be the case for the next few years after Maxey, a restricted free agent, signed a max extension with the Sixers this summer. They will also have the ability to trade five first-round picks.
Who will they get? A better question is: who? ~can do do they get Top free agent candidates include LeBron James, Paul George, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam. It would be truly surprising if Anunoby and Siakam didn’t re-sign with their current teams and LeBron didn’t go to Philly.
George is the team’s top target, and the fact that he has yet to sign an extension with the LA Clippers despite Kawhi Leonard already doing so has certainly raised eyebrows throughout the NBA. He would fit perfectly alongside Maxey and Embiid, even if he is at an age (34) where there may be some pain on the flip side of the deal. Most league executives expect him to eventually re-sign with the Clippers (he’s from California; it’s hard to imagine Clippers owner Steve Ballmer letting him walk, either). However, if the Sixers pull him down, he will immediately become a title contender.
The Sixers are also confident that other stars will break out and that once that happens, they will be the best contenders to jump in. And they might be right. The situation in Phoenix appears unstable. Maybe the Cavs decide it’s time to dismantle their backcourt. Perhaps the Pelicans may decide to move on from Brandon Ingram. In the NBA, betting on chaos is usually a bet that pays off.
If all else fails, Morey can use cap space and trade assets to add two-way players and bolster the depth around the star duo. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a player option that he will likely decline. He would be the perfect player next to Maxey and Embiid. DeMar DeRozan would be interesting. There are certainly other players who could be snapped up through trades. Add a few of those players and bring back free agents like Nic Batum and DeAnthony Melton, and suddenly you have the best team of Embiid’s career.
The Sixers began the season with title hopes. They fell short once again, but this time things felt different.
“We have work to do, especially this summer,” Nurse said. “I really like where we’re going.”
Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports and Heading to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boldest Course in Professional Sports History. Follow him on Twitter @Jaron Weitzman.
Joel Embiid
philadelphia 76ers
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