Here is the factor about gamblers and playing: Typically the perfect of bets — the neatest of plans — nonetheless leaves you broke, bedraggled and not sure of what comes subsequent.
That is the state of issues immediately for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lower than a 12 months in the past, within the golden-hued afterglow of what then appeared like a surprising offseason coup, Philly was the toast of the league. Daryl Morey, the staff’s common supervisor and president of basketball operations, had wagered huge on a free-agency overhaul.
He had, it appeared, gained huge.
However Friday’s announcement by the Sixers that they’re shutting down Joel Embiid simply hammers dwelling the dangerous run of luck Philly has had this season, and the colossal failure Morey’s strikes appear like they’re going to find yourself being.
Paul George, acquired final summer season in free company with a four-year, $212 million deal, was not, in truth, the sure-thing profitable transfer all of us thought.
The opposite additions, too — a complete overhaul of the roster, outdoors of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — on the time appeared equally like Morey being Morey: Swinging huge, taking probabilities, aiming for the moon, and touchdown a top-level NBA championship contender.
Vegas had them at 9-to-1 to win all of it simply earlier than the season began, the NBA’s fourth-best odds. Pundits praised Philly. Rival entrance places of work listed the Sixers as an elite staff, proper up there, or so the pondering went, with the Celtics, Thunder and Knicks.
Actuality, immediately, has them at a dismally totally different spot: Sitting at 20-38, putting out team statements that reinforce, in truth, the one sure factor at this level with Embiid and his staff is that it’ll not get higher anytime quickly — if it does certainly get higher in any respect.
“The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid have been consulting with high specialists relating to ongoing points along with his left knee,” Philly’s assertion learn Friday afternoon. “After additional analysis, it has been decided that he’s medically unable to play and can miss the rest of the season to deal with therapy and rehabilitation.
“We’re working with medical consultants to find out the precise therapy plan and can replace media when we’ve got extra data. The staff and specialists will proceed working with Joel to make sure the perfect path ahead for his long-term well being and efficiency.”
It is simple to say you may’t blame Morey for Embiid’s continued damage woes, however that is the place the gamble inherent to Morey’s method — ambition could be a kinder description — pins this season and its short- and long-term realities squarely on him.
The actual fact is, Morey has at all times taken dangers to usher in expertise. He did it with James Harden, a saga that resulted in acrimony and private insults. He did it in Houston with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. Hell, Morey did in again in 2012, when Houston drafted proficient however clearly dangerous prospect Royce White with the sixteenth general decide.
And so Embiid’s precarious health — and what appeared a presumably closing window final summer season — meant any huge strikes would succeed or fail via the prism of how they labored, or did not work, due to Embiid.
Not way back, Embiid was a reigning MVP dropping 70-point basketball masterclasses. However that was then, that is now, and the very fact stays that maybe Embiid’s window is presently, or doable already has, closed. And if that is the case, the identical can be true for the Sixers professional hopes of turning issues round subsequent 12 months, or past.
Take PG’s contract. He turns 35 in Could, has proven virtually no flashes of greatness even this 12 months, and just lately introduced, on his podcast, that he was putting it on hiatus, partly, “to deal with getting my physique proper, getting mentally proper.”
Far be it for me to state the apparent right here however: It is February. Should not your physique and psychological state be “proper” already? And if a podcast will get in the best way of that, should not it have been paused, say, months in the past?
Both method, that is the man Morey introduced in and paid huge cash with huge years as a part of the plan for the Sixers to win now, and George has not precisely lined himself in glory in Philly.
With that contract beginning to look as problematic as Embiid’s well being, it looks like one other celebrated Morey gamble will really finish very, very badly.
And on it goes. Nick Nurse, nicely regarded, finds his seat highly regarded. The staff that regarded good on paper however hadn’t, , performed collectively by no means gelled. This staff as soon as considered as a Finals contender will virtually actually fail to make even the Play-In Event.
It is good the Sixers have shut Embiid down. They’ve a top-six protected decide, and so shedding video games, and making an attempt to maximise the percentages their first rounder in a traditionally loaded draft would not go to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, could be very sensible.
It additionally might finally not matter a lot.
If Embiid can not return to common and dependable greatness, if PG’s contract seems to be an albatross as a substitute of a solution, then all the opposite particulars — Maxey’s promise, the injured Jared McCain‘s early season emergence, Morey’s undoubtedly spectacular basketball mind — could also be particulars of a still-sinking ship.
Gamblers win. However additionally they lose, too, generally catastrophically. And this Sixers group is wanting increasingly more like a good suggestion gone dangerous — a wise guess, in the long run, that may maybe value the whole lot.
