Wednesday was imagined to symbolize a recent begin for the Philadelphia 76ers. After beginning 2-11 due largely to quite a lot of accidents, they’d lastly have their three superstars on the ground on the identical time. Tyrese Maxey returned from a hamstring harm to hitch Joel Embiid, who has performed in solely 4 video games, and Paul George, who has appeared in eight. All three took their place in Philadelphia’s beginning lineup for the primary time this season in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies.
As a substitute, the nightmare continued. Early within the second half of a dropping effort, George suffered one more harm that knocked him out for the sport. He collided with Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane as he fought for a rebound and instantly got here up limping. The 76ers finally dominated him out for the sport with a hyperextended left knee. Notably, that’s the identical knee he hyperextended within the preseason, inflicting a bone bruise that stored him out of Philadelphia’s first six video games.
With 14 video games now within the books, Philadelphia has gotten a mixed six whole minutes with its three finest gamers on the ground. If George must miss time due to this harm, it might be deal longer earlier than that quantity grows, and it isn’t as if Maxey or Embiid have reached 100% but both. Maxey performed solely 20 minutes within the defeat, taking pictures 3-of-13 from the ground and 0-of-6 from the 3-point vary. Embiid scored 35 factors, by far his highest whole of the season, however he additionally gave the impression to be in ache late within the fourth quarter when he collided with Jaren Jackson Jr. He completed the sport, however was seen limping and holding his knee after the play.
With Wednesday’s 117-111 loss to Memphis, Philadelphia has now fallen to 2-12. The two-11 Washington Wizards had the night time off, so Philadelphia now has sole possession of the NBA’s worst file. The schedule over the following few weeks is extraordinarily forgiving. Solely three of their subsequent 9 video games are on the highway, and solely three of their opponents in that span are presently top-six seeds of their convention. That features two video games in opposition to the Orlando Magic, nonetheless lacking Paolo Banchero, whereas the third is the second night time of a highway back-to-back for the Rockets. On paper, that is the second through which they completely want to start out stacking wins.
If George misses time they usually cannot do this, their season is perhaps over by Christmas. With every passing loss, the percentages already work in opposition to them. Solely six groups have ever completed .500 after a 2-10 begin. The Pelicans made the 2022 postseason after a 3-16 begin, however wanted a serious in-season commerce for CJ McCollum and the Play-In Event to get there. The Japanese Convention is forgiving. Final 12 months’s No. 10 seed gained solely 36 video games. However Philadelphia must go .500 the remainder of the way in which simply to get to that whole.
With a principally wholesome George and no additional accidents, that is fully affordable. However Embiid would not precisely have a clear observe file. George is 34 and has handled loads of different accidents as effectively. The depth right here is restricted. That is the value you pay for accumulating three max-contract superstars within the second apron period. That is DEFCON 1 for the 76ers now. If they do not get wholesome and begin profitable video games quickly, their season will finish earlier than it actually begins.
