Even though it seemed like the Philadelphia 76ers were slowly sinking in quicksand prior to the start of this season, they have gotten off to a promising start. They have a 5-1 record, which currently has them tied for first place in the Eastern Conference, and their young players have led the way.
Guard Tyrese Maxey is on a tear to start the schedule, and Quentin Grimes is blossoming. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in June’s draft, is averaging an efficient 20.3 points a game and looking like a star in the making. Even better, the Sixers have won five of their first six games even though Paul George and Jared McCain haven’t played yet.
But the drama surrounding center Joel Embiid, their franchise player, continues. He continues to be in and out of the lineup due to his nagging knee problems, and after Friday’s 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA for what it called a “lewd gesture” that he made.
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Embiid fired back at the league on X (formerly Twitter) by claiming the gesture in question was similar to the gesture officials give when calling a blocking foul.
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This wasn’t the first time Embiid has made news for the wrong reason over the past calendar year. Early last season, he shoved a reporter in the locker room after taking exception to an article the journalist wrote, and he was suspended for three games as a result.
Last season was a very frustrating one for Embiid and his team. Coming in, Philly was thought to be a championship contender after signing George, a nine-time All-Star forward, to a four-year, $212 million contract. But George appeared in just 41 games due to injury, while Embiid played in just 19 games, and the Sixers sagged to a miserable 24-58 finish.
When Embiid has been healthy over the years, he has been dominant. He was the league MVP three seasons ago when he averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks a game, and it was the second year in a row he won the scoring title.
But the seven-time All-Star simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and there seems to be an increasing feeling that he’s becoming damaged goods.
In four games this season, Embiid has been at a mere 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.3 minutes a game, while noticeably lacking some mobility. One has to expect him to be held out of quite a few games due to his repeated knee injuries.
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The good news for the 76ers is that men such as Grimes, Maxey, Edgecombe and McCain are giving them a brighter future that no one could’ve possibly imagined exactly 12 months ago, regardless of what transpires with Embiid moving forward.
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