Amid a 1-7 start, Paul George and the Sixers are determined that the ‘ship hasn’t sunk’
As their Big Three of George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey deal with injuries, the Sixers have gotten off to a rough start. Will they be able to turn things around?
LOS ANGELES — Do the 76ers have a false sense of hope?
Joel Embiid will make them better when he finally plays. And the Los Angeles Lakers showed two seasons ago that a team with a rough start can make a deep postseason run.
After losing 10 of their first 12 games, the Lakers advanced to the 2023 Western Conference finals. That should provide confidence for a Sixers squad that has the NBA’s worst record of 1-7.
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But during the Lakers’ dismal start, All-Star center Anthony Davis observed that his team’s basketball IQ was hit-or-miss at best. Meanwhile, then-coach Darvin Ham discussed the need for attention to detail, valuing the precision required to execute, and being accountable. You knew a team led by LeBron James eventually would straighten those things out.
Fast-forward to this season, a lot of the Sixers’ problems are health-related. Injuries to their three best players, Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, have forced role players to step up into starring roles. And as we’re learning, several of them don’t have the skill set to do so.
To make things worse, Embiid’s availability is a big uncertainty.
The 2023 league MVP is still dealing with the aftereffects of tearing the meniscus in his left knee in January. He missed the entire preseason and first six games of the season as part of left knee injury management. And his final game of a three-game suspension for an altercation with Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes is Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets at the Wells Fargo Center.
As arguably the league’s most dominant player, the Sixers have reason to believe Embiid’s presence will elevate their level of play. The only problem is that Embild isn’t expected to play in both games of back-to-backs and is scheduled to miss other games as part of his load management plan.
Meanwhile, Maxey is sidelined with a strained right hamstring. He’s expected to be out about two weeks with the injury. And a lot of the team’s success will depend on their Big Three of Embiid, Maxey, and George.
» READ MORE: Sixers losing streak reaches five after latest setback against Lebron James and the Lakers
But …
“You just [have to] remain positive,” George said of dealing with all the adversity. “Just remain positive. We have one of the best big men in the game coming back to join us soon. Tyrese will get healthy, and then we’ll finally be a complete team that can start to build and figure [out] who we really are at that point.
“So it’s a lot to be positive and optimistic about. [The] ship hasn’t sunk. We’re still positive. We’re still showing up trying to get prepared to win games with just a little more focus, a little more attention to detail and just continue to grow with confidence. [I] hope that this thing will change.”
However, the Sixers could easily slide to 1-10 if they lose to the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night at the Wells Fargo.
After that game, they’ll have a home back-to-back against the New York Knicks (Tuesday) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Wednesday).
At 4-4, the Knicks haven’t exactly been world beaters. But the gritty squad is led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Meanwhile, the Cavs have a league-best 11-0 record after defeating the visiting Brooklyn Nets Saturday night.
Embiid will play against New York. But as his first game of the season, he’s expected to show some rust. And it’s going to take him a few games to find rhythm with his teammates. And if he does indeed sit Wednesday, the Sixers will rely heavily on George to upset the Cavs.
As we found out in Friday’s 116-106 loss to the Lakers, the nine-time All-Star still needs a few games to regain his rhythm. George finished with nine points on 4-for-13 shooting while missing all six of his three-point attempts in his third game back from a bone bruise in his left knee.
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“It’s hard to be super excited and happy,” said Jared McCain, whose squad is riding a five-game losing streak. “But for this group, we have a lot of vets, and they’ve all been here, done that. I think the main thing is [that] we’re going to get through it.
“We’re going to continue to work, and we’re going to get over this hump. Obviously, we don’t have Tyrese and Joel, so we can’t be too down. It’s not our full team, but we’re going to get through it.”
The Sixers are outwardly confident that they can turn things around and live up to being regarded as NBA championship contenders.
One positive for them is that Cleveland and the 8-2 Boston Celtics are the East’s only teams with winning records. And despite the Sixers’ struggles, they’re only three games behind the third-place Knicks with 74 remaining.
“The main thing is we haven’t played healthy at all,” Maxey said. “Not one time that everyone has been healthy. But also, this a new group. ... So it’s hard, especially when you don’t have all of your guys. But like I said, the adversity will make us better.”
Time will definitely tell if their optimism is warranted.