Can We Keep Trusting the Process?

While the Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2024-25 NBA season with ambitions of a Championship, the season thus far has been defined by injuries, a lack of chemistry, and internal strife. With only 3 wins and 13 losses, the team is better positioned for a lottery pick than a deep playoff run. How could so much air come out of such a lofty balloon of expectations so soon?  What has led to this? 

After a long period of horrible basketball from the Hinkie-managed 76ers, the 2017-2018 team showed a return to form for a struggling organization. Breaking a six year long playoff drought, they had a very strong end to the season and carried that momentum into the playoffs. They managed to take down the Miami Heat in the first round, but hit a wall against the Celtics in the semifinals. A disappointing end, but a promising season for a very young team. The team looked set up to be a contender for years to come. Joel Embiid. Ben Simmons. Dario Saric. Markelle Fultz. T.J. McConnell. And maybe the delusional among us still believed in Jahlil Okafor.

The 76ers haven’t made it farther than the second round since. Joel Embiid is the only player on that team that’s still rostered with the 76ers.

It hasn’t been very fun at times being a fan of this team throughout this period. I still skip right past clips of Kawhi’s buzzer beater. I’m still reminded far too often of 6’-10” Ben Simmons refusing to dunk on a 6 '-1" Trae Young. And still, haunting memories of the final minutes of Game 2 of the Sixers-Knicks first round 2024 playoff series plague me. Already, this season has gotten off to a pretty terrible start. As I’m writing this, the Sixers are off to a similar start to many of those Process teams, and I’m beginning to think it's time to capture the Flagg.

So how much of this is Embiid’s fault?

There’s no doubt his statistics have historically declined when the playoffs start. But how much blame can you put on a guy that can never seem to be healthy for a postseason run? In 2018, Embiid faced an orbital fracture and a concussion. In 2019, knee tendonitis. In 2021, a torn meniscus. This year, he was playing with half his face paralyzed and intense knee pain. Embiid’s career has undeniably been defined by injuries. 

However, he’s not faultless for all of this. For the past couple seasons, Embiid came into every year looking out of shape and overweight. Undoubtedly, this extra weight has put an unnecessary strain on his knees. Additionally, his somewhat reckless style of play (and occasional egregious flopping) is unsustainable for a player with his history.

And now, critics are questioning his general work ethic and drive, in addition to his offseason habits. Recently, in a post-game team meeting, Tyrese Maxey called out Embiid for being late “for everything.” This left many fans questioning Embiid’s dedication and leadership abilities, and confirmed what has been a common belief among many of his haters: Embiid is incapable of being a leader, and more than that, incapable of being accountable.

You don’t have to look too hard to find evidence for such a claim. Essentially every statistic shows Embiid suffers from a steep dropoff in the 4th quarter, a time of the game when the best players need to shine. Instead, he gasses out, loses his touch, and defers to his teammates. How many other MVPs  disappear come clutch time, and how on earth can you expect someone like that to be a leader?

It’s why letting Jimmy Butler walk was such a terrible move. Jimmy Butler is everything Embiid isn’t, and the perfect ying to Embiid’s yang. A natural leader, an intensity unmatched by many others, and the ability to turn it on when the lights get bright. Butler and Embiid were fast friends during their brief period as teammates, and it's a shame that we never got to see everything this duo had to offer. 

At the end of the day, I don’t expect Embiid to change in his eighth season. This is who he is, and it's up to the organization to figure out how to build around his strengths and weaknesses. I’m glad to hear that Maxey is willing to confront Embiid about his habits, and I’m hoping Embiid is willing to listen and change. 

Could it be that Maxey emerges as the leader of the team, able to ignite his teammates, assume responsibility to take the big shots, and take some of the burden from Embiid’s shoulders?  

I don’t think it’s impossible for a championship winning team to be built around Embiid, but that window has likely closed. But, I don’t think there’s anything inherent to how Embiid plays that disqualifies him from being a winning player, especially with a spark plug player like Maxey established as the team leader. Let’s hope this season’s struggles shift the dynamic and allow Embiid - and the team - to reach their full potential.