Sometimes In Order To Move Forward, You Have To Look Back. It's Time For The Sixers To Just Tank The 2024-25 Season
It's November 7th and the Philadelphia 76ers are currently the owners of the worst record in basketball. They're 1-6 to start the year. Embiid still has 2 more games left on his suspension, so that's 1-8 before he even touches the floor. Who knows what he's going to look like in his first few games back, so that could be another 3-4 losses early on. Mix in all the games he's going to miss with sitting out back-to-backs, and things aren't looking too great for this Sixers team.
The biggest thing we've learned so far this year is that Tyrese Maxey can't quite carry the whole team by himself every night. Not in a bad way, but it's just a tall order. Sometimes he can, like a 45-point night against the Pacers. But he needs some help out there. We're 7 games into the season and he's already wearing himself down.
JORDIE UPDATE: Aaaaaaand right after I finished up writing this blog, news went out that Tyrese Maxey is going to be out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. So yeah. Season officially over.
Paul George is always one bad step away from breaking. Joel is always one bad step away from breaking. Tyrese Maxey needs some help out there, and he deserves some help out there. Sometimes in order to move forward, you need to look back.
Not a full blown Process. Not years and years dedicated to sucking ass at basketball. Just one final year to top it all off. What's the worst that's going to happen if the Sixers just punt this season? You can keep Joel Embiid on the shelf all year and don't put any extra wear and tear on his body. Give Paul George a little extra time to get comfortable with this team. Be absolute dog shit this year, and take Cooper Flagg with the 1st pick in the draft.
Sure, this current iteration of the Sixers hasn't had the greatest luck when it comes to 1st overall picks. Between Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, I wouldn't be shocked to draft Cooper Flagg and then he just decides to quit basketball to become some lobster fisherman in Maine. But you tank for Cooper Flagg, give Tyrese Maxey a little help whenever Embiid and Paul George don't feel like they want to play those nights, and then have the best roster in basketball in the playoffs. Maybe that'll finally be enough to push them into the Eastern Conference Finals and lose in 5.