The Philadelphia 76ers often look like they are testing, and at some point it has to stop. Otherwise, they could end up reaching that grim chapter where Joel Embiid, their franchise player, rides the waves of convention and starts to think twice about his level of trust in the front office.
Not long ago, Embiid was asked what he wanted to see from the team before the trade deadline. His answer certainly attracted a lot of attention, especially since it was the first time he came out and openly discussed the 76ers’ tendency to become conservative and frugal when it comes to spending and improving the roster.
Lo and behold, the front office did exactly what it wanted not to do. The main theme of the trade deadline for Philly was cutting costs, which is why they even voluntarily parted ways with Jared McCain. Daryl Morey himself admitted it that the team was largely financially motivated to make that deal, much to the chagrin of the fans.
The 76ers need to stop testing Joel Embiid’s patience
More than the complete absence of being proactive, the 76ers’ front office needs to wake up and realize that this is a team that still isn’t considered a contender this season. And from the looks of it, it will remain that way until they take an aggressive stance and start delivering on their promises.
Embiid, who has been one of the biggest feel-good stories this season with his awe-inspiring resurgence after looking like he was done as an elite player in the previous campaign, is still at the height of his powers. However, he is on the wrong side of 30 with a serious injury. At this point, you’d expect the 76ers to move with more urgency, right?
Well, Morey can say whatever he wants if they are willing to go over the luxury tax to optimize the roster and give themselves the best possible chance of winning the title. But until they actually do that, there’s a good chance Embiid ends up souring on the front office’s relentless greatness.
Embiid has already suffered so much during his 76ers tenure, but the team’s brain trust somehow seems to remain complacent with the patience of their franchise player. Time and time again they have proven that they are undeserving of his trust and loyalty, and to further drive home the shamelessness, they simply did it again. And God knows how long it will stay that way.
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