Joel Embiid isn’t getting any younger, and despite his exciting resurgence this season, the question is how much longer his body can withstand this kind of grueling load. The Philadelphia 76ers should know this best, right? Well, that’s it assumed That is indeed the case, but given the way the front office is behaving, it seems like the answer is more likely to be negative.
The 76ers are adamant about keeping their finances under control. In a perfect world that’s perfectly reasonable, but in NBA terms that’s the exact equivalent of punting. Teams spend big to win big, but that’s certainly not the case for this franchise that just traded Jared McCain, one of the brightest young guards in the league, for draft capital.
In itself, the move to get rid of McCain has actual merit, even if it is unpopular – but the 76ers’ brain trust attitude is at stake here. It seems like they’re doing everything they can to lay the groundwork for another colossal pursuit, but for now the plan is vague. That’s the problem.
No one really knows what the 76ers front office wants to do
Philadelphia is built to win now. They’ve made that pretty clear for almost an entire decade. But the fact that they can’t pick a battle — whether to double down on their careful approach or take their all-in attitude a step or two further — is a complete waste of the fact that Embiid is still playing at maximum capacity.
Any plans to rebuild the roster should and should be hatched under the premise that Embiid is still the leading man for this team alongside Tyrese Maxey. That is non-negotiable at this rate. The 76ers could look for a new star to replace, say, Paul George. They could also prioritize strengthening their depth across the board, which is what competent franchises often prefer to do.
However, this team is unique in that it has the ability to tolerate both directions. That makes it all the more baffling that the front office hasn’t been completely transparent about how they want to handle things. They keep saying they’re all in, but their continued fear of even flirting with the tax apron says otherwise. They often say they want to get younger, but their summer activities deviate from that soft mandate.
This cannot continue any longer. Joel Embiid deserves to have a competent front office for once, and the 76ers better hurry and get their act together before it’s too late.
#76ers #chase #mirage #Joel #Embiid #prime #quickly #slips