(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers struggled mightily this season when Joel Embiid missed two months due to a meniscus injury, and as a result, they have fallen to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
But Embiid is back now, and he appears to be quickly picking up where he left off when he got hurt in late-January.
Philly has won both of their games with Embiid back on the court, and Joe Giglio says that the environment surrounding the team is different this year because there isn’t any real controversy hanging over it, per SPORTSRADIO 94WIP on Twitter.
“It just feels different this year. End of the season, heading into the playoffs, feels different.
“They don’t have a Harden or Ben…They don’t have a question mark at head coach. And right now, Joel Embiid is healthy.”
— @JoeGiglioSports is buying into the Sixers again pic.twitter.com/nqs8Ynnxqj
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) April 5, 2024
As Giglio noted, in past seasons, they had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding stars such as James Harden and Ben Simmons, but this time around, their roster is set, and when Embiid is healthy, it’s arguably a championship-caliber one.
Right before Embiid suffered his injury, the Sixers were in second place in the East, and they were excelling thanks to a high-powered offense that featured one of the NBA’s best fast-breaks.
Young guard Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a legitimate All-Star with averages of 25.8 points and 6.3 assists a game, and forward Tobias Harris continues to be a nice third option.
Just prior to the trade deadline, Philly also went out and acquired veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield, and they also got veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, a Philadelphia native, from the buyout market.
There is a chance that if the team makes the playoffs, it will face the Boston Celtics in the first round, and that could be an immense opportunity to upset the squad with the NBA’s best record right away.
Last year, the Sixers held a 3-2 series lead over the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs before losing Game 6 and Game 7.
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