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Credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Post-deadline struggles haunting the Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a rough spot right now. Post-trade deadline, the team has been struggling to find consistency, and any signs of a playoff-contending identity got derailed by yet another Joel Embiid injury setback. Embiid picked up a strained right oblique in late February, and he’s been sidelined for at least three games—missing the blowout loss to the Spurs on March 3 and the win over the Jazz on March 4. With Paul George still out on his 25-game suspension (he won’t return until around March 25), the roster is missing two major pieces, and it’s showing.
The recent 131-91 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs was brutal—40-point margin, part of a historic low where the Sixers have now dropped three home games by 40+ points, the first time that’s happened in NBA history. They got blown out in the third quarter again (outscored badly in that frame all season), and the energy just wasn’t there. Coming off that, they scraped together a 106-102 win over the Utah Jazz on March 4, with Quentin Grimes hitting clutch free throws late and Tyrese Maxey dropping 25, but it felt more like survival than dominance.
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
After Tuesday’s loss:
The standings tell the story: Philly sits at 34-28, holding the No. 6 seed in the East but floating dangerously close to the play-in tournament. The conference is tight, and with teams like the Magic right behind, every slip hurts. The McCain trade to OKC still lingers—Maxey spoke after the Spurs loss about missing Jared, calling him a close friend and great teammate, while wishing him well (except when he plays us). There were some undertones of disappointment that the front office didn’t add more firepower at the deadline to push for a real run. Grimes has taken a step back in scoring since then too, though he’s still a key piece off the bench.
Fans are buzzing on social media about Nick Nurse’s job security. Some are pointing to McCain’s quick success in OKC as a knock on the coaching staff, questioning if the schemes or rotations are holding guys back. Nurse has a track record, but the blowouts and lack of adjustments in tough stretches have people talking.
At the end of the day, it always circles back to Embiid’s health. Without him, this team has no real chance in big games—they didn’t even compete against the Spurs. Daryl Morey keeps saying the roster is built to win it all when whole, but right now it’s about getting everyone healthy and synced up. Priority one is Embiid returning strong, George reintegrating smoothly, and the group finding defensive intensity again.
On the bright side, Maxey is still playing at a high level, carrying the offense, and rookie VJ Edgecombe is showing flashes that give hope for the future. The young core looks promising, even if the present is cloudy.
Can they recover? Sure—if Embiid gets back soon, George returns in a couple weeks, and they string together wins to lock in a top-6 seed. The East isn’t unbeatable, but the margin for error is gone. These next few weeks will decide if this is a lost season or one that turns around just in time. Philly fans know the drill: stay patient, but the clock is ticking.
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