With 25 games left in the postseason, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a tough position. Being the 7th seed in the East with a record of 35-28, Philadelphia must make a comeback to have a good run in the playoffs. While many Philadelphia fans yearn for their team to finally make it to the conference finals after last year’s heartbreak, the Sixers would be considered lucky if they even make it to the second round; let alone the playoffs. From detrimental injuries, to a wavering playoff experience, it is evident that the Philadelphia curse is back to haunt the 76ers.
The downfall of this once second seed team all started with the injury of superstar and former MVP, Joel Embiid. Before tearing his left knee in a game against The Golden State Warriors, Embiid was putting up 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Leading the Sixers in points, Embiid had the potential to bring the 76ers to their first championship in 41 years, but that dream is now lost and the team has been dropping in rankings due to his unforeseen injury.
When rejoining the Sixers in November, many Philly fans were anticipating to watch Robert Covington play in the red, white, and blue uniforms, but this exhilaration did not last long because Covington suffered a left knee bone-bruise against the Chicago Bulls. His choppy defensive skills would have been a positive addition to the team, but we did not get to see a lot of Covington this season due to that injury.
After entering the NBA’s concussion protocol, star, Tyrese Maxey sat out of four games. With the absence of Embiid, Maxey has been thriving, putting up 25.9 points a game. Although Maxey has found great success, the burden of Embiid’s loss brings too much damage to the team, even if Maxey gives it his all. Therefore the 76ers still have come up short in various games.
Although Philadelphia fans do not know what to expect from the team the rest of the season, we can only hope for the return of former star players. Hopefully the 76ers, led by coach Nick Nurse, can turn this season around and make it past the second round of the playoffs with a healthy, dominant group of players.
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