76ers Facing Tough Stretch Due To Multiple Injuries
Unfortunately, injuries play a major role in every NBA season and this year, the Philadelphia 76ers have been hit pretty hard by the “injury bug.”
All-Star guard James Harden has not played since November 2 due to a right foot tendon strain and while the 76ers have been competitive in his absence, they will now be without their other two stars.
Tyrese Maxey suffered a small fracture in his left foot against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 18 and now Joel Embiid will be forced to miss the team’s next two games with a left midfoot sprain.
The 76ers now face a scenario in which they are no longer a deep team and they will have to scramble for answers, especially on the offensive-end of the floor, over the course of the next few weeks.
Perhaps some good news though is that Tobias Harris, who has missed the team’s last two games with a hip injury, should be ready to play on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
However, without Embiid, Maxey and Harden, close to 54 percent of the Sixers’ total offensive production is gone and the only player left that is averaging double-digit scoring this season is Tobias Harris.
Currently ranking fourth in the league in defensive rating and third in the league in opponent’s points per game (106.6 OPPG), the 76ers must put an emphasis on the defensive-end of the floor if they are to have a chance to be successful without their top-tier talents.
The Eastern Conference is a juggernaut this season and there is very little room for error. Right now, the 76ers find themselves with an 8-8 record and injuries have prevented them from finding consistency early on this year.
Playing against the Nets on Tuesday night will be a big game for the Sixers, as this rivalry with Brooklyn has grown larger due to the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade made last season, but Philadelphia will be going up against a fully-loaded and motivated Nets team.
Looking ahead though, the Sixers schedule does seem to offer a sense of hope, as they will play on the road against the Charlotte Hornets, followed by two games on the road against the Orlando Magic.
Both the Hornets and Magic are two struggling teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings right now, but they have proven to be two teams that can win on any given night.
Overall, health is what stands in the way of the 76ers being a title contending-like team and a team that will ultimately lose in the first-round of the playoffs.
Making the Eastern Conference Semifinals in four of the last five seasons, Philadelphia has been unable to break through and contend for a chance to win the East. Injury concerns have held them back to this point and moving forward, it seems like the 76ers will once again have to find ways to compete and win games without their star players.
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