Tough Questions About Nick Nurse, Joel Embiid & Just Where This Season Will End Up
Zo braces a season on the precipice.
Mike said on a recent pod that this particular stretch without Embiid seems like real Nail in the Coffin stuff. How do you see it?
Same, really. This season is for all intents and purposes over. Who you decide to apply the blame to is your preference — but man, this couldn’t have gone any worse. This is, to me, one of those things where there’s no wrong answer. They are old, always injured, poorly coached at times, uninspired, with lackluster star play, and on and on. So whatever one of those 10 you feel like floats your boat, that’s what the hell happened to the Sixers so far (there’s still more season left!)
How close are we to the end of the Embiid era?
For the first time in my post-Process life, I think closer than ever. He signed his extension in September, which means he can’t be traded until March, a month after the league’s trade deadline. But not to be hot take-y — I think this is the first summer where the rumblings get super loud and I think those rumblings will come from both the Sixers’ and Embiid’s camps.
How hot is Nick Nurse’s seat, if at all?
It’s not new that a Sixers coach has their success tied almost exclusively to the availability of Embiid, but it really has seemed far too often this year that he can’t push the right button or put the right formula together to sustain any kind of success. Not to say he needs to be fired or anything, I don’t think there needs to be two extremes. I think it’s OK to say he’s been bad this season, with the caveat that he hasn’t had really any kind of consistent roster since training camp. But... he’s been bad.
What even exists for this team now, as in, what’s to look forward to?
Justin Edwards is terrific, I love him so much, crazy that it’s taken this long for him to get consistent minutes but come on man, you need life and energy not old guys phoning it the fuck in, LET THE KIDS PLAY!
Any outlook on the trade deadline?
Save for the Big 3 and Jared McCain, fuck it, fire sale. Truly. The only thing left for the rest of this season is finding a way to get another first round pick and maybe seeing what kind of team you’d like to build around Maxey & PG.
If they beat Indy tonight, that's 16 wins at the halfway point. Even without Embiid, this team can win 36 games and avoid the lottery. 38 wins could get them as high as the 6th seed considering how terrible the East is. Tanking isn't logical not only due OKC owning their pick (top 6 protected) but because there are way too many teams in a far better position to out-tank the Sixers. This team isn't winning anything but tanking is a stupid idea unless they lose PG and/or Maxey to injury.