AP/PHILADELPHIA Every time James Harden touched the ball, he was booed out of the arena. This was a disdainful sound that Philadelphia had not heard since, well, Ben Simmons was beaten with a similar verbal ferocity two nights prior.
According to the public address announcer, the 76ers went back in time by donning clothes on Sunday night that were meant to honor their former home, the Spectrum.
Their former players? They also struck Philadelphia.
Harden, who is currently making three-pointers for the Los Angeles Clippers, had an uneventful trip home on Sunday night, while Simmons, a former No. 1 pick who was once considered a franchise cornerstone, returned Friday night with Brooklyn.
Prior to their spectacular debuts with the Sixers degenerating into toxic tenures full of animosity and, eventually, a sense of good riddance from all parties involved, Simmons and Harden each promised long playoff runs—yes, even a title.
Harden and his contract demands; Simmons and his shooting troubles; Philadelphia’s headache persists despite the signs of seasonal dysfunction throughout the years.
Bad knees are the ailment nowadays.
Despite signing $405 million contracts in the offseason, Joel Embiid and Paul George were still sidelined due to knee issues. George, bruise on the left knee bone. Embiid’s left knee is swollen.
Even six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry, who was sitting out against the Clippers due to a hip issue, wore one of those ridiculous, huge Philadelphia Eagles caps to watch the game.
Coach Nick Nurse stated, “It’s definitely not ideal and not that easy to manage.” However, it is a component of the game. There are always guys coming and going. Both sides of the ball have players in and out. Once more, I always feel bad for the player.
The 76ers fans responded quietly as the public address announcer read the injury report, which stated that Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Kyle Lowry were out. Should these barriers be able to shrug.
Sixers supporters and the front administration may ponder what the team’s ceiling would have been if Simmons or Harden had remained content and healthy during their time with Embiid.
George was just the newest celebrity predicted to support Embiid in his quest for the 76ers’ first title since 1983. However, the initial results have been disappointing. Out of 16 games, George has only appeared in eight, while Embiid has only played in four.
Winning the draft lottery was a more distant fantasy than winning a championship for the 76ers, who were 3-12 going into Sunday.
In his second season, Nurse did his best and, in front of a crowd that was partially empty, he brought out a starting lineup that featured Guerschon Yabusele and Kelly Oubre Jr.
The good news was that George and Embiid were both doing well, according to the nurse. On Saturday, George, the nine-time All-Star, worked hard on the court. Ahead of additional tests this week, the nurse reported that Embiid’s swelling was improving.
Since training camp, Embiid’s season has been a complete bust. The 30-year-old Embiid has lost support from supporters who have grown weary of his will-he-or-won-t-he-play melodrama, missed the entire preseason, and received a suspension for fighting with a journalist.
We’re all attempting to maintain equilibrium when things rise and fall, Nurse stated. He has, in my opinion, kept things fairly even. He appears to be doing well and has been extremely talkative. He is aware that as we proceed here, we are attempting to resolve this. He is also aware of the team’s poor performance. Thus, there’s a lot to discuss.
Tyronn Lue, the coach of the Clippers, was an assistant coach on the gold-winning USA team in Paris and chose not to get involved in the controversy surrounding Embiid’s health during the Olympics.
Lue remarked, “I’m not sure if he was meant to be healthy or not.” All I know is that he helped us win a gold medal.
Fans attempted to sell two tickets on the secondary market for the cost of a couple of coffee shop chain drinks after the Sixers revealed on Friday night that Embiid would not be playing for the Clippers.
Notably, rookie Jared McCain has proven to be worth the admittance fee on those cheap ducats.
After winning 4-0 at home, the Clippers played without Kawhi Leonard, and it’s common for other teams in the league to be without their All-Stars for both dubious and legitimate reasons.
Since Embiid was selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, the 76ers have had no choice but to figure out how to get around the absences.
We need to try something almost every time, the nurse replied.
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