Game 53: Tuesday, Feb. 11th, 2025
Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: TOR 106 – PHI 103
The Sixers followed up an ugly week with an even worse one, limping into the All-Star break. They fell to a Raptors team that is not really trying to win games this season. There’s just a lack of clutch factor right now, amongst all the other problems. Despite Tyrese Maxey having his worst game of the season, the Sixers had multiple chances to tie it up late in the fourth and just continually failed.
At least the trade deadline pickups of Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler look good, and it’s actually kind of incredible how many auxiliary pieces on the Sixers have played well, yet they are still in this position. Guerschon Yabusele has been a great pickup. Jared McCain was the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year before his injury. Grimes and Butler have been solid. Justin Edwards has been great, considering he is an undrafted rookie. Yet somehow, with five guys playing far better than expected, the Sixers just find ways to lose.
This game was also a blow to the healthy Sixers narrative that I’ve admittedly been peddling. For a while, the trio of Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid rarely saw the floor together, but when they did, they were good. They were 7-1 when all three started and finished a game together. Since then, though, they’ve lost three in a row. Embiid and George are playing through injuries they probably shouldn’t be, but with those three plus all the other guys playing better than expected, that should be enough. It’s not right now.
Matt Slocum/AP Photo
Game 54: Wednesday, Feb. 12th, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets
Final Score: BKN 100 – PHI 96
A back-to-back meant no Joel Embiid, and Maxey also sat this one out. That left Paul George to carry the burden, and he did not step up. He had his worst game in a Sixers uniform, scoring an ugly two points on 1/7 shooting. Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes dropped 30 each. If two guys that aren’t in your Big 3 score 30 and you lose, that is depressing. This is against a Nets team that really has no stars and probably wants to lose.
This loss was five straight for the Sixers, and the Nets have now caught them in the standings. That being said, hilariously, the Chicago Bulls, the one the Sixers have been chasing this whole season basically, always seem to match the Sixers in bad or in good. Both teams are 3-7 in their last 10, which means the Sixers are still just 1.5 games out. There’s also the fact that everyone around them is trying to lose, unlike the Sixer, which is sad in its own way. That being said, with the Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers playing well recently, the Sixers are actually tied for the sixth-worst record. That gives them a 43% chance to keep their pick this year. Which isn’t amazing, but it’s something.
With George and Embiid dealing with their injuries, there is an angle to shut it down and tank hard for a better chance to keep their pick. If they are hurting, it’s hard to see them doing well in the playoffs, even if they make it. On the other hand, a 43% chance to get anything out of the season doesn’t sound that good. If they drop to the fifth-worst record, which is as “good” as they can do, that chance does jump to 63.9%. They have another crucial game coming up against the Bulls on the 24th, and that might be the decider.
Frank Franklin II/AP Photo
Weekly Musing: Curious Paul George
Personally, I think the adage of “anything is possible in the playoffs” rings true. With how good some of these depth pieces have looked this season, the Sixers at full strength still feel okay. If the Big 3 can get some chemistry down, they can make some noise. I still believe that. That being said, something needs to change with George. He may be getting a lot of unjust hate, considering he needs a ton of painkillers to play right now, but even when he’s playing well, he’s struggling to affect games.
It’s not exactly scientific, but George seems more than happy to just be a passenger, especially when playing with Embiid and Maxey. He was brought in to be an elite third option, but there are times when he’s playing well and just seems to defer. In his ten best games by game score, the Sixers are 4-6, and two of those wins were against Charlotte. Those were his two best, and his next six best games were all losses.
Not to just throw buzzwords out, but George looks too willing to just be a passenger and hope someone else wins it, regardless of how he’s playing or who’s on the court. There hasn’t been a game where it felt like George took over and carried the team to a win. Maybe he can’t anymore, and he’s injured now, so maybe it won’t come this season, but you want more from a max player.
Patrick Yen is a contributor on Back Sports Page. He has written for NBC, SB Nation, and a few other websites during his journalism career. He has been the Back Sports Page beat writer for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patrick, a graduate of Ohio State University, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Columbus, Ohio, early in his life and has lived there ever since. You can find more of Patrick on Twitter @pyen117.
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