The Philadelphia 76ers’ start to the season has been less than ideal, to say the least. The Sixers have a 4-14 record after a much-needed win against the Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons Saturday night. The win against Detroit and the return of Paul George may give Sixers’ fans a new sense of optimism regarding this disastrous season. But with little to no information given about Joel Embiid‘s injury, fans are brought back to reality. At some point, you have to wonder when or if tanking for Cooper Flagg becomes a reality for the Sixers.
How Long Before the Sixers Start Tanking for Cooper Flagg?
Embiid Remains Sidelined
Before Saturday’s matchup against the Pistons, Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse gave NBC Sports Philadelphia an update on Embiid’s Injury.
“The swelling’s gone down a bit, still some soreness there. That’s about all I can say.”
Part of Embiid’s absence has been due to personal issues undisclosed to the public, which is understandable. But the same story of Embiid not being healthy remains the biggest factor in his recent slate of missed games. Embiid’s health has not been something Philly has been able to count on this season, and there are no reports about a return in the immediate future. When you think about how Joel looked in the few games he’s played so far this season, it’s tough to imagine that he’ll be able to knock off any of that rust right away after the swelling his knee’s had. With that swelling, expect the Sixers to become even more cautious about the health of their star player.
Opponent’s Strength of Schedule
As of December 1st, the Sixers rank 21st in terms of strength of schedule, with their remaining opponents having a combined win percentage of 49.4%. Most Sixers’ fans would see that as a positive as Philly continues their fight for a playoff spot. But looking at the strength of the schedule for other Eastern Conference teams, fans’ worry kicks back in. Charlotte, Milwaukee, Orlando, Cleveland, Boston, Chicago, and Brooklyn all have an easier schedule according to their opponents’ combined win percentage. For Philly, who is already eight-plus games behind all seven teams, they have a long way to go. The Hornets and Bulls could be rebuilding, however, with their easier schedules they could remain ahead of the Sixers.
The Sixers have already shown that no matter the opponent, the same issues will present themselves. But for others, they’ve seen to have hit a stride. Milwaukee, who’s won six straight, don’t look like they’re turning back now, especially with Khris Middleton‘s return on the horizon. Similarly, the Magic are a top-three seed, and on a six-game without Paolo Banchero, when he returns, Orlando will only be more dangerous.
Now, with reports of Brooklyn making their entire roster available for trades, Philly might not have to worry about Brooklyn come All-Star break. Overall, this could be an overreaction to the Sixers’ poor start and they could very well be in the playoffs come April. However, if this continues, we’ll need to resume this conversation at the start of the new year.
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