of philadelphia 76ers They were supposed to be championship contenders after signing Paul George to a four-year contract in free agency. George joins 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey for a bespoke “Big 3” pairing that feels destined to be legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.
A month into the season, the 76ers are the worst team in the NBA. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and now Philadelphia's stars are starting to point fingers at each other.
The Sixers lost to the Miami Heat on Monday night, dropping to 2-11 on the season. Embiid played in his third game of the season after returning from a mysterious knee injury, but once again looked very limited. George has had another off-season game after a disappointing start, while Maxey remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
After the game, the Sixers held a team meeting. That included Maxey calling out Embiid for being late for team activities. ESPN Insider Shams Charania tells us more.:
Maxey demands Embiid arrive on time for team activities, criticizing the 2022-23 league MVP for being late “on all fronts,” from other players to the coaching staff. A person briefed on the meeting told ESPN that he discussed how it would affect the locker room.
Charania reported that Embiid “didn't see most of his teammates or coaches all day until he showed up for warmups.” Here's Embiid's reaction when Maxey called him out:
Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, but said he was sometimes confused about what the 76ers were trying to execute on the court, sources said.
Embiid, George and Maxey have not played together this year. Embiid looked slow and hesitant against the Heat, finishing with 11 points in 31 minutes. The Sixers are tied for the fewest wins in the NBA. washington wizards But the saving grace for them is that the Eastern Conference is so bad that they still have plenty of time to recover.
Here's how fans reacted to the news about Embiid.
When you've been in the league for 10 years and making $50 million, you should expect him to stay in shape on time.
I'm glad Tyreese called him out.
— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) November 19, 2024
Joel has to feel a sense of ownership over all of this. The stakes here are huge, not just for him but for the entire team. You're the face of the franchise, but your team is 2-11 and on the verge of wasting a season with a shot at a title.
At a moment like this…
— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) November 19, 2024
It's really unfortunate that professionalism is still an issue for Joel Embiid after 10 years with the team. #Sixers.
— Michael KB (@therealmikekb) November 19, 2024
The Sixers' wheels will soon fall off. There is still time to get the ship back on track, but the margin for error is shrinking by the day. If Embiid doesn't get healthy and return to MVP level soon, Philadelphia's season will be over.
