The Sixers Fall to 1-4 On The Young Season, and a Look Forward Into Paul George's 76ers Debut

The Sixers Will Be Getting Much Needed Help This Week, With Paul George Expected to Make His 76ers Debut on Monday in Phoenix

Corey Chmara

The 76ers lost both games this past week, dropping to a poor 1-4 record on the season. Both losses this past week came at the Wells Fargo Center, where the Sixers are currently 0-3 so far this season. On Wednesday they took on the Detroit Pistons, a team they should have taken care of. Detroit essentially controlled most of the game, winning 105-95; however, the score doesn't really reflect how poorly the Sixers played. The Sixers shot just 28.6% from three, going 8/26 from beyond the arc, meanwhile Detroit shot over 41% from three. Jaden Ivey, Cade Cunningham, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris (dreaded) all had solid games and were just too much for the 76ers to keep up with. 

At this point in the season, the Sixers are currently ranked 29th out of the 30 teams in the NBA in three point percentage at 31.3%. Three point shooting was a strong emphasis from the front office this past off-season, signing tons of players who can shoot, such as Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, and Caleb Martin. The main reason behind the 76ers lack of making three point shots is largely due to Tyrese Maxey, who's shooting 26% from three through the first five games of the season. Tyrese Maxey shot just 2/10 from three vs Detroit, although he had 32 points. With Paul George and Joel Embiid both out, Maxey is in a position to shoot more shots, often times shots that are more contested since he was Detroit's main focus on defense.

Following Wednesday's loss to Detroit, the Sixers had off on Thursday and Friday, and returned to play on Saturday night back at home, against the Memphis Grizzlies. This was another bad overall game from just about everyone except Jared McCain. The rookie finished with 19 points on 8-16 shooting in just 16 minutes of action. Other players contributed somewhat, with Tyrese Maxey scoring a season-low 23 points. Kelly Oubre contributed 14 points as well, but that was essentially it from everybody not named Tyrese Maxey or Jared McCain. 

Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

Subsequent to the Sixers loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Joel Embiid reportedly "punched" a columnist in the locker room. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer posted a tweet on Twitter/X that Embiid got into both a physical and verbal altercation with a columnist in the locker room following the loss. Marcus Hayes, the columnist with whom Joel Embiid had a confrontation with posted an article with the following: 

"Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the greatest inflection point in his basketball career. He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in an automobile accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er.  

"Well, in order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite. Now in his 11th season, he has consistently been in poor condition. This poor conditioning apparently seems to have delayed his debut this season."

Marcus Hayes, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, should not have mentioned Joel Embiid's late brother, Arthur, in the article as it's irrelevant to the point he was trying to make. Sure it's one thing to bash a guy for not playing, but there are ways to go about it as a professional writer.

The Sixers have four games this week, including a three-game road trip that starts Monday, November 4 in Phoenix. According to Shams Charania, Paul George is "expected" to make his season debut vs Phoenix, barring any setbacks. On the other hand, Joel Embiid still remains out while dealing with a knee injury. Following Monday's game in Phoenix, the Sixers will fly to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Wednesday, a game that will be nationally televised on ESPN, with the headline of Paul George's return to LA. While he is expected to play vs Phoenix, it will be interesting to see if the Sixers give him the day off vs the Clippers. The Sixers will stay in LA and will take on the Lakers on Friday night, another nationally televised game on ESPN. 

 JESSE D. GARRABRANT/GETTY IMAGES

In conclusion to the three-game road trip, the Sixers will finish off the week back at home vs the Charlotte Hornets. While I do not expect Joel Embiid to play on the road trip, I would hope that he could potentially make his debut on Sunday vs Charlotte, however we have no idea how long he may be out. One day he’s reported to be progressing well, and the next he’s ruled out for the next three games. We really don't know what's going on with him, we can only hope he returns to play sooner rather than later. 


With Paul George reportedly coming back, it's important the Sixers start to get a rhythm going offensively, so that they can start winning games.


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