Subscribe
Follow Us
The Philadelphia 76ers are off to an impressive start to the regular season. Through nine games, they sit atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-2. While they've started the year off on a high note, things have taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction.
Staying healthy is a top goal for every NBA team, and the injury bug has already made its way into the Sixers' locker room. Joel Embiid had been battling a knee injury suffered during the season-opener against the Pelicans, but a recent MRI showed no serious damage. That said, the MVP runner-up has still appeared to be discomforted at times.
Furkan Korkmaz (wrist soreness) and Danny Green (hamstring tightness) are two more Sixers currently battling injury. Being without this duo has left the Sixers extremely thin at the wing position.
Health and safety protocols were a key theme last season and are starting to take a toll on teams once again. These protocols have already forced the Sixers to sideline Tobias Harris, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle.
Along with being without this plethora of players for various reasons, Philadelphia is still dealing with the elephant in the room. Based on the latest reports, Ben Simmons is still not in a good enough place mentally to rejoin his teammates on the floor.
The Sixers have done well stepping up in teammates' absences, but this is a tall task to overcome. Depending on when Green and Korkmaz can return to action, Doc Rivers might only have eight players at his disposal for their upcoming stretch.
In light of these circumstances, a lot will be asked of players still able to take the court. Not only do they have to make up for lost production, but take on more minutes as well. Tyrese Maxey logged just under 45 minutes in the Sixers' win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday and could face a similar workload while the team works its way back to full strength.
For the younger players, taking on more minutes isn't much of an issue. The potential risks come when a player like Embiid is forced to take on a big workload just ten games into the season. Now is not the time of the year to be asking the All-Star center to ramp up his time on the court.
Getting Embiid to the postseason in good shape physically is also a top goal for the Sixers. Embiid being forced to overexert himself due to a lack of available players could have negative effects later down the line.
One thing the Sixers have going for them is they've shown they can collectively elevate themselves. They have put on multiple impressive showings despite missing key players and having minimal time to recover between games.
The Sixers have done an excellent job building momentum to start the season, but all that could be in jeopardy as they attempt to stay afloat with a severely depleted roster.
