After getting a much-needed week off, the Philadelphia 76ers hoped now would be the time they can officially get their season back on track. Sure, they hadn't met expectations in the first half of the NBA season, but in a weak Eastern Conference, the playoffs are not out of reach.
Well, their first game post-All-Star break couldn't have gone much worse. The competition was tough, obviously, with the Boston Celtics in town, but the Sixers trailed by 16 points at halftime and by 26 points at the end of three quarters. Losing is one thing — lacking any fight or competitve spirit at home is another.
Philadelphia's big three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George struggled once again, and none eclipsed 20 points. Embiid in particular struggled, scoring 15 points and grabbing three rebounds in 27 minutes of action. He went just 3-for-9 from the field and scored nine of his 15 points at the free-throw line.
When asked after the game if his knee is limiting him, Embiid's answer was jarring.
Joel Embiid, on whether the knee is limiting him:
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 21, 2025
"The way I was playing a year ago, it's not the way I'm playing right now. It sucks. But I believe ... I probably need to fix the problem and then I'll be back at that level, but it's hard to have trust when you're not yourself."… pic.twitter.com/CneQ5zTTMA
It would've been one thing for Embiid to have said that the injury is limiting him, but he's pushing through it. It's another thing entirely for Embiid to have said that the injury is limiting him and probably needs to be fixed for him to get back to the MVP level we're accustomed to seeing from him. He said the latter, and that's something that the 76ers need to hear and react to.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy.
It's time for the 76ers to bench Joel Embiid for the remainder of the 2024-25 season
The 76ers are in a tough spot. It's never fun to bench a player of Embiid's caliber, especially when Embiid probably does want to be out there and battle for a playoff spot, but let's be real - the Sixers aren't winning anything this season.
At 20-35, the Sixers are the Eastern Conference's No. 11 seed. If the regular season ended today, they'd not only miss the playoffs, but they'd miss the Play-In Tournament. Yes, things have gone that poorly in Philadelphia.
The Sixers are only 1.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed in the conference and the last Play-In spot, and with where Chicago is right now roster-wise, they might be able to overtake them even with their own struggles. Even if they do and wind up making the playoffs, what's the reward? Squeaking in as a No. 7 or No. 8 seed and losing in four or five games against the Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics?
There are two things to consider. First, Embiid's health has to be the franchise's No. 1 priority. He is their best and most expensive player. Their future is in his hands. Shouldn't they prioritize getting him right for next season when the slate is clean instead of forcing him to play when he's nowhere near himself?
For reference, Embiid scored 15 points on Thursday. He had one total game last season in which he scored fewer than 20 points. He is not right, and the Sixers need to find a way to get him right.
Second, their 2025 firsr round draft pick is only top-six protected. If the Sixers' pick ends up No. 7 or lower, it will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. A better way to ensure that they can keep their first-round pick would be by benching Embiid, who is still far better than the alternatives on this roster even when he's playing at 50 percent. They'd still need some lottery luck, but losing games down the stretch would better their odds.
Again, nobody wishes it came down to this. Nobody actually wants to see Embiid on the bench when the playoffs are within reach. However, it's hard to see why the Sixers shouldn't shut him down. Doing so will help him get healthy for next season and help the Sixers at least salvage something from what turned out to be a nightmarish season.