Paul George era reaches new low as 76ers fans start fire beneath Nick Nurse's seat

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost five straight. Joel Embiid has been fairly healthy during that span, but it has not mattered. This team keeps finding ways to one-up its own failure, driving a stake into the hearts of passionate fans each and every night. It sure feels that way, at least.

We shouldn't be worrying about this — the Eagles are Super Bowl champs! — but unfortunately, the end of the NFL season brings about a deep and unfillable void in the sports world. Baseball hasn't started back up yet, the NFL is on a sabbatical after Friday's parade down Broad Street, and the 76ers... well, they will be the only team to watch for a few weeks.

Basketball is great. The best sport in the world, if you ask me. The Sixers are just unbearably depressing to watch right now. It's hard to derive joy from a team that has so clearly given up hope. After setback upon setback, the Sixers appear dead in the water. Nick Nurse conducts every postgame presser with the enthusiasm of a village doctor during plague time. Embiid's body language sucks. Maxey is playing the best basketball of his career, so naturally, he got hurt on Tuesday. The hits keep coming.

For Wednesday night's game against the Brooklyn Nets, on the second night of a back-to-back, both Embiid and Maxey were ruled out. That left the Sixers with Paul George and a hodgepodge of role players to fill out the lineup.

Expectations were low, but holy s***.

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Paul George goes 1-for-7 in miserable 76ers loss without Joel Embiid or Tyrese Maxey

George went 1-for-7 and scored two points against Brooklyn. Three Sixers finished the half in double digits — 30 points for Quentin Grimes, 30 points for Kelly Oubre Jr., and 13 points for Justin Edwards — but George, the lone recent All-Star and max contract recipient in the lineup, was practically invisible on the floor. Daryl Morey said the Sixers are title contenders if you squint. Well, my eyes are closed now and all I see is inky black. Not a Larry O'Brein trophy in sight.

The Sixers lost, again, but who cares at this point?

It's probably time for Philadelphia to start the tank job. A loss to Brooklyn ties the Sixers and Nets for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. A few more losses, and the Sixers can absolutely surpass Toronto for the fifth-worst record. The Brandon Ingram trade is bound to perk up the Raptors' record down the stretch. If the Sixers can admit defeat on this season and bottom out, Cooper Flagg (or another quality, franchise-changing prospect) is within reach.

That would take a serious ego check for Daryl Morey and the front office, though, and Nurse didn't sign in Philadelphia to tank. Not on purpose, at least. Nurse's seat happens to be getting hot. It's hard to blame him for the cycle of emotional violence foisted upon the Sixers and the fanbase this season, but this team should be performing better, especially when stars are on the floor. Not getting George more involved, for example, is inexcusable. Your $212 million man cannot be taking a backseat to Jared Butler and Quentin Grimes. This Nets team is not good.

It's bleak in the Sixers fandom right now. Enjoy the parade on Friday, folks. Think of better things.