After last season’s down year, the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to cause some kind of fuss at the weak Eastern Conference, and there is no excuse to not start the season hot, Kendrick Perkins insisted.
After missing out on last year’s playoffs, it’s easy to forget that the Philadelphia 76ers can be one of the best teams in the entire NBA.
On the paper, there are three All-Stars for Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and one of Vj Edgecombe’s best newcomers, Joel Embiid, and solid bench pieces from last year’s Jared McAn Rookie of the Year, Quenting Rimes, Kelly Obre Jr., Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond.
Of course, NBA fans know that “on paper” doesn’t always lead to success. Last season, Philadelphia’s injuries accumulated to just 24 wins.
Hopes are high this season, and teams need to make some noise.
As a direct result of missing the playoffs, the Sixers have had a long offseason and, in addition, no players are working with the Eurobasket national team, so the summer can be spent getting their bodies right.
Philadelphia is expected to come out of the gate as he spends months in the gym, recovers and prepares.
“They’ve been out of mid-April to mid-April,” Kendrick Perkins outlined.
“So you’re watching for almost seven months. In F, how do they make training camp healthy if they don’t get into the season? That’s what it means.
Embiid missed the first nine games of last year’s season, with the Sixers down to a 2-7 start.
At the weak Eastern Conference, Perkins quickly put pressure on them as the Knicks and Cavaliers are better teams than the Paper Six (not a perfect measure).
“All I’m saying is that it’s now or never,” he finished. “It’s not, or never, for the Philadelphia 76ers. The East is now open wide now.”
Embiid, who was plagued by injuries before joining the NBA, only plays 53% of his 847 career games. Certainly, when he plays, he is one of the best players in the world, but his reliability has long been doubted.
Embiid hints that he will never play back-to-back for the rest of his career, and despite upsetting the fans, he may be perfect for his long-term happiness and success of his team.
Perkins hopes he comes out of the swing of the gate, but another former player thinks he should pump the brakes and be smarter about how he approaches the rest of his career.
“I don’t doubt anyone will enter the camp form, but his knee still has a level of control,” Richard Jefferson said. “When he probably played back-to-back or he says he’s not going to do that. That’s the management!”
Jefferson spent time playing for the San Antonio Spurs alongside Tim Duncan and young Kawi Leonard. Leonard used his tactics to lead the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 title, fighting knee injuries throughout his career like Embiid, but he managed to manage the illness, but wrapped around the “road management” that led Duncan.
Perkins wants to see Embiid compete for the second MVP, but most Six fans will prefer Embiid is not at the 65-game threshold if it means he’s healthy in the postseason.