After acquiring Paul George during the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be one of the most formidable teams in the East. These additions give them the ability to challenge the Boston Celtics for a spot in the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference. Despite looking promising on paper, there was always a huge concern about PG13's injury-prone nature and how his continued absence could affect Philly.
However, the start of the Sixers' season has only shown signs of concern. With Joel Embiid refusing to suit up for any of the preseason games, Tim Legler has expressed skepticism about this franchise's chance of testing the defending champions.
Legler refuses to join the 76ers hype train
The 76ers' offseason was filled with optimism. However, when it came time for the team to prove its mettle on the court, the reality took a turn for the worse. Paul George suffered a hyperextended knee, Tyrese Maxey injured his thumb in the final preseason game and did not return, and even Jared McCain endured a hard fall and was compelled to receive medical treatment at a hospital.
To add to these challenges, Joel Embiid skipped all the preseason games, participated minimally in the training camp, and has already expressed his disdain for playing back-to-back games. Reflecting on this demoralizing trajectory, Legler pointed out that teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks may present more serious competition to the Celtics than the 76ers.
Speaking on the 'ALL NBA Podcast,' he emphasized that the two biggest superstars in the team have already signaled how they are not ready. As a result, Legler declined to join the Sixers' hype train, stating that he needs to see the marquee players deliver before considering them a threat.
"I just flat out, I don't trust their health right now. Paul George already banged up in the preseason, Joel Embiid's having some knee issues. We haven't even got to opening night, and they're already dealing with issues with those two guys," Legler said . "They've got to prove something to me; they're not gonna get the benefit of the doubt out of me with their health."
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The 'PG13 experiment' is a failure if he's not healthy
The primary reason the Sixers invested heavily in a 33-year-old PG13 was his ability to coexist on a star-studded team and his relatively strong showing in the 2023-24 season when he appeared in 70 games for the first time since his OKC days.
The hope was that the nine-time All-Star would consistently be present and ensure that "The Process" doesn't drain his energy while carrying out the scoring load.
However, suppose the former Most Improved Player continues to struggle with injuries like he has for most of his career. In that case, the 76ers could be facing a disastrous scenario. The burden will ultimately fall again on Embiid to lead the team, and given the track record, Philly fans wouldn't tolerate another first-round exit.
Related: KG goes off on load management after Joel Embiid says he will sit out back-to-backs: "82 games, man, this is what the fu**** job calls for"
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