The Sixers have done a number on me over the years. I am Charlie Brown and they are Lucy, waiting to pick up that football as I come charging forward every spring. That was from an era where everything felt “Finals or bust” for the city and with expectations slightly lowered this season and the Sixers playing spirited basketball that has them fifth in the East at the moment, Philadelphia needs to dive headfirst back into the Sixers well this winter.
The Eagles flamed out in the Wild Card Round and the anxiety over who the Birds’ new offensive coordinator will be permeates through the city. The Phillies are driving people mad over running back an aging roster and striking out on Bo Bichette. The Flyers are falling apart after a spirited start to their season. In a winter of discontent, why not rally around these Sixers that feel different from the Sixers we’ve grown tired of over the last decade?
If you’ve been burnt at the Sixers’ stove one too many times, believe me, I get it. It’s been hard to be anything but a Sixers doomer and gloomer for a long time. 2021 crushed me. 2023 evaporated the little Process-era hope that still existed in me. The injuries that were piling up for Joel Embiid, sapping him of his world-devouring powers, made it easy for anyone to check out on the Sixers being a priority.
Look, they’re not going to win a title this year and that should be fine with everyone because everything has been recalibrated around the team’s dynamic young backcourt. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star starter in his age-25 campaign. He’s dropping 30 points per night, can pull up from anywhere and is becoming a demon in transition with the steals he keeps racking up. VJ Edgecombe is the Sixers’ best rookie since Ben Simmons, a top-three pick that actually looks like a top-three pick for once. Edgecombe has all the makings of a winning player who can do the little things that can lead to a victory on top of already being one of the most clutch scorers in the league. If nothing else, get on the ground floor with this duo. You’ll regret not doing so when they make a legitimate Finals push in two or three years.
Then there’s the Embiid of it all.
I thought he was done after the last two years. Credit to him for gutting through it all because he just pulled off a 32-point triple-double in an overtime win over a good Houston team on Thursday evening. In the 10 games Embiid’s played in this month, he’s averaging 27-8-4 while the Sixers have gone 7-3 in those contests. Embiid remains the game’s premier midrange scorer who makes trips to the foul line with regularity, hilariously infuriating opponents along the way.
Will Embiid’s body keep this up through April and May? History tells us no, but it’s a different equation from years prior when the endgame isn’t simply a parade on Broad Street in June.
If the Sixers have scarred your love of basketball, it’s understandable, but, as I’ve gotten older, I’m trying to live in the moment a bit more, especially when it comes to sports. I will watch Maxey and Edgecombe cook, be thankful for any vintage Embiid performance he throws out there on the court and try to keep a manageable level of hope come the postseason. A tough task? Sure, but the team deserves it for the time being.
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