The Philadelphia 76ers’ season debut was a disaster. They lost eight of their first 10 games, and things haven’t improved since then. And after its latest defeat to the New York Knicks, Philadelphia is now on a nine-game losing streak.
Player injuries seem to be the primary reason behind the 76ers’ dismal performance. Their star player, Joel Embiid, was hit the most, failing to deliver to his potential. However, despite his ongoing knee troubles, the 76ers continued to put faith in Embiid, while the seven-time NBA All-Star failed to live up to the expectations.
Recently, former NBA star Chandler Parsons came down hard on the 76ers, suggesting they should have shut Embiid down far earlier in the season.
Chandler Parsons Calls Out 76ers for Delaying Joel Embiid’s Shutdown
Parsons made it clear that Embiid’s knee issue wasn’t a new development. The team knew the injury needed serious attention but still hoped it would heal on its own. Parsons believes Embiid should have undergone surgery months ago rather than trying to push through the injury. He argued that delaying the procedure only hurt the Sixers in the long run and could now impact next season.
“They knew about this injury. Go watch Joel Embiid play in the Olympics this summer. Whether that was fair, unfair, selfish, or whatever you want to call him, he wasn’t himself.
“This is nothing new. So my frustration, my concern, is this isn’t something that was just going to naturally heal. This required surgery since October. It’s probably frustrating, too, for the fan base because you’ll see some games where he does get going, and he cooks, and he’s dominant. He looks like that MVP from two years ago.”
“This has required surgery since October…Joel Embiid could’ve been two months post-op by now.” – Chandler Parsons
The 76ers are shutting down Embiid for the rest of the season. Philly haven’t been contenders for a while now, so why didn’t this happen sooner? 🤨#madeforthis pic.twitter.com/vnNfxwE3Yo
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 28, 2025
The biggest issue, according to Parsons, is that by waiting so long, the Sixers have now put next season at risk. He pointed out that Embiid could have been two months into his recovery if he had just gone through surgery earlier.
Philadelphia’s star center has played just 19 games this season, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Recently, Embiid has been exploring alternative treatments for a persistent knee injury, including potential season-ending surgery. In a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Feb. 22, he was benched during the final quarter, contributing to the team’s seventh consecutive loss at the time.
“Just knowing what I know and what they know, it’s not getting better, and it can get worse. Again…every day that goes by, you’re now smoking next season in the beginning of training camp and everything. You could have eliminated that. He could have already been two months post-op if he had just done it in the beginning of the season.”
Despite all this, Parsons understands why Philadelphia waited. The team was built to compete this year and had hoped to at least sneak into the NBA play-in tournament.
“But I get it. This team is built now and healthy. They’re saying, ‘What if we do get in the play-in right now and Joel is magically healthy?’ It’s just not going to ever happen until he has surgery.”
Five-time NBA champion and MAC Hall of Famer Ron Harper has a similar suggestion, recommending that the 76ers consider shutting Embiid down.
“If I were the GM of @sixers, I’d be shutting Joel Embiid down and thinking about shutting Paul George down too and hoping we get a high lottery pick… TANK,” Harper wrote on X.
If I was the GM of @sixers I’m shutting Joel embiid down and tho king about shutting Paul George down too and hope we get a high lottery pick…. TANK
— Ron Harper (@HARPER04_5) February 27, 2025
The 76ers currently have a 20-38 record (12th in the Eastern Conference). With only 24 games left, Philly’s chances of making the playoffs are slim. And in the wake of these recent developments, the 76ers have to take some radical steps to maintain their competitiveness.
