Maxey’s injury is a big blow to the Sixers’ chemistry, possible success
Guard’s foot fracture couldn’t come at a worse time as team fights to stay healthy
Unfortunately for 76ers fans, their favorite NBA franchise made its annual tradition to enter the season with plenty of promise only to watch injuries possibly derail the squad’s chance of contending for an NBA title.
Old customs never die. And this season is no exception.
The Sixers (8-8) have gone from being viewed as a preseason favorite to contend for the title, to underachievers, to a team that must somehow hold things together over the next month. While it’s still early, the Sixers were never fully able to build chemistry with a full roster, and Saturday’s news made things worse.
That’s when the Sixers announced an MRI revealed that third-year guard Tyrese Maxey suffered a small fracture in his left foot. He’s expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks.
Later Saturday, the Sixers suffered a 112-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves without Maxey, All-NBA point guard James Harden, and standout forward Tobias Harris.
“I just felt bad because you got three of our best players [injured],” Joel Embiid said of his emotions early in the game. “You know, Tyrese someone that put in so much work every single day. That’s why injuries are just … you can’t control it. That’s just unfortunate. I had my share of them, especially freak injuries. So I just felt bad for him because he puts in so much work.
“So obviously missing James to the same thing and Tobias being hurt, too, it does suck. But it is the next man up.”
It marked the seventh consecutive game Harden has missed with a right foot tendon strain.
Meanwhile, Harris was sidelined for the second straight game with left hip soreness. And Maxey suffered his injury by stepping on the foot of Milwaukee Bucks point guard Jevon Carter late in the first half of Friday night’s victory.
“He’s just going to be out, and we’re just going to have to deal with that,” coach Doc Rivers said before Saturday’s game. “You don’t want any guys out. You don’t want any of the guys out. You don’t want Tyrese out. You don’t want James out. You don’t want the rest of the guys out.
“But you go through the lows, and you just have to find ways to win games. Hopefully, they’re not all out for a long time.”
But injuries have been nothing new to the Sixers.
Embiid’s offseason conditioning was limited by plantar fasciitis. He also sat out the Oct. 28 game against the Toronto Raptors to rest his right knee. Then after returning the next night against the Chicago Bulls, Embiid missed three consecutive games with the flu.
Meanwhile, P.J. Tucker took a while to get into shape following offseason knee surgery.
Tucker, Harris, Embiid, Maxey, and Harden make up a ballyhooed starting lineup heading into the season. However, that group has played together in only six of the season’s first 16 games. The last time the fivesome played together was on Oct. 29, 10 games ago.
And Embiid and Tucker both had scary moments on Saturday.
Tucker was hit in the ribs in the first half, leading to his being evaluated during halftime and the start of the third quarter. Tucker, who is fine, checked back into the game with 3 minutes, 39 seconds left in the quarter.
Meanwhile, Embiid rolled his left ankle and injured his foot late in the fourth quarter. After momentarily lying on the court, he got up and remained in the game. He was in pain and walked with a limp after the game.
And that doesn’t take into account that reserves De’Anthony Melton, Matisse Thybulle, Danuel House Jr., and Furkan Korkmaz have been limited or have missed time with injuries or illness.
But the timing of Maxey’s injury couldn’t come at a worse time.
After struggling mightily early, the Sixers turned things around and had won four of the last five games heading into Saturday.
“It is what it is,” Rivers said. “It’s a season, man. I’ve been around. No one feels sorry for you. So I’m not going to feel sorry for us either. And we’ve got to find a way to win. I know that sounds nuts. But we just have to. And we’ll figure it out.”
As long as they’re undermanned, riding Embiid gives the Sixers their only chance to win.
They were 4-1 in the five games heading into Saturday thanks to his averaging 38.4 points, 11 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.8 blocks in those games. He scored a total of 133 points in the final three games of the stretch. Embiid continued his hot streak, finishing with 32 points against the Timberwolves.
“We’re probably going to go to Joel a little bit,” Rivers said jokingly of how to figure things out. “That will be one thing.”
But aside from Embiid, he doesn’t know how to figure things out.
“We work with different lineups in practice all the time,” Rivers said. “We have to work, if possible, a non-guard lineup at times, where any of the four bring it up and we start our offense.”
The coach knows the Sixers have to play much better defensively during this stretch to win games.
“I joke, and I say it to our players all the time: Everybody gets paid in that locker room, so everyone has to be prepared to play,” he said. “And that’s got to be our attitude.”
The Sixers have been hampered by injuries before, especially Embiid in the postseason. Harris is expected to return this week. And Harden said Thursday that he’s “on pace” to return from his foot injury in two weeks.
But losing Maxey will be tough. He’s averaging a career-best 22.9 points. And Maxey must be the Robin to Embiid’s Batman for the Sixers to have sustained success.
But perhaps keeping a positive face, Rivers tried to give the impression that the team is fine.
“We’ve had a lot of stuff thrown at us,” he said. “We came into the camp with guys injured. It’s just a lot of stuff and we’re hanging in there.
“And then, honestly, you do see some things. Guys are establishing their roles. And when everybody gets back, it will be a good thing for a lot of these guys.”