2-11. Yes, that’s the Philadelphia 76ers record for the 2024-25 NBA season. Shocking, right? This is a team everyone had their hopes on to win their 4th NBA title. But right now, they stand 15th on the table. Dead last! Coach Nick Nurse has had a torrid time for the past several weeks and also because of his players. Some can’t stay fit and then there is the Joel Embiid situation.

The player couldn’t stay fit for starters and the team got fined for hiding his injury issue. Joel Embiid plays one game and then gets off because of load management, with his knee injuries mounting up for a long time. Later, he shoved a columnist, which became the center of attention for a few weeks, and the former MVP received a 3-game suspension.

After all these negative concerns, Tyrese Maxey eventually spoke up, reportedly.

“Joel, you know I love you. But it starts with you, and your habits,” Tyrese Maxey’s message to Joel Embiid during the team meeting (via @sam_amick). Yes, we know the 76ers have issues, but the privacy in the locker rooms, these days, is the bare minimum… On the other hand, the newest Sixer, Paul George, spoke about locker room privacy and said, “Our locker room is our safe place.” 

From the looks, it’s not safe anymore, especially in Philadelphia, where the fans want to know what goes on behind the scenes. Significantly, NBA locker room privacy remains a much-debated topic these days.

Players want better safety conditions in the locker rooms, with all the media personnel allowed in these days. Draymond Green once admitted to having a conversation with Kevin Durant, which leaked out in the media when someone tweeted the exact words of a private chat!

“An NBA locker room is the most non-private place in the building. Like, there’s no privacy. You’re getting dressed. There’s people in the locker room,” Dray mentioned last month.

So, this latest leak doesn’t come at the right time for the 76ers, who’re trying to get their team going.

Undoubtedly, things will go haywire after this new message comes out. For Nick Nurse, it comes at the wrong time. For a team that got in Paul George this summer, they should have been in the upper echelons of the NBA table. Not down the perils of extinction in the Eastern Conference! Maxey has a close relationship with Embiid but called out his friend for coming late to many team functions. 

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers need to turn their season around!

Just think about it, they have Paul George and Joel Embiid, who haven’t started their campaign with the rest of the side, barring one or two games because of injuries. It’s been a carnival in Philly. Nick Nurse can’t be the only man accountable for the 76ers’ troubles. He won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 with probably fewer stars than the 76ers have assembled right now!

It’s been some time since the franchise won the NBA title. They won the title in 1983 with Julius Erving and Moses Malone. So, they have the championship DNA within themselves, but Maxey wants his friend to buckle up. He allegedly wants Embiid to take a leadership role and lead by example. Over the past 5 years, they’ve nurtured a strong trust, hoping it will produce positive results in the future.

According to multiple sources, the team chemistry needs to improve, which, as fans, we can understand what they put out on the court. Not only do the starters need to level up. But, the bench players must step up to take Philadelphia to their promised land. Without Joel Embiid, they are the worst shooting team in the league and rank 29th in rebounding.

It’s a mess.

There’s no other way around. In the 30 minutes he’s been averaging so far, The Process has racked up 14.7 points, and 6.3 rebounds, a shade of what the star player was in recent times. This is the 2023 NBA MVP we are talking about. If the 76ers need to turn it around, he needs to step. The entire team must come together, not just him. Hopefully, they do and salvage their season.