The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a storm. Their offseason plan to add Paul George has currently led to an injury-laden for both him and Joel Embiid. Tonight’s home loss to the Toronto Raptors puts them in further jeopardy of losing even a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Hence, questions are being asked. Should the organization call it pause on ‘The Process’? If only it were that simple.

The 76ers’ headliners are all under long-term contracts. Embiid is among the most skillful centers in the league. However, recent reports claim his chronic knee injury still requires treatment. In addition, Paul George is on an exorbitant contract but his production has greatly waned. So while rebuild should be on the cards, Brian Windhorst isn’t sure it’s possible.

“In all honesty right now they probably have two of the five or six most untradeable contracts in the league with $300 million owed to Embiid and $200 million owed to Paul Paul George. Paul George has gotten a large pass from the RIT large folks because he’s been terrible this year. His last five games he’s scored under 15 points when they really needed him. That’s his worst streak in a decade he’s having his worst season since his first couple years in the league and his issues are just as important and just as disappointing as Embiid,” the analyst claimed.

The only tradeable chip that could command great value looks to be Tyrese Maxey. However, he is an integral puzzle piece in the future of the 76ers’ organization. His emergence has been the main reason the 76ers are still in the fight. Still, they are far from looking like title contenders as they were touted prior to the season.

Health has played a huge part. Joel Embiid has only participated in 17 games while Paul George has played 34. At the moment, they are two games behind the Bulls for the 10th seed. So each game is as important as a postseason series would be. Tonight was a chance to spark a positive run.

But a huge error took the chance away.

Joel Embiid speaks on his late-game decision vs the Raptors

The Raptors held up a great fight against the star-filled Philly side. They clinched onto a two-point lead with seconds to go. Tyrese Maxey drove the ball, took two defenders, and left the ball with a wide-open Joel Embiid. The entire arena waited for the former MVP to pull the trigger from three.

Surprisingly, he passed up on the shot, choosing to attack the rim. The Raptors’ defense crashed and forced a turnover, leading to the Sixers’ fourth straight loss.

After the game, an upset Embiid admitted his mistake. He shared his thought process. “I thought I could just step in and shoot the midrange,” said the 76ers’ ace. If given the choice, he admits the better alternative would have been going for the open three, no matter of inaccurate he might be shooting on the night.

“Looking back at it probably should have taken the wide-open shot and you know make it. You know tough one. You know just take the easy ones and live with it,” he told the reporters.

The season still isn’t completely over for the Philadelphia 76ers. However, their ‘Big 3’ hasn’t reaped anywhere near the rewards the front office might have hoped for. Even if the team manages to creep into the playoffs, it’s vital for Paul George and Joel Embiid to take greater responsibility to compete against the top sides in the East.

With the way the Sixers are playing, what do you think should be their next move? Let us know your views in the comments below.