On a scale from chill to full-blown panic, where do the Philadelphia 76ers stand? They’ll slap on their poker faces, but trust me, the mask is slipping. Fans see through it—hope is a fading whisper in Philly. When Daryl Morey threw $211 million at Paul George, the dream was clear. It was all about George, Embiid, and Maxey lighting up the court. Reality feels more like the plot of a horror movie with too many jump scares. And that dream is definitely on backorder.

Look, the science has always been simple, adding PG13 to the roster never meant that the Sixers were going to become title contenders. No. Even with a strong core featuring The Process and Maxey, Embiid’s injuries and unavailability always cast the heaviest shadow. His absence weighed more heavily on the team than anything else

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