5x NBA champion Ron Harper shares his two cents on what he would have done as Philadelphia 76ers general manager.
The 2024-25 NBA season has been beyond disappointing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Even with a Big 3 of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers are currently out of the Play-in race.
A key reason behind the 76ers’ struggles has been Embiid’s lingering knee injury, as the 2023 NBA MVP has played in just 19 games this season.
On top of Embiid’s injury, George has missed several games due to injuries and has played like a shell of himself when he has been healthy.
Any team is bound to struggle without its top two players on the court for the majority of the season. While there are still 24 games left to be played, it may be time for the team to shut down and tank.
At least, that’s what 5x NBA champion Ron Harper would have done if he was in 76ers GM Daryl Morey’s place.
“If I was the GM of the Sixers, I’m shutting Joel Embiid down and thinking about shutting Paul George down too and hope we get a high lottery pick… TANK,” Harper wrote on X.
To be honest, shutting down Embiid and George in preparation for the next season is not bad advice by any means.
The 2026 NBA Draft is full of talented players, and getting a solid young star could help the 76ers rejuvenate while preparing for the new era.
NBA insider Shams Charania recently reported that Embiid consistently used injections to play during the regular season. So, it’s fair to assume that the 30-year-old won’t be returning this season to focus on healing his knee.
As for George, he has averaged just 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game this season. Even with PG13 putting his podcast on hold, there isn’t much left to save.
At the time of writing, the 76ers have a 20-38 record and hold the 12th seed in the conference. Unless, they go on a miraculous run over the next 24 games, it’s hard to see them securing anything other than a Play-in spot.
Keeping that in mind, it’s certainly not worth risking an injury to George. Instead, as Harper suggested, shut him down and focus on making a comeback in the 2025-26 season.
