Ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ clash against the Golden State Warriors, the Inside the NBA panel had a brief discussion about Joel Embiid and Co.’s chances of getting out of the Eastern Conference. While Charles Barkley gave the Pennsylvania side their dues for winning 10 out of the past 14 games, Shaquille O’Neal remains unimpressed with the team.
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Barkley mentioned a few teams with the capabilities of making it out of the Eastern Conference. After praising the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chuckster admitted that a fully healthy Philly squad is a team that no one wants to face in the East’s playoffs.
“Nobody wants to play them. But man, the best ability is availability,” Barkley said.
Shaq politely disagreed with his fellow NBA on TNT analyst. Without giving any justification, O’Neal simply claimed that the Sixers were, “still not ready… Not even close.”
“They’re still not ready […] Not even close”
Shaq & the crew discuss the 76ers being 10-4 in their last 14 ️ pic.twitter.com/fwh6soIXK7
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 3, 2025
The four-time NBA champ seems to not buy the Sixers’ recent form as an indication of a successful season. We must remember that the Philly side had hit rock bottom at the end of last year and there were even calls to shut their season down. So the Diesel can’t be faulted for not having recency bias, especially with the way Embiid’s health has continued to fail the Sixers at regular intervals.
However, while their start may not have been ideal, Nick Nurse’s team has shown remarkable progress over the past month. In the last 14 games, they have averaged more points, rebounds, and assists per game while improving their shooting compared to their season average. But there are still question marks.
Paul George has failed to live up to the expectations
Through the first 31 games of the season, the All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey has delivered standout performances, combining for an impressive 49.6 points and 9.2 assists per game.
The team entered the season with high expectations, especially after the addition of Paul George, who was anticipated to elevate their status as a powerhouse in the East. However, George has struggled to find his form, averaging just 16.1 points per game – his lowest since the 2011-2012 season.
Given the team’s significant investment in him with a four-year, $211 million contract in the offseason, it’s clear that the Sixers expected him to play a major role. So far, his output has clearly not met the expectations set for him.
