The Philadelphia 76ers’ young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe has turned plenty of heads this season. Between the two of them, they’re averaging 47.8 points and 11.7 assists per game for a 76ers team that’s been better than some expected.
While Maxey and Edgecombe are thriving, the 76ers’ aging stars — big man Joel Embiid and forward Paul George — have logged just nine appearances combined thanks to injury woes. One league executive seems to be of the belief that Philadelphia’s pair of youthful guards make Embiid and George expendable.
“These guys give them the ability to move on from the Embiid and George era,” a Western Conference executive told ESPN.
Embiid hasn’t seen the floor in nearly three weeks, as he last played against the Toronto Raptors back on Nov. 8 and finished the game with 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. While Embiid’s talent is undeniable, he played just 58 games in the last two seasons combined, and it feels unlikely he’ll ever be able to shake the injury bug now that he’s on the other side of 30.
Conversely, George made his season debut not long ago on Nov. 17, and he’s at least been a more frequent presence on the floor in recent games. He’s appeared in three of the 76ers’ last five games, but his early returns this season have been a mixed bag. In his most recent game against the Miami Heat, he tallied just 10 points while misfiring on all but three of his 10 shots from the field.
Despite the erratic production and availability that both George and Embiid have provided the 76ers this season, they’re still in the thick of the playoff race early on this season thanks in part to Maxey and Edgecombe. Maxey is averaging a career-high 32.2 points per game in his sixth NBA campaign, and Edgecombe is playing well enough to be in the mix for Rookie of the Year honors.
The executive seemingly has a valid point in that Embiid and George appear to be more dispensable at this juncture, and maybe they will be playing for different teams by the time the trade deadline rolls around. The deadline is just over two months away, scheduled for Feb. 5.
