Joel Embiid, the great center for the 76ers, had to have surgery, ending another season for the previous MVP and raising concerns among Philadelphia fans worldwide that when he returns, he will be the same player he was.
Daryl Morey is aware that the East may be more open than it has ever been, which is crazy. The Sixers’ president of operations, who was speaking at the Las Vegas Summer League, did not sugarcoat the possibility that this season could be crucial for his team.
Morey said: “I do think it’s open in the East,”. “We’re going to have to prove that we’re with those upper-echelon teams in the East. But we do feel like if all things come together, we can be right there.”
We’ve given ourselves a lot of flexibility to upgrade the team during the year, if things are going as well as we hope,”
It all begins and ends with Embiid, so that’s a big “IF.” The 31-year-old has not yet resumed playing basketball on the floor, according to The Athletic.
That adaptability is essential. Even an open Eastern Conference might not be enough for the Sixers to compete without a completely healthy and dominant Embiid. If Philadelphia hopes to capitalize on what Morey refers to as an opening, its center must return to MVP form.
