PHILADELPHIA — The trio of 76ers’ stars looked majestic on opening night as their images covered the arena’s 4K kinetic scoreboard. Joel Embiid palmed a basketball. Tyrese Maxey in the middle appeared ready to burst off the screen for a dunk. Paul George looked fierce as he squeezed a basketball with both hands.
Embiid. Maxey. George. They were the expected anchors of a Philadelphia team that counted on this season as the one to finally make a deep run in the playoffs, all three with massive contracts to match the lofty expectations.
George bolted the Clippers to sign a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract. Maxey, a first-time All Star last season, reached a five-year, $204 million extension. Embiid, an NBA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist, agreed to a $193 million extension.
What has all that lavish spending on three players with 17 combined All-Star nods got the Sixers two weeks into the season?
Try a 1-6 record headed into Friday’s game at the Lakers — tied with Milwaukee and Utah for worst in the NBA — and no games played together because of injuries and suspension by Embiid, Maxey and George.
The 24-year-old Maxey is the latest Sixer sidelined by injury, and he could miss at least two weeks with a right hamstring injury, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t disclosed details of Maxey’s injury publicly. The Sixers hope to know more after Maxey, who was injured a night earlier in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, received additional medical evaluation on Thursday.
“Not very good luck,” coach Nick Nurse said Thursday night. “We’ve got to hang in there and still find a way to compete and play better.”
Maxey leads the Sixers with 27.6 points and led the NBA with 39.7 minutes played per game.
Maxey’s hamstring woes are the latest setback for a franchise that is already watching a playoff berth turn more into an outside shot rather than the guarantee it seemed at training camp in the Bahamas.
George, who scored 18 points and was booed by Clippers fans in his return to Los Angeles, has played only two games this season because of a bone bruise on his left knee suffered in a preseason game.
The 76ers have played all season without Embiid, both for what the team calls left knee management and because of a three-game suspension for shoving a member of the media.
The 76ers have been under more NBA investigations (two) than they have wins (one) this season.
The NBA fined the 76ers $100,000 last month for public statements, including by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Nurse, that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health status and in violation of NBA rules, including the league’s player participation policy.
Embiid was suspended three games without pay after he shouted at and eventually shoved a newspaper columnist in a locker room altercation Saturday night.
The 76ers have lost four straight games headed into Friday’s game against the Lakers, then return home Sunday against Charlotte and have another home game Tuesday against New York. Embiid is set to make his season debut against the Knicks in the first game of NBA Cup play.
“We’ve got to play better,” Nurse said. “We’re taking two (steps) forward and two back. We’ve got to develop some consistency and play a little better.”
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