"I’m shutting Joel Embiid down" - Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper shockingky advocates 'tanking' for 76ers as playoff hopes dwindle

The 2024-25 NBA season has been a disappointment for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Injuries have taken over the stars, limiting Embiid's time on the court. This season, Embiid has only played in 19 games, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Even his teammate, Paul George, has struggled to play for the Sixers. When he's available, George has been inconsistent. On Wednesday, he recorded his first 20-point game for February, following his decision to take a hiatus from his show, "Podcast P with Paul George."

Philly (20-38) is 12th in the Eastern Conference. With 24 games left, the chances for the Sixers to qualify for the postseason are slim. According to Michael Jordan's former teammate, Rob Harper, shutting down the team's stars seems to be the logical move.

On X (formerly Twitter), Harper said:

"If I was the GM of @sixers I’m shutting Joel embiid down and tho king about shutting Paul George down too and hope we get a high lottery pick…. TANK," Harper tweeted.

Embiid's knee issues have been a problem for him since last season. This year, his situation seemed to have worsened as the Sixers franchise is contemplating what the next step would be. The 2023 MVP has missed the past two games as he and the Sixers look for other ways to address his knee problems.

George, on the other hand, has been inconsistent for his new team. The All-Star forward, who was signed to a four-year, $212 million deal over the summer, has suffered his fair share of injuries. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season.

The Sixers are not ready to pull the plug on Joel Embiid

While the Sixers' hope of making the playoffs gradually fades away, the franchise is still not giving up on Joel Embiid. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, Philly isn't ready to pull the plug on Embiid.

“Philadelphia insists that it isn't pulling any cord out of its plug just yet. It still views Embiid as its franchise cornerstone. Season-ending surgery isn't necessarily the destined outcome for Embiid either, sources said," Fischer reported.

"As insane as it sounds, despite a miserable record of just 20-38, Philadelphia awoke Thursday just 2 1/2 games out of the No. 10 seed in the East that secures a berth in the league's play-in tournament.”

The Sixers have lost nine straight games, and their best player only appeared in five of those games. Philly still has hope they can turn things around despite their problems.