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

Amid the Philadelphia 76ers' season-worst nine-game losing streak, former Chicago Bulls wing Ron Harper advocated for the veteran-heavy squad to pull the plug on its playoff hopes.

Despite entering the season with aspirations to contend in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers (20-38) sit 12th with 24 games remaining. They trail the 10th-placed Chicago Bulls (23-36) by just two and a half games for the conference's final play-in spot.

However, injury concerns surrounding superstar center Joel Embiid have left Philly fans pessimistic about their team's chances of making noise in the postseason.

Embiid has been limited to 19 appearances due to face, foot, and knee injuries. He has been dealing with a nagging left knee ailment throughout the season, but it reportedly hasn't responded as expected to load management and injections.

Amid the 2023 MVP's scattered availability, he is reportedly considering "alternative options," including undergoing season-ending surgery.

Harper is among those who favor the 76ers shutting down Embiid and possibly his struggling veteran co-star Paul George to tank. On Thursday, the ex-teammate of Bulls legend Michael Jordan made the case on X/Twitter for the team to focus on its 2025 NBA draft lottery odds.

"If I were the general manager of the 76ers, I'd be shutting Joel Embiid down and thinking about shutting Paul George down, too, and hope we get a high lottery pick. TANK," Harper wrote.

Philly already has the league's sixth-worst record. However, it owes the OKC Thunder its top-six protected 2025 first-round pick. So, if the franchise's pick falls below sixth, it will relinquish it, making tanking a risky proposition.

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Tyrese Maxey not interested in 76ers tanking amid rumors of Joel Embiid getting shut down

While Joel Embiid and Paul George's seasons could be cut short, the third member of Philly's supposed Big 3, Tyrese Maxey, has no plans to tank.

Following Monday's 142-110 blowout home loss to Chicago, Maxey underscored his competitive spirit and resolve to get his team back on track.

"I'm never going to sit here and lace my shoes up and expect to lose," Maxey said. "That's just not how I'm wired. It's not how I play basketball. It's not how I live my life. … It's hard right now. It's very difficult. It's hard to see a vision. But we have a lot of games left, a lot of time left with each other."

Regardless, the 76ers may have difficulty dropping into the NBA's bottom four, as they are still five games ahead of the 27th-ranked New Orleans Pelicans (15-43).

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