Jaylen Brown Fueling Celtics-76ers Rivalry With Hard Truth Dig?

The Boston Celtics, with their second-best-in-the-league 17-4 record, remain on track amid their defense as the NBA’s reigning champions, watching as others in the Eastern Conference desperately struggle to alleviate their issues.

Perhaps no team in the East, so far, has been a greater letdown than the Philadelphia 76ers. The City of Brotherly Love — or better yet, disappointment — spent over $444 million in the offseason, most notably by signing nine-time All-Star Paul George, including $204 million to retain guard Tyrese Maxey. Yet… nothing’s panned out.

Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, has no issue pointing the finger as to why Philadelphia or anyone else in the league is faltering so early on fulfilling the duty of playing on back-to-back nights.

“It’s a part of the journey,” Brown said after Monday’s win over the Miami Heat, per CLNS Media. “Back-to-backs is not like just the Celtics have to play them. Everybody in the whole league it’s no different. So we just try to have the mindset that we come out and play good basketball, put our best foot forward, whoever’s out there. … As you are looking to do something special, those are the moments you gotta accept. It’s hard for teams to be great if some of their best players never play back-to-back.”

The Sixers have been at the forefront of league-wide scrutiny from seven-time All-Star Joe Embiid’s ongoing lack of availability — and awareness. Embiid performed in the summer Olympic Games for USA Basketball, logging five starts throughout the gold medal run. Still, once the call to perform for the Sixers, who re-signed Embiid to a three-year, $192.9 million extension in September, the 30-year-old has ducked under the covers.

Embiid has logged four appearances, averaging 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists — marking Embiid’s career-low in scoring. The drop-off, coupled with 14 no-shows this season, has dragged 4-14 Philadelphia to the bottom of the barrel in the East. Instead of hanging with the Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the conference big boys, the Sixers have quickly reached tanking consideration mode.

Philadelphia went from a team in the mix of those with a shot at dethroning Boston to a team searching for a purpose, and Brown’s critique is spot on. Embiid’s injury management (knee) isn’t conducive to a championship hunt. It’s become a repetitive theme in the future Hall of Famer’s career that hasn’t been addressed, and to make matters worse, Embiid’s late practice appearances and locker room conduct haven’t helped either.

Head coach Nick Nurse’s Sixers are 14th in the East and 12.5 games back of the No. 1 seed and the season is only 18 games deep.