Sixers vs. Nets takeaways: Inconsistent effort, Joel Embiid’s decline, and more

The 76ers have shown inconsistent effort. Joel Embiid is a shell of his dominant self. And this season is officially a disaster. Those three things stood out in Saturday’s 105-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center.

Inconsistent effort

The Sixers surrendered 63 points and 53.5% shooting to a tanking Nets squad in the first half. However, Philly forced 10 turnovers while players were digging in on the defensive end in the second half.

But on the game’s final play, the team didn’t box out and instead ball watched as Nic Claxton scored the game-winning tip-in with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Joel Embiid's struggles

Embiid is having a tough time moving around, especially on the defensive end. That led to the Nets post players scoring at will on him.

The 2023 NBA MVP and seven-time All-Star also struggled to make shots, scoring 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. Embiid doesn’t resemble the center who was the league’s most unstoppable player the previous two seasons.

A disastrous season

So much for a deep postseason run. The Sixers (20-36) remain in contention for the Play-In Tournament, but look like a squad that would get bounced in the first game. Saturday marked their seventh consecutive loss and ninth in 10 games.