Philadelphia's unique opportunity

Chicago's been here before

Why we expected Daryl Morey to surprise us, over and over, that’s the power of strong storytelling.

Daryl ain’t a fraud. We’re happy he gave Michael Lewis Mike’s best chance to explain basic NBA analytics (stats sez: push Kobe left). We were and are happy for the triumphant title (“No-Stats All-Star”) we coulda used years earlier, trying to explain whatever the hell Bo Outlaw was up to.

But Daryl isn’t exactly lining up the bombshells. He’s made much the same moves Doug Collins and, shock horror, Ed Stefanski would amid the same role. Morey hoarded Joel Embiid, a seven-foot James Harden, hung onto the similarly-inherited Tobias Harris throughout, dealing for and dealing away Harden and then, Paul George? The surest way to argue you’re not stuck in Obama’s first term is not clearing space to sign 2012’s third-best swingman.

The Sixers enjoyed two months and exactly half the season to consider this dreary moment: Philly is 15-26, two games out of the Play-In and seven games away from a guaranteed No. 6 seed, 15 plus 15 equals 30.

Joel Embiid’s knee will be re-evaluated in a week, I bet it still hurts. Paul George’s twinged groin may linger months beyond his return to action because Paul George is so old, Paul George’s first NBA game was against a team with Garrett Temple in the lineup.