Philly gotta get going here

It was hard to watch Joel Embiid in December because it was December, and it barely counted.

Embiid is as good as this league gets, his offensive rebound and put-back sealed a win for Philly on Tuesday, only the team’s 18th in 34 tries. Daryl Morey’s Gadarene instinct to dash into the Ben Simmons sweepstakes as the melodrama’s main character banked the Sixers a whole chunk of the middle of the road.

Maybe Morey always planned on returning Simmons, Ben’s gifts are what Philadelphia (a cushy 19th in defense) require to kick the haunches and get the thing moving. Come back and rehabilitate your image, Ben, tear up a tired Kevin Durant in the postseason, win a title and we’ll toss you to the Lakers in July for all the picks David Griffin couldn’t find plus “I Can Be the GM That Wins With Westbrook.”