Sixers embarrassed in Charlotte: Depth and injury management continues to haunt this team like the plague

Without Joel Embiid and Paul George, the Sixers yet again proved that they are incapable of being competitive. The 37-point loss against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday afternoon was painful to watch and I have the utmost respect for anyone who watched the fourth quarter despite the Sixers already being down by 50.

The Sixers spent a mere 18 seconds with the lead throughout the entire game and like clockwork, their struggles in the third quarter were glaring, being outscored 40-15 in that frame alone.

Obviously, the reason behind this was clear. Both Paul George and Joel Embiid were listed with left knee management and did not play. That meant Tyrese Maxey was left to carry the load and he managed to do absolutely nothing. Maxey shot 20% from the field and went 0-3 from beyond the arc, ending the game with six total points.

Overall, I’m not really sure anyone had a decent game. I guess you can point to Kelly Oubre scoring the most with 17 points, but at the same time, he recorded a plus-minus of -40. It wasn’t just Maxey and the available starters either.

K9 on his old stomping grounds. pic.twitter.com/luIg1aleTV

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 26, 2026

Overall, the entire game was statistically a disaster.

The Sixers had nine threes compared to the Hornet’s 17, the defense was atrocious, and the rebounding continues to be a problem in this franchise, being out rebounded by 19 in the game.

I’ll focus on two blatantly obvious reasons for the Sixers loss on Monday afternoon.

Two of their max players were sitting on the bench. For reference, Embiid averages 25 points while George averages 15. Their height would’ve helped with rebounding and on the defensive side of the ball.

As always, the Sixers face the never ending dilemma of having arguably the best team in the NBA when these two play, versus a very mid team when they are unavailable. 

The other reason being that Maxey didn’t show up in his all-star form. Averaging almost 30 points, he had his worst outing of the season scoring only 6 points. I do find it hard to blame him for the loss. He has been on an absolute tear this season, and was bound to eventually have an off-night at some point.

At the very least, Jared McCain got extra run and looked good…

After returning from a second trip to the G League, he shot 6/13 from the field and 4/8 from three, totaling 16 points. To say the least, his play has been looking pretty bleak since coming back from injury.

I think we’re all in agreement that Jared McCain turning things around would be a massive boost for the depth of this Sixers team.

Jared McCain 16 Points, 4 Threes, 3 Assists full highlight vs Hornets I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/v7HUKPFA3E

— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) January 26, 2026

Back-to-back losses are devastating…

They hurt even more when they tread the line of being a playoff lock versus having to win the play-in. Maxey’s performance was terrible, and we watched another game where we have to say “but if we had Embiid and George.”

Again, this team proves they lack depth, the gap between their stars and support is too large. If Maxey has an off-night, the collapse is inevitable, and every loss without the ailing Embiid and fragile George reinforce they have no safety net on the bench.

Until the Sixers build real depth, their championship expectations remain fragile. 

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