The Newz (I'm sticking with it)

Yup. That's what we're going with.

Anyway, not a whole lot to report this week, so let's dive in...

Banged-Up Sixers

Joel Embiid's extended absence due to a bone bruise in his knee is obviously the most concerning bit, but a few other Sixers have been nipped by the injury bug of late. Ben Simmons missed Saturday's tilt with the Sacramento Kings because of his own knee soreness, and his status for Sunday night's matchup with the Knicks is up in the air. The Sixers have only played one game post-All-Star break with both of their stars together in the lineup due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols.

Seth Curry also missed Saturday's game and will be out through the weekend after spraining his left ankle during Wednesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Sixers have handled the rash of injuries well, opening their second half 5-1, but playing without 60% of their starting lineup for any length of time is hardly ideal. And considering each of these injuries is not the first time any of these players has experienced them, this si certainly something worth monitoring closely.

Blue Coats' Season Comes to an End

The 2021 season for the Delaware Blue Coats came to an unceremonious end On March 11, when they were wrecked in the championship 97-78 at the hands of the Lakeland Magic.

Still, the season was a success, and the Sixers might have uncovered a gem in Paul Reed. The 2020 second-round pick had a great regular season (22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds), and continued his strong play into the playoffs (18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds). He showcased a versatile game with promising shooting potential (44.4% from three on 3.6 attempts per game during the regular season) and excellent defensive playmaking ability (1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks). The NBA is, of course, an altogether different animal, but flashes like that are never a bad sign.

Bradley Paralyzed

Former Sixers center Shawn Bradley suffered a traumatic injury to his spinal cord in an accident after being struck by a moving vehicle while riding his bike near his Utah home n January 20. He has spent the last eight-plus weeks rehabbing after being left paralyzed from the impact.

The Sixers' 1993 number 2 overall draft pick played 143 games for Philadelphia over parts of three seasons. He put up averages of 9.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks during that span.

Get better fast, big fella.

Targets Acquired, and Lost

So much for my P.J. Tucker dreams. Houston shipped the 35-year-old veteran to the Bucks, taking one of the Sixers trade season targets off the board. To add insult to injury, Kyle Lowry doesn't appear to be headed anywhere. Now, that could just be Masai Ujiri posturing to drum up a bidding war ahead of the March 25 trade deadline, which would be excellent business from an excellent executive. But this feels real given Lowry's significance to the franchise as arguably the Toronto Raptors greatest player ever. To that end, Sixers fans hoping for a homecoming (raises hand) will probably have those hopes dashed too.

So what, then, does Daryl Morey have up his sleeve? Even with the major absences described above, the Sixers are rolling right now (winners of 11 of 14). Key pieces like Tobias Harris down to depth guys like Furkan Korkmaz are playing some of the best ball of their careers, and there seems to be great buy-in up and down the roster. Still, Morey has always been about good enough not ever being good enough, and him swinging a last minute trade would not be surprising. Or perhaps he's slow playing things ahead of the buyout market when more than a few quality veterans figure to be available.

Either way, don't expect the roster as currently constructed to be the one that plays this season's final game.

12,284

That's how many total fans have attended the four Sixers' home games since the Wells Fargo Center reopened its doors to limited capacity in time for the second half of the season. I wanted everyone to be safe and cautious because this thing has not gone away yet. But at the same time, it's just nice to have a crowd again.