The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a worse start than anyone in the organization could have imagined, but there are no internal discussions at this time about the job status of coach Nick Nurse or president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, sources from multiple leagues said. The Athletics.

The Sixers have lost 11 of 13 games to open the season, including a 106-89 loss at Miami on Monday night that prompted a closed-door team meeting in which an injured star, Tyrese Maxey, called out the face of the franchise. Joel Embiid for setting a bad example for teammates, these sources said.

Maxey, who has been out since Nov. 7 with a hamstring injury, apparently told Embiid in front of the team, “Joel, you know I love you. But it starts with you and your habits.” Maxey, who has a close relationship with Embiid, called out his friend for being late to too many team functions.

ESPN was the first to report that Maxey discussed Embiid’s habits during the team meeting.

The story of Philadelphia’s disastrous season can’t be told through a single team meeting or even an injury to one of the three starters. Neither Embiid nor Paul George, whom the Sixers signed as a free agent last summer to a four-year, $212 million contract, were out of the season due to injury.

The Sixers were fined for their explanation of Embiid’s absence, and Embiid was suspended three games on November 5 for pushing a Philadelphia columnist who had written articles critical of the former league MVP for missing games.

With such a star-studded roster, coached by Nurse, a high-profile bench boss who won an NBA championship in Toronto in 2019, the Sixers would be only the ninth team to start a season so poorly and make the playoffs.

The expectation going forward is that everyone in the organization – including Embiid, Nurse and Morey – will look in the mirror and see the role they have in improving the team. Team chemistry should improve, although Embiid and Maxey are doing well, multiple sources say, citing their known friendship. Those sources said Embiid largely agreed with Maxey’s message.

According to team and league sources, Maxey emphasized the need for Embiid to set a better example as a leader on a daily basis, while emphasizing the importance of timeliness.

The message was that everything within their program starts with the big man and he needs to be better when it comes to his leadership. League and team sources said Embiid heard the message, while also expressing a lack of clarity and occasional frustration with the way he is used on the court.

But while it was certainly a candid message for Maxey to share with the franchise’s centerpiece, it mattered even more that it came from the 24-year-old because of the strength of his relationship with Embiid. The two are known to be very close, with a trust built over four years that makes these kinds of direct conversations possible.

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It’s hard to judge the on-court product until Embiid, Maxey and George play together, but other veterans like Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson, who were brought in to complement the Sixers’ stars, have also struggled.

Embiid, who had just 11 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes against the Heat, was playing in his third game due to continued management of the left knee injury that has been such a focal point this Sixers season.

George, whose signing in free agency in the summer was seen by many as a return to title contention in Philadelphia, scored 18 points in nearly 33 minutes in just his seventh game of the season (left knee injury). Maxey, who has missed the last six games due to a hamstring injury, is likely to play at home against the Nets on Friday; the 76ers are in Memphis on Wednesday.

Embiid is a notoriously slow starter who needs a few games to get into shape early in the season. But Philadelphia no longer has the luxury of waiting for him to be at his best.

Normally, a player trying to get back into shape after a long period of inactivity would do extra conditioning work on days off and after training. But Embiid’s ongoing string of lower-body injuries in recent seasons makes that kind of extra pounding on his legs and feet risky. For now, Philadelphia is content with Embiid using the games to scrape off the rust.

While the conversation between Maxey and Embiid was a core part of the team meeting, the discussions also held the rest of the roster accountable, according to team sources. The 76ers are the worst shooting team in the league and rank 29th in rebounding percentage. Although rookie Jared McCain has had an impressive start, Philadelphia’s depth has not increased as the team deals with injuries.

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(Top photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images)