There were high hopes for the Philadelphia 76ers heading to the season after acquiring forward Paul George.

The 76ers formed an All-Star trio with George, center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey, making them one of the heavy contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Things, however, have gone south for Philadelphia, which has only won twice in 14 games, including five straight losses. The team's struggles led to a players-only meeting, where Maxey reportedly called out Embiid for being late to activities.

The 30-year-old Embiid said he understood Maxey's criticism but also pointed out that he's sometimes confused about what they want to do on the floor.

Early this month, the former MVP had a physical altercation with a veteran columnist.

Amid the internal issues, 76ers coach Nick Nurse was asked if the players-only meeting would have an impact. The champion coach maintained cautious optimism.

"We can only ever find out until we play another game," said Nurse in a report from Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports! "We can only ever find out till we get to practice and see what the level of focus and energy is like, and then when we get to a next game.

"But, yeah, I think they were very attentive and very communicative."

The 76ers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, 117-111, despite Embiid's 35 points and the return of Maxey and George, who combined for only 10 points, from injuries. George, however, only played 17 minutes after hyperextending his knee in the third quarter.

Philadelphia has suffered disappointing exits in the playoffs over the past few seasons, with Embiid constantly being hobbled by injuries.

Before this season, Embiid said he doesn't expect to play in back-to-back games for the rest of his career.

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