The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers’ Core: Ultimate Roster Analysis and Predictions

By Bret Stuter

Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Joel Embiid

Status: Healthy – at least healthy enough to be cleared for five on five scrimmages.
Contracted Through: 2017 with a team option to extend through 2018
Current 2016-2017 Salary:  $4,826, 160
Trade Value: None

Strengths: He’s Huge.  Currently stands at 7-foot-2 and weighs at 275 pounds.  Physically intimidating.  Extremely agile, strong basketball IQ, and can emulate basketball moves by studying videos.
Offense: He’s been working on all phases of offense and shot selection.
Defense: He offers enthusiastic defense for a big man, and his height plus wing span create a virtual impenetrable wall near the rim.

Weaknesses: He’s a rookie coming off nearly a three year lay-off, two successive years of foot surgery, likely limited playing minutes to open the season, and a shallow pool of basketball experience to draw upon

Offense: Who’s to say?  If you go by his practices, he’s formidable, displaying shots from all over the basketball court.  Place him in a true NBA game situation, and you can expect more modest results.  But he’s got post, mid-range, and perimeter scoring down pat.  If he can build up to 20 minutes per game, you can expect his average scoring to be mid-teens or better.

Defense: It’s another tough call.  He played hard and aggressive defense in his freshman year in Kansas, and with those instincts there is cause to hope for great NBA defensive play as well.  He has all the tools, he will simply need to learn from NBA experience

Probability of 2016-2017 Roster: Certainty – will likely alternate as center starter. 100 percent.

Next: Okafor