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Can the Sixers survive without Joel Embiid?

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers lies on the court after a collision with Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers lies on the court after a collision with Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center on March 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers might need some luck as the season comes to a close.

This sucks. That’s about as far as this analysis needs to go. The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t been this good since Allen Iverson was on the squad, and now Joel Embiid — the star leading their ascension — is likely to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Embiid went down with an orbital fracture and concussion after colliding with Markelle Fultz on a screen in Wednesday night’s win over New York. While it shouldn’t pose any long-term issues, Embiid could miss up to four weeks in the worst-case scenario.

If that ends up happening, he’d miss the first round of the playoffs. I doubt the Sixers get very far if JoJo isn’t on the court.

It’s worth noting that I’m not a medical professional, nor am I familiar with how facial fractures heal or what the process is for getting back on the court. If the surgery reveals he needs four weeks, though, rushing him back probably isn’t the smartest thing.

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We are talking about the bones that surround his eye, so I would presume that any risk that comes with rushing him back outweighs the benefits of Embiid suiting up for a first-round series in a year where the Sixers don’t have a reasonable shot at winning the title.

If Embiid does return — and he’s trusting the process — he’d likely be donning a mask. Playoff Embiid with a mask could make for some quality basketball.

As for the Sixers’ ability to survive sans Embiid, don’t expect much. He’s the foundation that supports one of the best defenses in the league. He’s also their best rebounder and the driving force behind Philly’s league-leading rebounding numbers.

Offensively, Embiid is just as important. Ben Simmons has been dealing as of late, but he’s probably not good enough to win a first-round series on his own. On top of that, a lot of Brett Brown’s actions revolve around Embiid, whether it be as a screen-setter or in the post.

Based on talent alone, with how well Simmons and Dario Saric have played as of late, the Sixers can probably stay afloat without Embiid to finish off the regular season. Their remaining schedule features some pretty dreadful teams, so home-court advantage isn’t entirely out of the picture.

I tend to think that Philly’s postseason success — assuming Embiid is healthy — hinges on whether or not they get to start off the series at home. Regardless of how you slice it, though, nobody wants to see Embiid go down like this.

Next: Sixers aiming for the playoffs and the draft

At this point, all we can do is send our best thoughts in Joel’s direction and hope for the best. Trust The Process.