Are the Sixers better without Joel Embiid?
With the Philadelphia 76ers continuing to put up wins in his absence, is the team actually better without Joel Embiid?
Before you attack me or the premise, back off for a minute and hear me out. I know it’s a bit taboo in Philly, but as preposterous and sacrilegious as it sounds, it’s a question worth examining.
Clearly, Joel Embiid is a phenomenal, unique talent. He’s 7-2, weighs 250 pounds and evokes comparisons to a young Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon. This season, Embiid is averaging 30 minutes, 23 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and nearly two blocks per game in what is essentially his first full season. Those are formidable numbers, which if pulled away from any team, would surely hurt.
But guess what? Embiid’s absence has not hurt the Sixers where it matters most — in the win column. The Philadelphia 76ers are 6-0 since he suffered a freak accident and injured his left orbital bone in a collision with Markelle Fultz on Mar. 28.
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They have secured home-court advantage in round one of the playoffs. They beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers this past Friday night, opening up a 30 point lead – in the first half! Sure, they almost blew the game at the end, but a win is a win.
And how they’ve been playing is what brought the subject question to mind. During the first half of the season, I had been telling friends that the Sixers personnel group is unlike the Warriors so they should stop trying to play like them.
Only one Sixer, J.J. Redick, was a true three-point shooter, yet they were playing a spread offense and chucking up threes as if they were Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. I thought the Sixers should play a more traditional ‘big man’ offense, using pick-and-rolls, and dumping to Embiid in the post when the game is on the line.
They weren’t playing to the strengths of their personnel, I argued. Heck, even Embiid was hoisting threes, which is not exactly what you want from your center. It was not a formula for success. After 48 games, their record was 24-24.
But on Feb. 12, the Sixers signed Marco Belinelli. Then on Feb. 28, they signed Ersan Ilyasova. And those two signings changed the complexion of the team dramatically. Suddenly they had two professional shooters, which took a lot of pressure off Redick — and Covington, for that matter.
Most importantly, it opened up the floor for Ben Simmons to penetrate and distribute to capable shooters on the perimeter, while using Embiid primarily as a low-post threat on offense. That is a winning formula.
Then, the Sixers started to roll. Since Belinelli’s first game as a Sixer, they are 21-5. They have won 14 straight, eight in a row with Embiid and six in a row without him.
So now that they’ve proven they can win without Embiid, the question I was asking myself is, “Are they better without him?” The answer, in my opinion, is no, although I think they have improved as a team without him.
With the playoffs starting on April 14, the Sixers will need his defensive presence more than any other part of his game. They can score without him. But if they are to advance when the competition stiffens, Embiid’s size, athleticism and shot blocking ability will frighten and dissuade would-be drivers into the lane. LeBron won’t be able to thrown down uncontested tomahawk jams at will, as he did in Friday night’s comeback which fell only two points short.
A looming Embiid is an intimidating force. And a rim-protecting Embiid is much more valuable than a three-point shooting Embiid.
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So when he returns, likely wearing a mask to protect his face, the Wells Fargo Center will explode with enthusiasm. And hopefully Embiid’s role will have been more clearly defined — to the team and himself — by the past couple of weeks he’s spent off the court. Can’t wait!