Who will back up Embiid?
There is no bigger concern about the Sixers second unit than the backup five. Joel Embiid is one of the true superstars in today’s NBA. They have not had a proper substitute from him for most of the year. A healthy Justin Patton would be ideal, but that isn’t in the cards for this year. The best Embiid sub isn’t on the roster, which leaves us with: Boban Marjanovic, Amir Johnson, and Jonah Bolden.
Boban has quickly become a fan favorite for his bubbly personality, give-and-go passes, and dunks that wouldn’t even clear a phonebook. His size is an issue for defenses, and when he chooses where to put his feet, good luck moving him.
Marjanovic is averaging 13 minutes a game with the Sixers, which is roughly four more than his career average. We can all agree he’s a decent player and a likable human, but good teams will find ways to run him off the floor.
The Portland and Boston games should be prime examples. The Sixers have shown they’re fine with Marjanovic contesting threes from shooting bigs, as long he makes it worth it on the offensive end. Teams with potent scoring guards obliterate him in pick-and-rolls. The Sixers are switch happy and play drop coverage, which exasperates the issue with asking Bobi to defend in space.
When Marjanovic enters the game, teams automatically dial up pick-and-rolls in the middle of the floor. It’s almost a guaranteed clean shot. If the Sixers ask Boban Marjanovic to matchup with a non-shooting center so be it, but asking him to cover space on defense will become a disaster. Playing Bobi for more than six or seven minutes during a playoff game could seriously burn the Sixers.
I’m probably in the minority, but I wouldn’t be adverse to giving Amir Johnson a few minutes in the playoffs. He’s slow, limited on offense, and dead-meat being switched onto guards, but he has more mobility than Marjanovic and doesn’t foul nearly as much as Jonah Bolden.
Johnson was highly ineffective against Boston in last year’s playoffs, but gave the Sixers productive minutes in the Miami Heat series. He can trade punches with traditional post players, and wouldn’t be a bad option for a handful of minutes if Bobi is getting exposed.
Jonah Bolden in theory is an ideal center for the playoffs. He can provide defensive versatility and step out to hit jump shots. Bolden is low usage on offense and has the mobility you want in modern day big men. Physically he fits the bill, but lately he has been almost unplayable.
Bolden is a foul magnet. Bolden is averaging 8.1 personal fouls per 100 possessions, while Embiid averages fewer than five. His defense is wildly undisciplined at times. Being a shot blocker and being a good defender aren’t mutual. At this point in time, Brett Brown has no reason to trust Jonah Bolden with meaningful playoff minutes.
Brett Brown is stuck in between a rock and a hard place backing up Embiid. There’s always the option of playing Simmons or Scott at small-ball five, but not having a semi-productive backup center could really damage the Sixers’ playoff aspirations.
I’d be willing to bet Brett Brown tries to see if Boban Marjanovic will sink or swim, but if he sinks, he may have some interesting decisions to make.