1. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid, the 7-foot center who was drafted out of Kansas, is a vital piece in order to fulfill Brett Brown’s aspirations of a championship. His sheer presence on the court strikes fear into the opponent.
When healthy, he dominates the paint and continues to rack up points and rebounds. Embiid is by far the central piece of the puzzle, as suggested by his stats last season, where he averaged 28 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game. His impact on the team is highlighted through the way in which the team performs with and without him on the court.
In last season’s seven-match series against the Raptors, the Sixers lost all their games when Embiid was not at his healthiest. However, when he was fully healthy and ready to play, he averaged 42 minutes a game, racking up to 25 points a game. The success of the 76ers franchise this year will depend on the health of Embiid when he enters the postseason.
Furthermore, as a result to ensure Embiid is the best shape possible, the Sixers franchise is willing to undertake ‘load management’, whereby he misses a number of games this regular season, in an attempt to rest him. Joel Embiid’s importance to the Sixers is almost immeasurable, as he is the key to the franchises next Championship. Hence why we ranked him No. 1 on the roster.
You can read last season’s full version of this post here.