Sixers vs. Celtics: 3 things to watch for in critical Game 1

1. Embiid’s health

Once upon a time, Joel Embiid arrived in Orlando in “the best shape of his career,” or close to it. Naturally, he experienced calf tightness after half a scrimmage game, later tweaked his ankle on the stanchion, then hurt his wrist.

Oh, Sixers.

Embiid will not appear on the injury report for anything serious, if at all, ahead of Monday’s throwdown with Boston. He played through his wrist injury in the Sixers’ win over Houston, and one can assume his wrist has healed further in the days since. At least, such an assumption could be made if the Sixers were a normal team.

Even so, the Sixers will need to carefully monitor Embiid’s workload in this series. He’s the lifeblood of all things good for Philadelphia. He’s the main generator on offense and the defensive anchor. Without Ben Simmons, he will be at the center of any competitive run from the Sixers. He can single-handedly determine if Philadelphia competes or not.

The Sixers will need Embiid to play a lot of minutes (and play a lot of minutes at a high level) in order to win this series. Brett Brown’s seat is hotter than most, and he will therefore be compelled to win at all costs. How Embiid’s usage and minutes shake out is a top storyline in this game and beyond.

Can Embiid hold up as the undisputed top dog in a seven-game series. We have yet to find out. This is his most punishing test yet. Let’s see if he passes.