Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid knows he must do more vs. Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers’ star center was good — but not great — in Monday’s loss.

It has been said countless times, both here at The Sixer Sense, and elsewhere on the internet. If the Philadelphia 76ers want to win this series — and they do — it’s Joel Embiid who will have to lead them to victory. Embiid is carrying a massive weight on his shoulders in the absence of Ben Simmons.

On Monday night, Embiid was solid. He recorded 26 points and 16 rebounds, attempted 12 free throws, and shot an efficient 8-for-15 from the field. The only issue is that last number — 15. Embiid was tied for second of the team in field goal attempts. He should be first every night, and probably not by a slim margin.

This was Embiid’s weakest (fully healthy) game so far in the bubble. He committed five turnovers, and was essentially uninvolved in the fourth quarter. That’s partially on his teammates and Brett Brown, but Embiid should also command the basketball more forcefully. If he wants the ball, he can often come and get it.

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Embiid is the only source of reliable shot creation in the halfcourt. The Sixers can lean on Alec Burks for 15-20 points a night, but in the end, if Embiid is fatigued and uninvolved, the Sixers are going to crumble like dry cake.

In his post-game media session, Embiid clearly understood his responsibilities.

"” I just need to be more assertive and demand the ball. Just be aggressive… I got to do more. Whatever the stats are, I got to do more. I got one job to do, carry us. I’m going to need my teammates to help me, but I got to do more. I got to take more shots, be more aggressive. Defensively, I got to help my teammates. We all got to play hard and take care of the ball. Do our job and follow the gameplan.”"

This is not an uncommon sentiment from Embiid. He has said he needs to be more aggressive in the past, but he hasn’t always delivered. With the stakes as high as they are — and the series having the history it does — I would assume Embiid takes Philadelphia’s Game 2 success personally.

On the other hand, Embiid does need to be smarter when operating in the post. After the game, Brett Brown made good points about the “double-edged sword” of Embiid post-ups. On one hand, he’s the most physically dominant interior scorer in basketball. On the other hand, when he’s not sharp and quick with his decisions, the result is too often a turnover.

The Celtics swallowed Embiid (and even Horford) post-ups with regularity on Monday. Marcus Smart was especially effective in bringing the double team and compromising the stability of Embiid’s isolated possessions. Where Embiid excelled in the seeding games — keeping the ball high, patiently probing the defense, and making sharp passes when the double came — he struggled against Boston. Thus, five turnovers.

Brown mentioned getting the ball to Embiid more frequently, just not always in the post. Not everything has to be “bully ball.” And he’s absolutely correct. Embiid can thrive in the pick-and-roll, or facing up from the elbow. Allowing him to work from different spots on the floor can stress the defense without being so easily prone to turnovers. Embiid is too skilled to only post up.

The Sixers will need to do everything in their power to avoid an 0-2 hole on Wednesday — especially without true home-court advantage in Games 3 and 4. If the Sixers get in a big hole, I’m not sure they have the firepower to claw back out.