Sixers mailbag: What’s next after James Harden trade?

Sixers mailbag: Who steps up as a scorer, who steps up as a rebounder without Joel Embiid?

The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for their upcoming two-game road trip, citing knee soreness for the 7-footer’s absence. The Sixers tend to struggle whenever Embiid misses time, and I’m unconvinced this road trip will be any different. Philadelphia can win without the big fella — especially against two beatable teams in Memphis and OKC — but do not expect dominant basketball.

In the scoring department, we can obviously expect more from Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, and Tyrese Maxey, who are the Sixers’ main sources of perimeter creation. Ben Simmons will also see an uptick in usage, but his pass-happy nature has been exhausted a little too much this season. He needs to be more aggressive as a scorer. Will he? That is a question for which I cannot confidently give a positive answer.

In the rebounding department, the Sixers have more than enough glass presence between Simmons, Harris, and Dwight Howard to survive the big man’s absence. Howard has continued to control the boards this season, even as other parts of his game deteriorate. Simmons and Harris are nightly threats to get double-digit rebounds, even when Embiid is healthy.