76ers catch strays as Joel Embiid calls out what’s been obvious for years

Both of their wins have not been pretty, but the Philadelphia 76ers have nevertheless managed to rack up a pair of dubs in thrilling fashion to begin their campaign. To make things appear more impressive, the squad did that despite missing the services of Paul George, Trendon Watford, and Jared McCain, and also with Joel Embiid under a stern minutes restriction.

Embiid is curently limited to playing 20 minutes per outing. He has become outspoken about his current situation, openly expressing his derision about the coaching staff’s decision. However, given his long absence from NBA action, it simply cannot be helped that the team is being ultra conservative with him.

That being said, the 76ers are starting to fare better as a collective even when Embiid is on the sidelines. That is a much-needed change for this franchise, one that has mightily struggled over the years the moment the former Most Valuable Player hits the bench or misses a game entirely.

We need not even belabor ourselves by taking a deep dive into the numbers. Everyone knows that the non-Embiid minutes have been a vivid negative without Embiid since the 76ers started becoming a competitive basketball squad. That makes it all the more timely that the team finally appears to be more prepared than before in handling those stretches.

Joel Embiid dishes out a much-needed diss for the 76ers

In a recent exchange, Embiid was asked by a reporter about the fact that the 76ers are playing better without him on the floor, and the superstar definitely served a bit of a pointed remark which reflects what everyone has always said about the team’s jarring on/off splits with and without him in the hardwood.

Shots fired, huh? Well, this is Embiid voicing out about the 76ers’ belated fix to what has been a subsisting issue for more than a decade.

But more importantly, this is the appropriate line of thinking the 76ers should have when it comes to building their roster moving forward. Everyone is aware of the fact that it is no longer viable for Embiid to be installed as the nominal alpha on the team. He is on the wrong side of 30, and his body requires a steep level of maintenance to mitigate his existing injuries.

With the likes of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe starting to become as resolute centerpieces for this team, the 76ers can finally be smart in preserving Joel Embiid. He can no longer operate as an MVP-caliber star, but he still has a ton of value for this team on and off the court.