The Philadelphia 76ers need to acquire a more dependable backup center behind Joel Embiid if they want to survive the regular season and become a real contender moving forward.
In a recent episode of The Athletic's "Slam 'n' Jam" podcast, podcaster Trill Bro Dude shared this exact sentiment and made it clear that he believes Philadelphia needs a more "reliable center" behind Embiid.
"I would say the most important thing for this team is, we are going on seven straight years of this team just never having a reliable center when Joel Embiid is out. Ever," he said. "And Darryl Morey has refused to even try to invest anything beyond the taxpayer MLE into it, and it's just kind of to the point where you need to get over yourself, and you need to invest in this position that's extremely important to surviving the regular season because we never know whether Joel's going to be available or not."
The 76ers need a better backup center behind Joel Embiid
The 76ers are seeing how important this is firsthand. Embiid played just 19 games last season and has only played 33 so far this season due to injuries, which have been a problem for him throughout his entire NBA career.
Unfortunately for them, they haven't done a great job of finding a solution to this problem.
When healthy, Embiid is one of the best big men in the NBA (even still), and it's hard to find a single replacement for him when he's not available. But even so, Philadelphia clearly has to do a better job than it's currently doing.
According to Statmuse, the 76ers are 13-17 this season when the former NBA MVP doesn't play. When he does play, they are 21-12.
When Embiid isn't on the court, the 76ers are relying a bit more heavily on Andre Drummond and Adem Bona to make up for his absence. And it hasn't really worked out.
Drummond is still a fantastic rebounder (he ranks second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes with 15.6 while actually averaging 8.5 RPG), but that's about it. He is not a good defender. He is shooting just 48.6% from the field. He isn't a stretch big, no matter how much he tries to be one. He is not a good playmaker, even for a center. And he just doesn't provide a ton of value on the court, especially if he's stepping up in place of Embiid.
As for Bona, there's a lot more to like about his game. He is a good rim protector, is incredibly athletic, and has a high motor. Additionally, he is very versatile on the defensive side of the ball as someone who can guard multiple positions and switch. But he is not a perfect player, and he is no Embiid.
The 76ers have a lot going for them in the future, largely the duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. But they still have an opportunity to compete now, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference. In order for them to do that, though, they need to upgrade their backup center spot.
To throw out some names, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III, and potentially Brook Lopez (team option) could all be in the free-agent market this offseason. Additionally, they could focus on the draft where players like Michigan's Aday Mara, Houston's Chris Cenac Jr., and Kentucky's Malachi Moreno are projected to go in the mid-late first round (where they may be drafting because of the Houston Rockets' pick), and it may be worth monitoring the trade market as well.
Philadelphia has a clear decision it needs to make this offseason. Whether it will do it or not, however, is a completely different story.