I'm just going to say it: the Philadelphia 76ers have no chance to be successful if Joel Embiid, who underwent surgery for appendicitis, isn't going to be on the court.
As it stands, it's unclear exactly when Embiid would be able to return, but it's fair to assume that he will at least miss the entire first round of the playoffs (assuming Philadelphia makes it out of the Play-In).
And if that's the case, then their season is basically over. It's tough to imagine them beating the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, or New York Knicks in a seven-game series without Embiid (or even with him, to be fair), especially because they don't have a strong enough center room behind him.
The 76ers still have a bright future, and there are reasons to look forward to next season and beyond. But as for any championship dreams they may have had for this season, they've practically been shattered into oblivion.
The 76ers can't win a playoff series without Joel Embiid
According to StatMuse, Philadelphia is 19-23 without the one-time NBA MVP this season. And this includes victories over the Brooklyn Nets (twice), Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks (twice), and Washington Wizards, who are all lottery-bound this year.
Embiid isn't the same player he was even a few years ago, but he's still a crucial part of their success. In 38 games this season, he averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 48.9% from the field and 33.3% from deep, all while essentially being just the sidekick to Tyrese Maxey (and in some cases third-in-command behind either Paul George or VJ Edgecombe).
Additionally, he is still a strong paint presence on both sides of the ball, has grown as a playmaker, and knows how and when to either step up as the lead guy when needed or take a backseat and let Maxey, George, and/or Edgecombe run the show. Without him, the 76ers lose a big part of their identity on both sides of the ball, and they really don't have a way to replicate his value.
This will be a big opportunity for Adem Bona and Andre Drummond to step up, but even if they do, they're not Embiid. They won't be able to make as strong an impact as he can in any area of the game (maybe Bona can defensively, but it's going to be difficult for him to go up against players like Jalen Duren or Karl-Anthony Towns in a full series), and Philadelphia is going to learn that firsthand.
The 76ers don't have a particularly deep team, especially in their center room. A lot of odds were stacked against them this postseason, but following the latest news on Embiid, it's probably all but over at this point.