He's not the same Joel Embiid he was a few years ago, but the former NBA MVP is still a crucial part of the Philadelphia 76ers' presence on the boards and in the interior, and that was well on display during Sunday's 114-98 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid has played just five games for Philadelphia since the start of February, and Sunday's game was the first of a three-plus-game absence as he deals with an oblique strain. Unfortunately for the team, it didn't take long at all for them to realize just how much they're going to miss having him on the court.
Largely because of Embiid's absence, Celtics big man Neemias Queta enjoyed a career night, recording 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting (all from inside the arc), 17 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and three blocks in 27 minutes. He had a double-double at halftime.
Queta has been solid all season long and has been one of Boston's biggest bright spots. But he dominated Philadelphia in every area of the game, and that's going to be a big concern until the seven-time All-Star makes his return.
Joel Embiid remains crucial to the 76ers' success
With a little over a month left this season, the 76ers are 33-27 and own the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. They are in a great spot to return to the playoffs, but if they want to make a serious run and return to the finals for the first time in over two decades, they're going to need Embiid on the court and as healthy as possible.
In 33 games this season, Embiid has averaged 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field. But beyond the stats, he provides a big presence on the inside and on the boards (particularly as someone who can box out, even if he doesn't grab the rebound himself), and that was evident in his absence against Boston.
Even if he's not the same MVP-caliber player he once was (though he is still very valuable in Philadelphia), Embiid is still a seven-footer who weighs nearly 300 pounds. It's not going to be easy for opposing big men to take over the game with him on the court.
There is still a lot of basketball left, and the 76ers are in a decent spot. But they still have some big problems they need to fix soon, and Embiid's absence is exposing them in a major way.