After missing 18 of their last 20 outings due to an oblique injury, Joel Embiid finally made his return for the Philadelphia 76ers in their latest contest against the Bulls. He did not show any kind of rust in his comeback, leading the charge for the team with 35 markers, six rebounds, and seven assist in just a hair above 28 minutes of gameplay.
Embiid’s brilliance was on full display against Chicago. His peak performance will be a non-negotiable for Philly, especially as they aim to get a more solid footing in the standings with the postseason looming. Having said that, the long-term outlook of this group deserves more than scant pondering in relation to how they should utilize arguably their best player moving forward.
The sustainable approach is for the 76ers to permanently reduce the load they have put on Embiid, but that appears to be a huge concession they cannot afford to make just yet. As good as Tyrese Maxey has been, this team is at its best when the former Most Valuable Player is playing like one. This squad’s collective ceiling is simply higher when he is the main propeller.
The 76ers have a huge question to answer about Joel Embiid
The 76ers are interesting in that they have multiple ways through which they can build their roster. They have more than sufficient win-now ammo to keep adding to their collection of talent and fill the group with complementary pieces. The front office could also completely veer into getting younger and more dynamic. But in the grand scheme of things, the recurring theme for this franchise is that it certainly wants to win now –– and that raises a huge question about Embiid.
So, until when can the 76ers keep relying this much on Joel Embiid? The static reality is that this team does not know how to function well enough to win games on a consistent basis without him in the fold, and their chances have been rocky when he is not putting up Herculean showings. It is elementary to infer that an aging, injury-prone star can only do so much no matter how elite he remains to be.
Philadelphia is not going to be all edgy and act like they would be just fine even if Embiid is not himself. As has been the case, that is all but disingenuous. But that does not change the fact that something has to change dynamics-wise, lest this franchise will keep treading on uncertain waters for god knows how long.