Joel Embiid has been amazing. It was not too long ago when the superstar seemed headed to an unfortunate fate in his otherwise stellar career, but somehow, he has managed to silence his doubters completely by resuming his heroics for the Philadelphia 76ers. Having said that, the fact that he still has to do this much should be something the team should be ashamed of.
As is the case with all other superstars, the 76ers are worse with Embiid on the sidelines. However, most teams find a way to keep things from taking a disastrous turn when their best player hits the bench for a breather. Yet somehow, this squad is still as porous as it can possible be in the minutes where Embiid is not on the hardwood.
Their most recent outing against the Rockets is perhaps the best example to demonstrate that damning status quo. In a game that went to a rubber match and ended in a mere six-point win, the 76ers were +21 with Embiid on the floor. Adem Bona, his primary backup, was a -15 in just over seven minutes of court time.
The 76ers should be embarrassed that Joel Embiid still has to will them to wins
Given the nearly decade-long sample size of the 76ers struggling in the non-Embiid minutes, you would think that the front office would have some answers now to mitigate the issue. Yet somehow, despite improvements on paper, the team still looks hapless and helpless in those sparse instances.
Whether it be through tapping external help or making the rotation more balanced, the 76ers can no longer afford to tolerate this issue and just rely on their stars, mainly Embiid, to dig them out of holes. If they are dead serious about making real noise in the playoffs, they have to be at least neutral in those minutes without Joel.
At this juncture, the former MVP should not need to do this much just for the team to notch wins. His co-stars will produce, but the dynamics at the center position behind Embiid is something that could very well make or break their postseason fate.
It is really a shame that Philadelphia is still heavily dependent on Joel Embiid when he is the star who needs the most robust cushion in the rotation. Fortunately, the 76ers have ample time to solve this issue, and they better be quick about it with the trade deadline coming up — that is, if they go in that direction.