The Philadelphia 76ers are still on a shaky footing ahead of their final games to conclude the regular season. Be that as it may, they are bound to face major issues even if they manage to find a way to sneak into the playoffs. Without Joel Embiid, they will once again be deploying a perimeter-heavy scoring attack –– something that is imperative given how this roster is constructed.
Embiid's absence is obviously going to be a huge one, but his stylings are so important to this team that without them, the 76ers will have a much more predictable approach on the offensive end. That is more so the case given that his direct replacements, albeit to be done by committee, simply lack any acuity on the offensive end.
Adem Bona and Andre Drummond will be assuming Embiid's usual minutes at the center position, while Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker will likewise be playing as the nominal 5 in spurts. Those players have different compositions and skill sets, but one thing is common to all of them –– none is profiled as an inside scorer.
The 76ers will be sorely missing Joel Embiid's inside scoring come playoff time
Bona has been and will be starting for the 76ers moving forward with Embiid expected to be sidelined for a considerable time. But as everyone knows, the sophomore is not exactly known for having a soft touch around the basket, relying mostly on lobs and offensive boards to have some presence on offense.
Ditto for the Drummond, whose inside scoring and finishing in the paint has gotten subpar. There is a reason why he is trying to make himself a three-point shooter this season, which is pretty telling of his sore lack of individual presence on the scoring end.
Barlow and Walker are going to get some run playing as nominal centers, and while they are not heavily reliant on power unlike Bona and Drummond, they are more of complementary pieces whose skill sets are too lacking to be billed as individual operators.
Given this reality, the 76ers will have no choice but to hope that their litany of scorers out in the perimter will be able to supply even more points to compensate for their lack of scoring big men. Hopefully, they would be able to fill the void that will be left by their best player if they make it to the playoffs.