1. Joel Embiid's inability to stay healthy
Joel Embiid has been a one of the league's best players for the last handful of years. He's proven capable of dropping 40 points on any given night and seems to get up for primetime games.
Embiid should arguably have more MVPs under his belt, as he's been that good.
In the regular season, that is.
The playoffs have been a different story.
Embiid has continually disappointed in the postseason for one reason or another.
At times, we've seen underwhelming play from the 29-year-old star (i.e. Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics in 2023). Other times we've seen Embiid miss pivotal moments in the postseason due to injury.
On that note, Embiid has battled the injury bug quite extensively, as he's missed 31 of the Sixers' 65 games this season and missed several games in the Sixers' opening round series against the Brooklyn Nets.
Embiid's health is the key to the Sixers making a title run, and his inability to stay healthy could crush the Sixers' postseason success.