The Philadelphia 76ers are no lock to make the playoffs. Things are tight five through eight in the Eastern Conference with the two teams who finish seventh and eighth headed for the Play-In Tournament. Each franchise hopes to avoid that route, but playing without Joel Embiid could put Philly down there. The Sixers must dodge a disaster scenario if they do not want the hot takes to come out this summer.
They must avoid being eighth and seeing the Celtics in the opening round, which puts a ton of pressure on that opening game. It would be massive to get Embiid back before that contest, but there are no guarantees. The Sixers will be knocked out in the first round if they face Boston, but no team will be eager to face Philly with The Process on the floor.
Head coach Nick Nurse will shorten his rotation in the playoffs. There will be games where only eight players see the floor. Nurse is never afraid to think outside the box. He will experiment, but these Sixers could fall out of the rotation at some point in the playoffs.
6. Mo Bamba
Bamba has stepped into the rotation since Joel Embiid went out with his meniscus injury. The 25-year-old has played in 21 of 22 games and is averaging 3.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 15.7 minutes each night.
Bamba played sparingly when Embiid was healthy, and the reigning MVP is expected to return near the end of the regular season.
Mo Bamba is the 76ers' third-string big man. He could see minutes if Embiid remains out for the playoffs, but may still get axed from the rotation as Philly goes small in their second unit. The seven-footer is limited offensively and will have trouble staying on the floor in the postseason. Do not expect to see him for anything other than spot minutes as a change of pace from Bamba.