Joel Embiid is back, and the Philadelphia 76ers hope he can rescue their season.
Nothing like the return of the reigning NBA MVP to boost a team’s morale. After missing two months following surgery to the meniscus in his left knee, Embiid returned to action last week, and his health will be something to watch when the playoffs start next week.
Entering this week, Philadelphia (44-35) was the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. With three games left in the regular season, the Sixers must reach No. 6 to avoid the play-in tournament. But even if they can’t, Embiid’s presence will increase their chances of advancing. Since his return, Philadelphia is 4-0, including a 109-105 over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before his lengthy absence, the 76ers (then-29-17) were fifth in the East but just one game in the loss column behind the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (then-32-16). Without, Embiid, they went 11-18 to tumble in the standings. Now that he’s back, Philadelphia could be the second-best team in the conference.
A healthy Embiid is a force no team can match up against. He’s having a better year this season than last when he beat out Nikola Jokić for the MVP. Embiid is enjoying career-highs in scoring (34.53 per game), assists (5.5), steals (1.2), and free-throw percentage (88.2). His player efficiency rating (34.29) is not only a career-best but leads the NBA.
Beyond his statistics, Embiid makes the game easier for his teammates, including Tyrese Maxey (25.9). He had to carry the scoring load for two months. But now he should be a far more effective and efficient player as the No. 2 option. Also, the 76ers traded for Buddy Hield while Embiid was out. The long-distance threat (a career 40.0 3-point shooter) should get more wide-open looks now. Philadelphia is 29-8 with Embiid in the lineup, and that winning percentage (.783) trails only the Boston Celtics (.792) in the entire league.
“You’re injecting a guy right now into this whole equation who is an unstoppable force,” ESPN’s Tim Legler said on Get Up. ” “This is no answer for Joel Embiid. There’s no preparation for him.”
When NBA players miss extended time, this is always a concern. Will they be rusty? How long will it take them to catch up to the speed of the game? However, Legler sees the time off as a potential benefit. While the rest of the league has had to grind through an 82-game season, Embiid might bring new energy to the 76ers. That could be a huge advantage if Philly faces Milwaukee.
“This extra adrenaline he might have and the fresh legs could be a huge boost for Philadelphia if they happen to play the Bucks,” Legler said.
Philadelphia could make a run because other than Boston, no team has looked consistent. Milwaukee was supposed to be a title contender behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and prized offseason acquisition Damian Lillard. But since firing Adrian Griffin as coach, the Bucks are 15-17 under Doc Rivers. If Rivers’ former team, Philadelphia, knocks out the Bucks in the first round, that would be the final insult for a woefully underachieving season.
We still have a ways to go before that possible scenario. And we don’t know if Embiid will be 100% ready for playoff action. But with Embiid healthy, the 76ers are a threat to reach the conference finals.
