How the 76ers Must Adapt Without Joel Embiid for the Postseason

Joel Embiid has been injured six times as the 76ers head into the postseason. He’s gone through a face mask, a torn meniscus, Bell’s palsy, but this is something you would never expect: an appendectomy. It came at the worst time, too, right as the Sixers were pushing for a play-in position. There were three games left in the regular season when Embiid woke up in his Houston hotel feeling unwell, and after a trip to the hospital, it was announced that he had a successful surgery to repair his appendix. 

Embiid will miss Wednesday’s play-in matchup against the Orlando Magic and the foreseeable future. It’s another huge blow to this team, which can just never seem to bite the injury bug once the playoffs come around. For a team already accustomed to Embiid, it’s still going to be a challenge. The Sixers played more games without Embiid (42) than with him (38) this season. To Sixers fans, it’s painful, but it’s a feeling that is all too familiar. It’s going to be hard if they can survive without him, but it’s more focused on whether they’ve built enough around him to do something meaningful in his absence. 

The timeline for recovery isn’t encouraging as well. In 2019, OG Anunoby also underwent an appendectomy as the Toronto Raptors started their playoff run. He had surgery in April and didn’t return until June, when the Raptors were in the Finals. If that is the case for the recovery timeline, it is almost certain that Embiid will also miss the rest of the postseason if the Sixers are able to advance. The Sixers went 21-23 without him this season, which is just below .500, but doesn’t give any hope about a deep playoff run. Yet they still fought into a play-in spot, and they will have to do it without their main man.

The most obvious help they have been getting all season has been Tyrese Maxey, stepping in and being the team’s MVP. When Embiid is on the floor, he and Maxey complement each other as a great duo, as Maxey becomes an even better, quick, explosive guard who relieves the pressure and creates chaos in and out of the paint. Without Embiid, he has to be the leader of the court, which he has done for over half of the season. Before the surgery, Embiid was averaging 26.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, and that production doesn’t disappear when you sub in for a guard. The Sixers will need Maxey to manufacture that production in any way possible. He has averaged 38.2 minutes, which is the most by any player in the league this season. That’s one big concern of his, although he doesn’t seem like he’ll be letting his foot off the gas any time soon.

Another consideration is the aggravated right little finger he suffered on March 7, which caused him to miss 10 games. There have been times when he has looked off in an attempt to keep his finger safe, but he was direct that he needed to move past the issue.

“The finger is a little funny,” Maxey said on Sunday after the Sixers closed out their regular season. “So I got a little timid, but I don’t have time to be timid right now. My teammates need me … I just want to be here for my teammates.”

His team needs him healthy and aggressive, and Maxey knows it, too.

VJ Edgecombe is also being asked to step up in a big role. The 20-year-old is playing in his first postseason and has definitely built a strong resume leading up to it. Edgecombe is already one of five rookies to average 34 minutes, 16 points, and four assists over at least 65 games, joining Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, and Magic Johnson. 

He has also survived and thrived through difficult situations. He had to step up during a period in which Maxey, Embiid, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr. were all out. Edgecombe was asked to be the leading scorer, ball handler, and team leader, which is unfair for a 20-year-old rookie. And yet he’s handled it successfully. Now he’s going up against a postseason defense, and he’ll be tested to his fullest once again. There haven’t been many teams that have advanced in the postseason with a 20-year-old being a consistent starter and scorer, but the Sixers will have to try to bank on him.

Coach Nick Nurse has noted his confidence in the youngster, and the veterans also give him plenty of support.

“It’s amazing what VJ has done this past season,” Andre Drummond said Sunday night.

Without Embiid anchoring the paint, the Sixers lose both points and their entire defensive structure. Embiid’s ability to protect the rim, switch onto a guard if needed, and drive in and score is irreplaceable. Philadelphia will have to lean towards second-year man Adem Bona, who will get a majority of the work, and offers good rim protection, and Drummond, who provides excellent rebounding when the Sixers are in a plateau. While both have their respective traits, neither will be able to replace what’s already been lost from Embiid.

Then there’s Paul George, whose 25-26 season has been a whirlwind, highlighted by the 25-game suspension he suffered in January. Since returning from the suspension, he has played the way fans were expecting from him after receiving his massive $212 million contract. He averaged 21 points and was one of the best three-point shooters on the team in the ten games he played after his suspension. If that version of George shows up in the postseason, the Sixers could be a legitimate threat with a new big three of George, Maxey, and Edgecombe. George embraced the togetherness the team could form in the postseason. 

“Teams that make it further than their expectation,” George said. “It’s because they’re playing together. So that’s just the mentality and the mindset that we’ve got to have.” 

The Sixers will enter the postseason with one goal, and that isn’t to get past the second round, but to be lifting the Finals trophy. Without Embiid’s help, the annual disappointment rings through fans’ ears, and the Sixers will be back to square one once again. What’s left to carry this team is a group of Maxey, Edgecombe, and George leading the way with a group that has proven it can compete even when the odds are not in their favor. Whether that’s enough to make it past the Magic still remains to be seen, but the adaptation is already underway.

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