Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers sits on the bench late in game one of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the New York Knicks.
Without question, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is one of the NBA’s best players (when healthy). Unfortunately, he has suffered through a litany of injuries throughout his career, to the point where the team has to prepare for the inevitable truth that he will miss games.
76ers general manager Daryl Morey addressed the offseason and specifically Embiid:
“I feel like I could have done a better job with the players so that we were in a better spot to win without him,” Morey said. “That said, we do spend 90 percent of the time figuring out how to win the title with him. It can’t be a big focus, how we play without him. We know that team can’t win a championship. It’s really, how do we manage through it better? I felt like, on me, the depth wasn’t quite there when he was out to win at the level we wanted to win at.”
Embiid’s Impact
Coming off winning the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Embiid arguably had his finest season, averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. He shot wonderfully as well, making 52.9% of his field goals, 38.8% of his 3-pointers and 88.3% of his foul shots. The caveat is that he only played in 39 games.
It’s an obvious statement that the 76ers need Embiid to win a championship. What’s less obvious is how enormous a loss it is for them when he’s sidelined. In 2023-24, the 76ers went 31-8 with Embiid and 16-27 without him. For context, if they played at that 31-8 pace all season (.794 winning percentage), they would have won roughly 65 games, edging out the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Building Around Embiid
Morey said it best when he quipped “We’re not going to have continuity.” It is expected that the 76ers will match any deal for restricted free agent Tyrese Maxey, up to a $205 million max deal.
The 76ers have the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and hope to get a player who can play immediately, adding bench depth, though there have been concerns that the upcoming draft isn’t exactly filled with stars. Kevin O’Connell of The Ringer has the 76ers drafting Isaiah Collier, the 6-foot-4 point guard out of USC.
After Embiid and Maxey, the 76ers will have as much as $65 million to spend in free agency. They’ve been rumored to be interested in Jimmy Butler and Paul George. The Associated Press also pointed towards Pascal Siakam and DeMar DeRozan as quality fits, having previously played under Nick Nurse.
The Elephant in the Room
The 2024 Olympics are around the corner, and Embiid has been selected to play for USA Basketball in France this summer. While players always want to play, this is a situation that has to make 76ers faithful grit their teeth. Morey is showing public support, saying “It’s a dream of his to represent the United States in the Olympics. I think it’s important to support the dreams of your best player.”
Old heads who scoff at load management might applaud the decision for Embiid to play with the best players in the world, continuing to sharpen his skills in high-stakes games against top competition. On the other hand, Embiid has played an average of 54 games per regular season in his career. If he’s got a limited amount of available games to play, 76ers fans would have to insist he saves them for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.