Can the Sixers survive this upcoming stretch without Joel Embiid?
This stretch without Embiid could become unforgiving if the Sixers don’t play close to perfect basketball. He’s their equivalent of a security blanket. His presence alone give them a decisive edge.
WASHINGTON — The 76ers didn’t need Joel Embiid to beat the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls.
And after losing the four-time All-Star in the third quarter of Friday’s game, the Sixers extended their lead over the Washington Wizards from 20 to 32 points in their eventual 127-101 victory.
“They are a good team,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said following the game. “This is the best team in the East.”
The Sixers’ road victories over the Pacers on Jan. 31 and the Bulls on Thursday is evidence that the Sixers can win without Embiid. The squad was also without Ben Simmons during the victories over the Bulls and Wizards on back-to-back nights.
But can the Sixers (26-12) sustain their winning ways without Embiid over a period of at least two weeks?
It’s a question worth asking, especially afterSaturday’s MRI revealed the MVP candidate suffered a deep bone bruise in his left knee against the Wizards. The injury will sideline Embiid for at least two weeks. As a result, he could miss a minimum of seven or eight games, starting with Sunday’s contest against the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center.
» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s MRI reveals bone bruise, no structural damage to Sixers All-Star’s left knee
Simmons is expected to return against the Spurs (19-15) after spending the previous seven days in the league’s health and safety protocols due to contact tracing. He was listed as probable on Saturday’s NBA injury report for the game.
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, and Tobias Harris are a formidable duo surrounded by solid role players who have shown improvement since the beginning of the season.
However, the Sixers are about to embark on a season-defining stretch of games without their best player while battling the Brooklyn Nets for Eastern Conference supremacy. Brooklyn, at 26-13, is a game behind the Sixers following Saturday night’s 100-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Following Sunday’s game with San Antonio, the Sixers have home games against the New York Knicks (Tuesday), the Milwaukee Bucks (Wednesday), and Sacramento Kings (Saturday). They will then kick off a six-game road trip on March 21 against the Knicks. Then they’ll head to Golden State Warriors(March 23), followed by two games in Los Angeles against the Lakers (March 25) and then the Clippers (March 27). The trip will finish up with a visit to the Denver Nuggets (March 30) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (April 1).
At the very least, Embiid could miss the homestand as well as the first four games of the road trip.
“We’ve got to always stay ready,” Harris said of playing without Embiid. “We’ve got to prepare ourselves and understand that we have built a winning culture this year. That doesn’t just come by surprise. We didn’t just wake up and make that happen.
“We put the work in day after day. We have the right guys and the right mind frame on this team to be successful.”
Embiid has missed seven games this season with the Sixers going 2-5. However, they’ve won two of the last three.
The team lost the first four before posting the nine-point victory over the Pacers. Then they lost by 11 points at Utah on a night Simmons scored 42 points and Harris had 36. Against Chicago, Harris had a game-high 24 points in just three quarter of action as the Sixers rolled to a 127-105 win without the two All-Stars.
The power forward will have a huge say in how successful the Sixers are while Embiid is sidelined.
No one will deny that Embiid is one of the league’s most dominant players, averaging 29.9 points (second in the league) and 11.5 rebounds (seventh). A frontrunner for defensive player of the year, Simmons will need to step up his game in Embiid’s absence.
Yet, it has been Harris who has been the Robin to Embiid’s Batman this season.
His performances late in games has led the Sixers to multiple wins, most notably against the Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Utah Jazz. Despite that, he was an All-Star snub.
Embiid’s absence is a great opportunity for Harris to continue to prove to the league coaches who didn’t vote him an All-Star that they were wrong. That shouldn’t be problem for a guy who’s already motivated.
“When me and [coach] Doc [Rivers] talked about it, I told him, ‘Look I got a bounty on all the coaches that didn’t vote for me, all the national media that skipped over me,’ ” Harris said. “It is what it is, but me and Doc both [say] you make your name known in the playoffs and leading this team and be solid in what you do, day-in and day-out.”
The Sixers’ first two games of the second half have been eye-opening They rolled to a 22-point victory over the Bulls without Simmons and Embiid. Then they beat the Wizards by 26 without Simmons.
» READ MORE: With Sixers Joel Embiid sidelined, more focus will be on Dwight Howard
“We learned from the past two games, even with Ben out, that we are capable,” Danny Green said. “We trust the system. We play at a high level. We play together, regardless of who’s on the floor.
“Early in the season, we didn’t have that type of character. We didn’t have that type of belief. If one of our guys sat out, it was a game that we lost.”
Yes, the Sixers have shown improvement. They’re also motivated. But let’s not get things twisted.
Even with a healthy Embiid, the team still may need to make a couple of moves before the trade deadline or in the buyout market to contend for an NBA title. This stretch without Embiid could become unforgiving if the Sixers don’t play close to perfect basketball.
After all, Embiid is their equivalent of a security blanket. His presence alone gives them a decisive edge.