If Joel Embiid’s knee injury is significant, these Sixers must step up in his absence

Before Tyrese Maxey’s 51-point dazzler at the Utah Jazz, a disastrous 76ers road trip had been defined by Joel Embiid’s knee issues.

The aggravation in Indianapolis. The late scratch — and ensuing controversy — in Denver. The hobbled attempt to return to action at Golden State, punctuated by the unfortunate blow of the Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga falling on top of his left leg.

Embiid has now been officially diagnosed with a lateral meniscus injury, which will keep him out at least through the weekend while a treatment plan is finalized. His chances to repeat as MVP look bleak, thanks to a new NBA rule requiring players to log at least 20 minutes in 65 games to be eligible for postseason honors, though Embiid has insisted that is not as important to him as being healthy for the playoffs.

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Also important for the Sixers? Figuring out how to consistently win without their dominant center, whether Embiid is now out for a considerable regular-season stretch or in case another unfortunately timed ailment pops up during the postseason. The Sixers are 4-9 when Embiid does not play this season. And the present has become even more pressing, thanks to the streaking New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers creating a 1½-game difference between the second and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference entering Friday.

As the cliché goes, attempting to make up for Embiid’s production (a league- and career-high 35.3 points per game, along with 11.3 rebounds, a career-high 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks) is going to take a collective effort. But these people will shoulder a bit more responsibility as the Sixers navigate this uncertainty.

Thursday was downright poetic for Maxey, who set a career-high in points against the Jazz hours after he was named a first-time All-Star, and was coming off his own ankle injury, and with the knowledge that he could be spearheading his team for a time. It was also a reminder that another reason for the Sixers’ slide on their longest road trip of the season was that Maxey missed three of the five games.

It’s unrealistic to expect that level of output every single game. But it is an ideal time for Maxey to prove why he recently earned that All-Star status, because the Sixers’ inconsistencies without Embiid have begun with the fourth-year guard.

And that does not just mean picking up even more of the scoring load, after entering Saturday averaging a career-high 26.3 points on 19.8 shots per game (including 8.3 three-pointers). Maxey must continue to build on his chemistry with Paul Reed, and in the two-man game with Tobias Harris.

This is obvious because they are the direct positional replacements when Embiid is out.

Reed showcased he is capable of a big-time performance on short notice, when he amassed 30 points and 13 rebounds against Denver (and two-time MVP center Nikola Jokic) last week. Still, Bamba has stressed a “less-is-more” mantra. That is particularly pertinent when Maxey and Harris are available to spearhead the offense, but the Sixers still need rim protection.

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“When I get in there, it’s just a matter of, ‘All right, how can I make whoever’s job easier?’” Bamba said recently. " … Maybe getting back to just being a great screener or just being a great rebounder, just being a great communicator will take us a long way.”

Harris also missed time on the road trip with an illness. But he is coming off 28 points and seven assists at Utah, and 26 points and 10 rebounds in the loss at the Warriors.

That was a nice build on outings against the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings that Embiid missed last month, when Harris surpassed 30 points in both games. And that arrived after he had faltered in a more-relied-upon role earlier this season, most noticeably down the stretch of a tight loss at the Boston Celtics in early December.

Harris has also guarded centers in some recent games, which could be key as coach Nick Nurse continues to tinker with schemes.

Those are the types of role players who can become even greater across-the-box-score contributors when Embiid is off the floor.

Batum, who missed the Sixers’ past two games with a hamstring injury, brings valuable defensive versatility along with veteran smarts and calm. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Marcus Morris Sr. can provide scoring punch. And Robert Covington is a disruptive defender when healthy, but a knee injury now has lingered for a month.

Those players also are all on expiring contracts, making them possible trade candidates heading into next week’s deadline.

The Sixers were already one of the NBA’s more intriguing trade-deadline teams, thanks to the collection of assets they replenished from the James Harden deal and their status as a championship contender (or borderline contender, depending on one’s line of distinction).

» READ MORE: Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton hopeful to return Monday vs. Dallas Mavericks

But does Embiid’s injury create even more urgency for Morey to make a splashy move? A couple of weeks ago, it appeared that adding a role player would be more likely than going star hunting. And though it is probably still not worth blowing those assets (and potential max-level cap space this summer) on a higher-profile player if Embiid is healthy for a playoff run, his immediate status could make it more important to upgrade at backup center or bigger forward/wing.

This is also when Nurse’s reputation for schematic savviness will be necessary. He already has a decent sample size of what has worked (and, more often, not worked) when Embiid is absent. But if the big man is out for more than a couple of games, that could call for even more experimentation.