The Sixers could be a dangerous playoff team — if they weather the storm without Joel Embiid

The 76ers might be a dangerous playoff team if they can persevere until Joel Embiid returns.

They hope the NBA’s most dominant player will return from meniscus surgery in mid- to late March. The belief is the Sixers just have to hold on until then to regain their status as one of the NBA’s elite team.

After Friday’s 104-97 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center — only their fourth win in their last 14 games — the Sixers stand at 33-23 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 26 games remaining.

Nonetheless, with a grueling upcoming stretch, it wouldn’t be surprising if they dropped near the bottom of the playoff picture by season’s end. That guarantees only a spot in the Play-In Tournament and a chance to compete for a berth in the full playoffs — not an ideal situation for a squad that began the season with championship dreams.

But teams have emerged from those depths before. Just last season, the Miami Heat endured injuries before taking that route to the NBA Finals.

» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: ‘Which coach would have gotten the Sixers past the Celtics last year?’

The Sixers could be just as dangerous if Embiid returns healthy and in shape. They would be a heavy favorite to secure at least an eight seed in the Play-In round. In addition, they would be become a team that top seeds wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs’ opening round.

But for the now, the Sixers need to win their remaining games against average and below-average teams.

They’ll benefit from the recent addition of Kyle Lowry, who signed in the buyout market on Feb. 13. The six-time All-Star point guard missed Friday’s matchup against the Cavs as he works to regain peak conditioning.

However, in his Sixers debut on Thursday night, Lowry was solid in a 110-96 loss to the New York Knicks. He finished with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting. He also had five assists, four rebounds, and three turnovers in 25 minutes, 7 seconds off the bench.

Things will only improve once the 18th-yearveteran gets to know his teammates better. The North Philly native made a couple of passes to guys who weren’t expecting them, leading to unforced turnovers.

Aside from that, Lowry was by far the biggest plus for the Sixers in the setback. His presence revealed what the Sixers had been missing: a true point guard.

With Embiid sidelined, Lowry would be a good option to start alongside Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt. The Sixers could go back to their original starting lineup of Nico Batum, Tobias Harris, Embiid, Melton, and Maxey once the reigning MVP returns. But for now, Lowry would be a solid choice to direct the undermanned roster.

» READ MORE: Kyle Lowry’s Philly rise said a lot about his NBA success. Just ask his Cardinal Dougherty teammates.

The Sixers also have to find a rhythm and do anything they can to pull out victories. Fortunately for them, coach Nick Nurse is good at that. He has a knack for tinkering with lineups until he finds something that works.

Philly should also receive a boost from Melton, who returned against the Cavs, playing 16 minutes and scoring seven points. The shooting guard had missed the previous 18 games with a spine injury.

But they’ll need more than Lowry, Nurse, and Melton to turn things around.

Maxey, a first-time All-Star, must continue to play at a high level. And the Sixers need Harris, Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Buddy Hield to consistently step up.

The Sixers welcomed Harris and Batum back from injury on Thursday.

Harris previously missed two games with a left hip impingement. Batum had missed the nine previous games with a strained left hamstring.

On Friday, Harris played just over 34 minutes, scoring 15 points. He shot 6-for-14 and added nine rebounds. Batum is on injury recovery and was only subbed in late in the game for a few seconds.

The night before, both players struggled against the Knicks. Batum, who was on a minutes restriction, was in foul trouble while trying to defend the Knicks’ quick perimeter players. The small forward didn’t score as he collected five fouls, three rebounds, one assist and a turnover in 18:09.

» READ MORE: Jared Brownridge has toiled in the G League for almost a decade. What keeps him going? ‘I’m doing what I love’

Harris had seven points on 3-for-9 shooting. The veteran power forward has struggled to find consistent rhythm with Embiid sidelined and has shot just 38.8% in the last five games.

Harris has to play well as a second scoring option for the Sixers to be successful without Embiid. Oubre must be an elite scoring alternative off the bench, while Hield has to be a versatile sharpshooting swingman.

Oubre’s game has been over the place recently. One game, he’ll look great. The next, he’ll struggle.

Hield displayed versatility in his first four games after being acquired in a deadline trade from the Indiana Pacers. But on Thursday, he had a tough time getting an open shot against the Knicks. To his credit, he bounced back with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting — including making 3 of 6 three-pointers — against the second-place Cavs (36-19).

» READ MORE: Will the Sixers keep struggling minus Joel Embiid? Kyle Lowry doesn’t think so.

While Hield needs to work to get open, Harris and Oubre must stay aggressive and cut to the basket without the ball.

It’s going to be tough for the Sixers to remain competitive without Embiid. Even when he returns, it may take several games for him to mesh with a new group of players.

The onus will be on Embiid when he returns. But the Sixers must do all they can to remain a playoff team amid adversity.