Livescore
The Philadelphia 76ers finally did what was obviously necessary Friday, shutting down Joel Embiid for the remainder of the season.
Embiid, who played just 19 games, has been dealing with an injured left knee, which dramatically limited his availability and effectiveness.
The former MVP was limited to 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, a far cry from the 33.7 points he collectively averaged over the past two seasons.
Embiid, who’ll turn 31 on March 16, has frequently been a topic within the NBA stratosphere given his seemingly endless string of injuries, to the point where even Sixers fans are wondering if it’s time for the organization to make a change.
Embiid missed his first two seasons with injuries, has never played more than 70 games in a season, played 39 games last year and is often limited by various injuries during the playoffs.
But a major change is much easier said than done. Because the seven-time All-Star is on such a substantial contract, it’d be extremely difficult for the Sixers to even find a taker for the No. 3 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 7-foot center signed a contract extension last September for three years and $193 million, meaning he’s guaranteed for the next four years after the conclusion of this season.
Another question that looms large, assuming Embiid sticks around, is whether the Sixers can even build around him anymore and what type of production they can expect out of him.
Yes, Embiid is large and enormously skilled. He can more than likely sleepwalk to 20 points per game on decent efficiency, as he’s a master of getting to the free-throw line and even has a reliable outside shot.
Defensively, the days of him guarding in space are likely over. It would seem likely that the big man is going to primarily play drop coverage, thus focusing on rim protection.
The player described above isn’t a bad player by any means. But that’s not a franchise player whom the Sixers can actively mold a roster around. At least not anymore.
The general lack of availability is another key issue. In today’s NBA, teams simply cannot survive over the course of an 82-game season with a player who may only play half that and then be hampered in the postseason.
So, what does all of this concern mean?
In a nutshell, it means the Sixers will likely have to try to make lemonade out of the rotten lemons they’ve been handed. Using Embiid, in whatever capacity they can, isn’t a problem if you ignore the contract and as long as you don’t construct a roster around him.
It won’t lead to a championship, and the Sixers will have to accept the fact that they’ll be dramatically overpaying their center for nearly the next half decade, but what else can they do if they fail to find a taker on the trade market?
Philadelphia’s future looks bleak, and so does Embiid’s if we take a more individualistic perspective. There are no winners here, and that’s particularly sad when both parties actively want to work with each other.
It’s going to be a long summer in Philadelphia.
Read the full article here
Discussion about this post