The most significant uncertainty surrounding the 76ers is how Joel Embiid continues to adapt.
He could be a major X factor in the Sixers’ hopes for a successful season. Embiid was far from his usual dominant self in Wednesday’s season opener against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. But he bounced back in a big way in Saturday’s 125-121 home-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Two distinctly different regular-season results aren’t a large enough sample size to determine how good Embiid will be this season.
In the 117-116 victory over the Celtics, he had the look of someone who had lost his quickness and explosion. But on Saturday, he frustrated Ryan Kalkbrenner and just about everyone else who guarded him.
He finished with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including making 3 of 6 three-pointers, to go with two rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 20 minutes, 7 seconds. He scored five of the Sixers’ first seven points and nine of their first 18.
Embiid played only five minutes after intermission because he had reached his minutes limit.
He said he was trying to work his way back in his first regular-season game since February on Wednesday and figure out how to maneuver the minute restriction.
“The first game, it was more like getting in the game slowly,” he said.
But he was more aggressive while being on the court for longer stretches against the Hornets (1-1).
“Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you,” he said. “But then again, longer stints also mean you might be done by halftime.
“But I can’t sit for too long… being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot.”
The question is, can Embiid repeat Sunday’s performance against elite competition? If not, can the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star adapt his game like many great players have late in their careers?
Adapt to survive
Hall of Famers like Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, and David Robinson adapted the way they played their game after losing athleticism and/or a skill set.
On the other hand, Sixers Hall of Famer Allen Iverson never really adapted after losing his quickness, which contributed to his decline.
Embiid was a shell of his former self in Wednesday’s 117-116 victory over the Celtics. He finished with four points and six rebounds in a little over 20 minutes. Embiid missed his first four shots en route to shooting just 1-for-9.
The 31-year-old also didn’t show a lot of lateral movement on defense and rarely jumped to contest shots or go after rebounds.
Despite that, Embiid’s teammates praised him for just being on the court with them. He had arthroscopic surgery in his left knee on April 11, marking his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine seasons. He played in only 58 games over the last two seasons.
“Having Joel on the court is extremely important for us,” said guard Tyrese Maxey. “We appreciate him. He has done a lot for this organization … his family, and everything. So shoutout for him, man. He played good tonight, and he’ll always play better. We know that.”
But not everyone gave Embiid credit for just being out there.
The Sixers center spent most of his time on the perimeter instead of down low, where his size advantage would have been a matchup problem.
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett wasn’t impressed with that tactic and felt Embiid should have been able to do more.
“We just had a summer,“ Garnett said on the Ticket and the Truth podcast with Paul Pierce. “What’d you do in the summer, bro? What’d you do in the summer? Bro had enough time to recover and just develop. Come on, bro.
“Real talk. If you get [from] April to September, that should be enough time. … He’s supposed to be ready for [the] season.”
We’ll find out in time whether Embiid’s lackluster season-opening performance is the result of a perceived lack of offseason preparation, of being cautious with banging down, or of him not being able to do it with the same impact as past seasons.
But his playing mostly from the elbow isn’t surprising. Embiid did that in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage and in the exhibition game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And to his credit, Embiid, a two-time league scoring champion, has embraced his new reality and a potentially new role for the Sixers. He sounds content to serve as a supporting actor who uplifts his teammates.
But he was the first one off the bench to celebrate his teammate’s accomplishment. And with him on the bench, Embiid watched the Sixers battle back from a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit to win both of this season’s games.
Winning a game without Embiid on the floor was a major problem last season.
“It’s been 12 years,” Embiid said, correcting a reporter. “I’d take it. Keep it going. Obviously, the most important games are the best teams and the playoffs. That’s the effort we are going to have when I’m not on the floor, Amen. It’s been a long time.”
In addition to being a great teammate, Embiid is focused on being a versatile player until he returns to form.
“There’s still so much more I can contribute to other than scoring,” Embiid said. “So just using myself as a decoy to allow all these guys to do whatever they have to do to win.”
But what if Embiid doesn’t return to his old form? How could he make an impact while Maxey and VJ Edgecombe provide the scoring?
Embiid can do that by being a defensive anchor, playing a more power-oriented game, and becoming a great three-point shooter. That shouldn’t be a problem for Embiid, who has always had a good touch with the elbow jumper and shot a career-best 38.8% on three-pointers two seasons ago.
He may not be able to beat guys off the dribble with his quickness like he used to. But with his knowledge of the game, he may be able to help the team.
It’s a two-way street. It’s not only how he adapts his game, but also how his teammates and coaches adapt to him. It’s still too soon to gauge his level of play. Even though he made more shots on Saturday, he still settled for a lot of jumpers.
We’ll have to wait a couple of games to see how he does. And if nothing gets better, pay close attention to his ability to alter his game.
