With Joel Embiid sidelined for the near future – he will undergo surgery on his left hand – the Philadelphia 76ers have ample opportunity to experiment with new looks that potentially could help them in a playoff push.
Embiid’s 23.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game all lead the 76ers as they look to him as the focal point of their offense. Considered by many before the season to be title contenders, the SIxers have struggled to find an offensive identity all season. Embiid’s and Ben Simmons’ skill sets don’t appear to complement each other neatly, and a lack of perimeter shooting has led to significant spacing issues.
The 76ers got their first taste of life without Embiid in a 109-98 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. Multiple players, Simmons included, were deployed in slightly different roles than they’ve grown accustomed to this season, an encouraging sign for a team in need of restructuring on the offensive side of the ball. After the game, coach Brett Brown seemed open to a new approach going forward.
“I’m putting a blow torch, a bullet, many bullets into what we used to do,” Brown told reporters after the game. “Really. It doesn’t fit. So it’s on me to make it fit. We don’t have Joel Embiid. So when I say, ‘blow torch and bullet,’ I mean it.”
Mike Scott started in Embiid’s place while Al Horford shifted to center after primarily playing power forward this season. It allowed the 76ers to go smaller and have more shooters on the court. Without Embiid in the paint, Brown was able to use Simmons as a screener and roller inside, taking advantage of the mismatches his size often yields. The strategy allowed Simmons to score and create around the basket, making it harder for defenses to ignore his poor outside shooting as they often do when he is around the perimeter with Embiid on the court.
Going smaller also allowed the 76ers to push the ball in transition. Simmons utilized his tremendous quickness and play-making ability, often leading breaks with more shooters at his disposal to kick out to. With Embiid on the court, Philadelphia plays slower, often looking to Embiid in the post to start its possessions.
Simmons even played center at times when Horford was on the bench – his first action at the position all season.
“I’ve always been curious of what that could look like,” Brown said. “I thought [Simmons] was good. I don’t know what the numbers bear out, but it’s something we tried. I have wanted to try Ben at 5, we did, and I suspect we’ll see it again.”
Embiid’s absence also helped Horford on the offensive end. With Embiid on the court, Horford primarily played the 4, often staying around the perimeter to help space the floor. Though he’s significantly improved from behind the arc in the later years of his career, Horford is still most effective in the paint and at the elbows. He was allowed to do just that Thursday, and produced an incredibly efficient night – he scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He was also able to serve as more of a playmaker, notching six assists, one shy of his season high and the most he’s recorded in a game since Nov. 22.
As a team, the 76ers shot a strong 40.7 percent from behind the arc – a significant improvement in an area in which they have struggled this season.
Embiid will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Until then, the 76ers will have to be creative in how they replace his production. Even when he returns, the Sixers can use some of their experiments to create a more efficient offense as they gear up for another playoff run.
“We’re going to miss Joel for however long it is,” Simmons told reporters after the game. “But tonight was a good start.”