If Philadelphia is going to get past Boston in the second-round series where Game 1 tips off Monday, it will need MVP-level Joel Embiid.
Which is why it’s bad news that the sprained knee Embiid suffered in Game 3 against Brooklyn still has him sidelined. He did not practice on Saturday and Doc Rivers is not optimistic Embiid can play on Monday.
Doc Rivers says if he “was a betting man,” he’d consider Joel Embiid doubtful for Game 1 against the Celtics. Embiid did not practice today.
— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) April 29, 2023
Embiid is the hub of the 76ers’ offense and led the league scoring 33 points a game this season. However, if he cannot play the bigger loss is on defense where Boston has places to attack — James Harden, Tyrese Maxey — and without Embiid as a rim-protecting backstop it could be rough for Philadephia until he returns. A lot falls on the shoulders of B-Ball Paul Reed until Embiid is back.
It is expected Embiid will play at some point in the Celtics’ series — a series that may be the defacto Eastern Conference Finals — but will the Sixers be in so deep a hole at that point he is too little, too late?