There is a perception around the league that the Philadelphia 76ers led by Joel Embiid will be a tough team in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweeted on April 14th that the New York Knicks should lose the regular season finale to avoid facing the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
The impact of Joel Embiid on the 76ers
At first glance, the trepidation about facing Philadelphia in the first round makes sense due to how they played before Joel Embiid’s injury. Before the injury, the Philadelphia 76ers averaged 118.9 points, shooting 47.6% on 88.8 attempts per game in 46 outings.
. The 76ers’ offensive production declined by 9.8% after Joel Embiid sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee. They averaged 107.2 points, shooting 44.6% on 89.7 attempts per game in 29 games.
Philadelphia’s decrease in offensive production was related to the team’s lack of another player who could command the attention of multiple defenders. Joel Embiid has commanded the attention of at least two defenders on multiple occasions this season.
Philadelphia vs Houston
For example, Joel Embiid had the ball near the free-throw line late in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets. He held the ball for a couple of seconds, causing Fred VanVleet to lose track of his assignment, Patrick Beverley, because he was paying attention to Joel Embiid.
Patrick Beverley ended the possession by cutting to the basket for an open layup. Embiid’s presence was the catalyst behind the Philadelphia 76ers taking 68.6% of their shots with less than 3 dribbles averaging 60.9 per game .
Embiid’s absence had forced the team to work harder offensively. Philadelphia had to dribble and pass more in Embiid’s absence. They took 65.3% of their shots on less than three dribbles, averaging 58.6 per game. The 76ers also increased their shot attempts between 3-6 dribbles from 17.9 to 19.5 per game.
Philadelphia’s increase in dribbles caused the team to be less efficient. Philadelphia has a field goal percentage of 47.2% on shots less than three dribbles. The 76ers’ shooting efficiency drops to 44.3% on three or more dribbles.
The team also tried to pass more often to generate offense. Philadelphia averaged 299 passes per game during Joel Embiid’s absence, a 7.2% increase compared to when Embiid was in the lineup.
As a result of these factors, the team made more field goal attempts late in the shot clock. They attempted 21 field goals with 7 seconds or less left on the shot clock, a 4% increase compared to when Joel Embiid was available.
Unfortunately, the team shot 41.1% in these scenarios. Although Joel Embiid has returned to action, he is still experiencing knee pain. He tweaked his left knee going after a loose ball on April 9th vs. Detroit.
Embiid is not healthy
Three days later, he felt pain after driving to the basket and making a contested shot late in the second quarter vs. the Magic. Embiid left the game immediately and has not played again.
Consequently, the Philadelphia 76ers should be considered a relatively easy playoff matchup as Embiid’s playing status will be decided game to game. Embiid’s uncertain status for the playoffs is nothing new for the organization as he has missed 8 playoff games in his career with various injuries.
He was sidelined with a sprained knee during game 1 of the second round against the Boston Celtics in 2023 If Embiid is not available, the 76ers’ have no hope, as they went 16-27 without him this season.
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