The Philadelphia 76ers' No. 1 priority should be obvious as the team prepares for the back half of the regular season.
The Philadelphia 76ers (30-24) have a lot of work to do after the All-Star break to be viewed as a legitimate championship contender in the Eastern Conference.
They are the No. 6 seed in the East, trailing the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors in the standings. Just before the All-Star break, a shorthanded 76ers team was dismantled by the Knicks by nearly 50 points.
This was largely because Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid in this matchup, which makes obvious what the team's goal going forward is:
Keep Embiid healthy.
Bleacher Report's latest power rankings placed the 76ers at No. 13, and the article named their post-All-Star break goal as keeping the 2023 MVP on the floor.
"Joel Embiid may not move like he did at his peak, particularly on the defensive end, but his bag of scoring tricks is back in full force," B/R's Andy Bailey wrote. "And when you combine that with the Philadelphia 76ers' explosive young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, you have, at the very least, a fringe title contender. Without Embiid, Philly may not be more than a frisky first-round exit."
Since the beginning of 2026, Embiid is averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 53.5% shooting in 17 games played. It's clear he has the ability to be the best player in any playoff series in the East.
However, he's putting up these phenomenal numbers playing 34.2 minutes per game, which likely isn't sustainable. Embiid missed two consecutive games entering the break due to right knee soreness that began after the 76ers' win over the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 7.
While Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and company can likely haul Philadelphia to the postseason, they stand no chance in a seven-game series without Embiid in the mix. The 76ers have a record of 11-12 without him this season.
It's clear Nurse and the coaching staff need to do everything in their power to keep Embiid healthy for the playoffs.
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