Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe made obvious how badly the team needs Joel Embiid in the lineup.
The Philadelphia 76ers (30-25) lost their third consecutive game without Joel Embiid Thursday, falling to the Atlanta Hawks 117-107.
Embiid was sidelined against Atlanta due to right knee injury management as well as right shin soreness. The 76ers fared quite well without him in the lineup earlier in the season, but as the year progresses, their need for the seven-time All-Star is becoming more apparent.
After the defeat to the Hawks, 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe said what everyone is thinking about Embiid.
"We miss Joel. I'm going to be honest, we miss Joel," Edgecombe said postgame. "It's that simple. He's a walking 30 points. He's a big presence, he requires so much gravity. So now all the attention is on Tyrese, and we have to make his job easier."
When healthy, Embiid is almost always the most talented player on the floor. He is dominating in 2026, averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 53.5% shooting in 17 games played. The issue is his trainer, Drew Hanlen, revealed the 2023 MVP isn't going to play this year at 50% health.
"He's bought into something this year that he's never done in the past. In the past, if he was 50%, he was still playing," Hanlen said on The Kevin O'Connor Show. "He was a warrior, he was a competitor. He was like, 'If I can play physically, I'm going to play.' So then he arrived to the playoffs banged up. This year, he's taken more of the approach of 'If I'm not healthy, I'm not playing.'"
Maxey was forced to play superhero yet again versus the Hawks, but he didn't have his greatest outing. He finished the game with 28 points, three assists, and three rebounds on 34.8% shooting and 4 of 11 shooting from three-point range.
Edgecombe did his part against Atlanta, recording 20 points and nine rebounds on 46.7% shooting in 34 minutes of action.
With each passing game, Philadelphia's need to have Embiid on the floor becomes more obvious.
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