Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey admits it's "weird" having Joel Embiid in and out of the rotation so often.
The Philadelphia 76ers are reeling after a 138-89 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks.
The Knicks proved too much for the 76ers, who were without Embiid during the matchup. Embiid has sat out the last two games due to right knee injury management. As a result, the 76ers have lost back-to-back contests, which are defeats to the Portland Trail Blazers and the Knicks.
Following the loss to New York, Tyrese Maxey opened up about the challenges of adjusting without Embiid in the lineup.
It's weird, man," Maxey said, per Ky Carlin. "It's weird because you gotta play multiple different ways. A lot of times, he sits out; it's on back-to-backs, so it's hard. You go from playing one way with him or without him early in the season. He comes back, and then you gotta play that way and then a different way when he's there. Which is OK. It’s fine, you know what I mean? It’s the reality of it, and I think we'll be alright.
Maxey made the most of Embiid's absence, dropping 32 points in their loss to the Knicks, serving as the focal point of the offense. However, his performance wasn't enough against a Knicks squad firing on all cylinders.
With Embiid out of the lineup, the 76ers find themselves 11-12 on the season in games with the seven-time All-Star missing. They have struggled to find answers when their superstar is out of the lineup.
When healthy, Embiid continues to perform at a superstar level; so far, he has averaged 26.6 points and 7.5 rebounds on 49.4% shooting from the field. Of course, Embiid has missed several games this season, and the 76ers continue to manage.
For the 76ers, finding ways to succeed without their superstar center on the floor remains critical to their success. Maxey continues to produce at a star level, and the team has gotten solid play from other stars on the roster, like V.J. Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. Continuing to find ways to steal wins in Embiid's absence will be essential as the team enters the final stretch of the season.
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