Imagine Joel Embiid at 100%. Would a healthy Philadelphia 76ers finally unlock their offensive ceiling and challenge the Boston Celtics?
In a report from The Athletic's Tony Jones, it was revealed that Joel Embiid has begun a strength and conditioning program to get back on the court.
But what if Embiid had been fully healthy against Boston? Would that change the series and the result, or would Boston's championship experience and roster construction be too much to overcome?
If Embiid had entered this series fully healthy and ready to go, the Philadelphia 76ers would have a much higher offensive ceiling.
Even in a season shortened by injury, Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while sporting a 33% usage rate. This work rate forces defenses to make game plans geared towards stopping him. Philadelphia's offensive rating jumped to 118.5 with Embiid and fell to 112.9 without him, a clear indication of how much he changes the offense simply by being on the floor.
That impact is even more pronounced in the half-court, where Embiid can score from multiple coverages and punish single coverage consistently. Against Boston specifically, he has averaged 26.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 28 career games.
His ability to score without needing set plays fits with Philadelphia's isolation-heavy offense and shines the most in playoff settings where the game slows down, and physical advantages become more and more pronounced. You can game-plan for a guard like Tyrese Maxey, who thrives on getting downhill far more effectively than a 7'0", 280-pound center who has an array of moves to get to his spot.
Maxey will be the one to benefit the most from the presence of Embiid. Maxey averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists this season, but his best basketball comes when he is playing downhill, not when he is forced to create offense in a static set. With Embiid on the floor, Boston can't load up on Maxey as easily due to Embiid's scoring gravity in a half-court setting.
Boston would still be the better overall team; their offensive and defensive ratings are among the best in the league, and they still have one of the best rosters in the league with plenty of depth. But Embiid at full strength would have made Philadelphia far harder to scheme against, especially in a series where the Sixers have Maxey trying to create everything.
With Embiid, the offense would have a true engine and a much better chance of forcing Boston's defense to readjust and not just focus on one player.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.