Philadelphia 76ers: The NBA’s hiatus will benefit Embiid and Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers have been plagued with injuries. Could the NBA season being put on pause benefit Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons?

The results that we saw from the Philadelphia 76ers in their time without both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons was bad, but truthfully not unexpected. Without the presence of their two defensive stalwarts, the Sixers were unable to overcome the jumbo-sized lineups of the LA Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers during their west coast tour.

When we looked at Philly without their Simmons-Embiid combo, the defensive woes were obvious. Currently, the Sixers’ season average for opponents points per game is 107.4 points according to TeamRankings.com. However, in their five games where neither Embiid nor Simmons started, the Sixers let up a ghastly 117.6 points per game.

It’s truthfully easy to understand that powerhouse teams such as the Lakers and the Clippers were going to take advantage of a depleted Philadelphia 76ers roster. Still, the high-usage and of players like Montrezl Harrell and Anthony Davis in those games highlighted the glaring absence of size that Joel Embiid left behind.

As for Simmons, the combined 45.6 percent 3-point shooting from both LA teams in those games only emphasized his defensive value along the perimeter.

The return of Embiid in their latest matchup with the Detroit Pistons was a welcomed development and it showed in the stat sheet. The Philadelphia big man racked up 30 points and 14 rebounds while giving his team a clear defensive presence against an admittedly thin Pistons lineup which scored 106 points to end the game.

Despite the exciting return, Embiid’s postgame interview lacked encouragement. When asked about the status of his shoulder, Embiid – who was wrapped up in a bandage that covered half of his torso – gingerly explained to Serena Winters of NBC Sports Philadelphia that his shoulder was just ‘okay’.

A far cry from the ‘much better’ response that Philadelphia fans had hoped to hear.

With Embiid still on the up-and-up from his shoulder injury and Ben Simmons dealing with back issues – an injury which has offered no clear timetable for return – the Sixers were looking at a starting five that was going to be hampered with a lack of durable star power going into the postseason. Especially with Josh Richardson showing inconsistencies with his own health throughout the season.

However, recent developments with the Coronavirus has forced the NBA to put the season on hold for an indefinite amount of time. Based on recommendations from the Center of Disease Control (CDC), it’s possible that the NBA may not even come back until May (at the earliest).

However, the NBA coming to a complete pause (for what will likely be months) is a blessing in disguise for a Philadelphia team that won’t have to rush back their two elite playmakers in order to field a competitive lineup for the first round of the playoffs (that is, if we still have the playoffs).

And sure, there is the classic argument that Embiid and Simmons can’t play together, at least not efficiently. However, what their combined absences showed us is that they bring a significant balance to this team on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Sixers performed better without Embiid and Simmons when evaluating points per game, averaging 118.2 points per game during that five-game stretch. However, what they gained offensively wasn’t enough to counter what they lost defensively as previously noted by their opponents’ 117.4 points per game and 1-4 record during that same stretch (including a loss to the last-place Golden State Warriors).

While some Sixers critics will continue to lobby in favor of a Simmons-Embiid split, the current proposal of having them both healthy and playing together will be the best (and most balanced) option that the Philly faithful have right now.