Even with Jaylen Brown, the Sixers still have one major problem

So far, the Philadelphia 76ers have the shock move of the offseason, as they acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown in a stunning blockbuster.

The Sixers were not expected to make huge moves this summer, but the Brown deal practically fell into their lap. With Brown joining Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, it is hard to find teams with more star power on paper than Philly.

However, the NBA is played on a 94 foot long court, not lined paper. And there is one harsh reality that the Sixers have still not fully addressed.

What is Philly’s contingency plan for Joel Embiid?

When he plays, Embiid is one of the best players in the sport. He is one of the more dominant offensive talents this game has ever seen, and he has an MVP and multiple All-NBA appearances to back that up.

The problem is that Embiid has not been able to stay healthy at all throughout his career. From various lower body issues to bell’s palsy, the list of ailments that Embiid has battled over the years is long.

And when he doesn’t play, the Sixers absolutely collapse. Since 2021, Philly is 80-121 in the games that Embiid has missed, compared to 190-91 when he does play. Last year they were 21-23 when he sat and yes, they made the playoffs and beat Boston. Embiid especially was spectacular when he returned in Game 4. However, he wasn’t able to be ready for the Knicks series and Philly’s season ended shortly after.

His injury history is exactly why the Sixers need to invest in frontcourt depth, but they have not done that. They signed Ariel Hukporti in free agency, and the addition of Dean Wade should solidify the power forward spot, but Philly doesn’t have enough at center still.

It’s why the Labaron Philon pick in the draft is a little puzzling, especially with names like Chris Cenac Jr., Tarris Reed, Henri Veesaar, and others still on the board at the time. Yes, Philon is the more talented player, but the team has enough guards.

So while the addition of Brown is great and all and will help the Sixers, the team will only go as far as Embiid takes them. Now that he is getting deeper into his 30s, it is tough to expect him to be durable for a full season. It’s why Philly’s ceiling will be capped for the forseeable future.

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