The Philadelphia 76ers managed to hand in a respectable campaign this season, but the job remains unfinished for this group. Now, as the franchise looks forward to what is next, the quiet question lurks –– what will be the role for Joel Embiid moving forward? For now, that is not a difficult inquiry to heed to but perhaps, more pondering is actually needed.
Embiid is still one of the most dominant players in the NBA when is actually in uniform. Be that as it may, it is public knowledge at this point that the 76ers do not really have much choice but to suppress him as much as possible. However, the other reason why he should probably take a backseat is for the team to be able to unleash its next form –– that which features a more exuberant and dynamic style of play led by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
The 76ers have one of the most loaded rosters in the NBA when the injury bug does not feel like inflicting them with a random malaise. Yet despite having numerous creators on the team, they finished 16th in offensive rating last season. One possible reason for their middling rank is the fact that they were also in the middle pace-wise. That needs to change –– and Embiid has to follow suit.
The 76ers need Joel Embiid to take a backseat next season
With one of the most lethal guards in the league leading them in Maxey, the 76ers are incentivized to adopt the nature of their No. 1 scorer. That means that it would be wiser for the coaching staff to install a faster pace in order to rev up the offense. But more importantly, that kind of shift would unlock more possibilities with Edgecombe, who is coming off a splendid rookie campaign.
For that to happen, though, the incoming sophomore will need more optimized touches on the offensive end. And the best way to do that is to empower Embiid to take on a more secondary role and leverage his underutilized skill as a playmaking hub.
Embiid is still someone who can go get you a bucket at will, but putting him in a pseudo Nikola Jokic role would provide the 76ers the necessary legroom to free up more opportunities for Edgecombe with the ball. Also, by playing a more deliberate style on the scoring end, the load on Embiid will be softened as he will not need to bang down low every single time in the half court.
The 76ers need to evolve, and to do exactly that, Joel Embiid needs to change his ways as well. While he is far from the broken piece, he is simply the only one who can help further maximize the weapons which the team already possesses.
