It’s funny what adding a top 5 player in all of basketball back into the lineup with some consistency does to the effectiveness of the team. Joel Embiid is finally healthy enough to be playing regular minutes with the Sixers again. He’s played in seven of the Sixers’ last nine games of which they have won six out of the seven he’s played in. While not completely back it is a really nice sign to see him score 27+ points in five of the last seven he’s played in. He continues to be the heartbeat of the Sixers’ success regardless of who is on the roster. The Sixers overall have turned a corner this season. They have won ten of their last thirteen games as they now sit tied with the Pistons for the final play in spot and are only three and half games back of the Atlanta Hawks for the six-seed. The regular presence of Embiid has rejuvenated the squad.
Tyrese Maxey Thrives with Embiid
No player may have been more happy to see Embiid’s consistent presence again than Tyrese Maxey. For his standards, Maxey started relatively slow this year, but with the return of Embiid has started to look like himself. In December when playing next to Embiid, Maxey is averaging 27 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. He also is shooting 41% from three point during that time. The two feed into each other’s game so well and the Sixers’ turnaround is directly linked to these two getting back on the court together. Since Maxey has arrived he has provided the 1-2 punch to Embiid that was always needed.
Looking Ahead
The return of the Embiid/Maxey tandem along with the continued progression of Paul George on this team does start to create some excitement about the potential of this club moving forward. The Eastern Conference is incredibly weak so it’s not crazy to see the Sixers finding a way over the next 62 games to maybe get as high as the 4-seed before the season ends. Injuries always have been, and always will be this team’s biggest weakness, but if they can maintain the pace we’ve seen over the next nine games, they will 100% be a playoff team. This group is a difficult matchup for most teams and it will be exciting to watch the team continue to chug along the rest of the way.
Do you think the Sixers can make a playoff push now that Embiid is back AND healthy? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.
