The Philadelphia 76ers have had a rocky start to the season - not disastrous, but certainly not dominant. At 16-12 through their first 28 games, they’re floating in that frustrating middle ground: good enough to compete, but not quite looking like a team ready to make serious noise come playoff time. Still, considering the injury curveballs they’ve been thrown, they’ve held their ground better than some might have expected.
Joel Embiid’s availability - or lack thereof - has been a major storyline. He’s suited up for just 12 of those 28 games, sitting out back-to-backs and missing time with injuries and a minor illness.
The good news? That’s actually more than many anticipated given his recent health history.
The Sixers have clearly been managing his minutes and workload with caution, and Embiid himself has made adjustments to his game to compensate for his physical limitations. But here’s the catch: those adjustments have come with some steep trade-offs.
At 30 years old and with one of the most extensive injury histories among active NBA stars, Embiid is no longer the same defensive anchor he once was. His vertical presence - once a defining part of his game - has been scaled back significantly. And while that may be by design, it’s also left the Sixers with a big hole in the middle, particularly when it comes to rebounding and rim protection.
That’s not just a regular-season concern. It’s a playoff problem waiting to happen.
The postseason is all about matchups, and opposing teams are going to zero in on Embiid’s mobility issues. Yes, the game slows down in the playoffs - but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier for big men who struggle to move laterally or cover ground in space.
If anything, it gets harder. Teams will hunt mismatches, force switches, and make Embiid defend in ways that expose his limitations.
So far, the Sixers rank eighth in the league in restricted area defense and fifth in paint defense - solid numbers. But those stats don’t tell the full story.
Embiid hasn’t been on the floor for the majority of those games, and when he has played, his defensive impact hasn’t matched his All-NBA reputation. Among the team’s regular rotation players, he holds the fifth-worst defensive rating - a stat that reflects what the eye test already shows: he’s not moving the way he used to, and it’s affecting both his individual defense and the team’s overall scheme.
The Sixers can’t lean on him in switch-heavy coverages anymore. Even traditional drop coverage - where Embiid has historically excelled - becomes a challenge if the perimeter defenders are forced to overcompensate for his slower foot speed. That kind of strain on the defense isn’t sustainable, especially against the elite offensive units they’ll face in the postseason.
And then there’s the rebounding. With Embiid less of a factor on the glass, the Sixers are often left scrambling to finish possessions.
That’s not just a numbers game - it’s a momentum killer. One missed box-out, one offensive rebound, and suddenly you’re giving up second-chance points in a playoff game where every possession matters.
There’s no magic fix here. Embiid’s body is what it is, and the Sixers have already made the necessary concessions to keep him on the floor.
The burden now falls on head coach Nick Nurse and his staff to scheme around the limitations. That might mean more creative defensive looks, more minutes for mobile bigs, or a heavier load on the perimeter defenders.
Whatever the answer is, it won’t be easy - and it won’t be perfect.
But if the Sixers want to avoid another early playoff exit, they’ll need to find a way to patch the holes. Because come April, Embiid’s reduced mobility won’t just be a footnote - it’ll be the focal point for every scouting report they face.