As good as Philadelphia 76ers rookie point guard Ben Simmons is playing this season, the team is only going to go as far as where big man Joel Embiid takes them. Sixers head coach Brett Brown could not encapsulate any better the value of Embiid to his team than the quote he said prior to Thursday’s road game against the Portland Trail Blazers, per Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.

Embiid, who was the Sixers’ third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, brings tremendous value on both ends of the floor, as clearly implied by Brown. Embiid leads the Sixers in points per game (23.8) and rebounds (11.1), while swatting away 2.0 shots and making 3.4 assists per contest.

Echoing Brown’s statistical analysis, 82games.com estimates that the Sixers are scoring 6.5 points more per 100 possessions when Embiid is on the floor and surrenders 9.3 points more to opponents per 100 possessions when he’s sitting on the bench.

Even without the aid of statistics, the eye test alone would give basketball fans an idea how much better the Sixers are when Embiid is playing. Embiid is an unstoppable specimen that can’t be easily contained on a single coverage. Defensively, opponents find it way tougher to penetrate the lane and make baskets around the rim with Embiid parked patrolling the shaded area. Per NBA.com, opponents shoot 15 percent worse on shots attempted six feet or closer from the basket this season.

As long as Embiid is with the Sixers, the franchise will always have a bright future to look forward to.