Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric noted the absence of Joel Embiid during the Sixers' 113-103 loss to the Miami Heat, as the team lacked the intimidation factor the 7-footer brings to the table, now having missed the last 10 games after sustaining an orbital bone fracture against the New York Knicks at the end of March.
“You’re talking about a superstar, of course we are missing him here,” Saric said of Embiid, according to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, noting that once he comes back, he feels like “he will kick their ass.”
The Heat have been thin at the center position, with Hassan Whiteside having some disappointing performances and Kelly Olynyk not being much of a rim protector, despite being an improved defender under Erik Spoelstra in his first season with the team.
This is a matchup set up for Embiid to dominate, but there are still medical hurdles to clear before he can take the court, with the team holding out hope for a Game 3 return, as the series shifts to Miami for the next two games.
Head coach Brett Brown was understanding of Embiid's frustration after an ill-advised tweet following the loss.
“You need Joel Embiid… I felt tonight it was a really strong example of how you wished you had him,” said Brown.
The Sixers will ultimately need his size at both ends of the floor to make a dent in these Eastern Conference playoffs, regardless of how well Ben Simmons has played as of late. Both coach and player agree on that, now it's only about playing the waiting game until his impending return.
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