The Philadelphia 76ers are in a tough spot without Joel Embiid, scrambling with the “center-by-committee” approach. Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and a mild concussion in Game 6 of the first round, forcing him to miss the start of the Sixers' series against the Miami Heat.
Doc Rivers started DeAndre Jordan in the Sixers' Game 1 loss Monday night. His performance caused many people, including JJ Redick, to question Jordan's playoff capabilities.
Redick, a former Sixers player himself, voiced his opinion on ESPN's First Take following the loss.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark tweeted Redick's quote Tuesday morning.
“DeAndre Jordan, as much as I love him, a dear friend, at this point, I don’t think should be starting in a playoff game. Start Paul Reed and at times go small”
– @jj_redick on ESPN @FirstTake pic.twitter.com/rey1opkd02
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 3, 2022
Redick has a point. Jordan was -22 in 17 minutes with only four points and two rebounds. Meanwhile, Paul Reed was -3 and more productive in only 13 minutes of gameplay. He recorded four points, nine rebounds and four assists Monday night.
Of course, with the center-by-committee approach, it's typically all hands on deck. So, even if Reed got the start, Jordan would still be an active part of the rotation.
For now, it sounds like Rivers is sticking with Jordan as the starting center “whether you like it or not.” The Sixers head coach backed his decision in his postgame presser, even after Jordan's poor performance.
Philadelphia will have to play at least one more game without Embiid. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series will take place Wednesday night in Miami.
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