CAMDEN, NJ — The Philadelphia 76ers await their second-round opponent in the 2023 NBA playoffs. While official word on Joel Embiid's status remains to be announced, the Sixers have to prepare to either welcome him back or trudge along without him for at least the start of the series.
Doc Rivers didn't offer anything too new about Embiid's status after the Sixers' Wednesday practice. He said that he got some shots up and that they are still waiting for his check-up evaluation to give an update on his status for the next round, which starts on Monday against either the Boston Celtics or Atlanta Hawks.
Should Embiid remain out, a lot of pressure falls on James Harden and Tyrese Maxey to get the Sixers going. The idea of playing without the superstar big man in another playoff game hasn't fazed them. The younger of Philly's two star guards said that his mindset remains unchanged.
“I kind of prepare the same way,” Maxey said. “Of course, if Joel's not playing then, you know, I'll probably have a little bit of a bigger role. But at the end of the day, I think my role is pretty much the same in both ways. It's just to be aggressive, get myself shots, get my teammate shots, play good defense, and try to help us win games.”
Maxey had a promising first series in the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 21.8 points per game and making half of his attempts from deep while playing solid defense. His abilities on the court are aided significantly with Embiid on the court but he has shown the ability to step up without him.
“I don't think I think about it,” Maxey said of how his role changes for the Sixers when Embiid sits. “I mean, I think Game 2, I shot the ball over 20 times. That was my most shot attempts of the series and that was with Jo. I don't really think about it, just kind of let the game come to me. I've always been that way. I'm not just hunting shots — I think I'm hunting opportunities, trying to get my teammate an advantage or myself an advantage to score and trying to get create a high-quality shot.”
While Maxey did fire up 23 shots in that game compared to just 20 in the series-clinching Game 4 when Embiid sat out, he got up so many shots partly because that was the Sixers' game plan. Embiid facing double teams even as he got a drink of water during timeouts meant that the rest of the team would get good looks. Maxey made the most of his looks, scoring 33 points on 13-23 shooting.
Rivers said that the Sixers are better at withstanding games when Embiid sits compared to years past. Maxey's development is a primary component of that improvement. While Philly prefers for him to play alongside Embiid, Maxey and the team are readying themselves for any scenario.
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