Friday Deep Dive | Excitement Surrounding Joel Embiid's Return

stretch of the season. He pirouetted the paint and laysing it Joel embead with power and finesse all on one play. But maybe even most important, how have the Sixers benefited from learning how to win without him? I'm Devon Gibbons, I'm Lauren Robin, and I'm Brian Seltzer on this week's Friday Deep Dive the impending return of Joel Embiad. Guys all signs pointing to the big man coming back, and

I will be honest and frank with you. When it first happened against the Washington Wizards, my initial reaction was not v good. I was a little bit concerned. It was great to see him walk off under his own power than the news that came out a few days later that it was only a relatively minor issue. So I'm just grateful that we're in a spot that we're talking about Joel Embiid all signs pointing to him coming

back on a basketball court for this season. Well, what we know for sure is that they're all going to be thrilled to have him back whenever he can come back, and that they're proud of what they've been able to do in his absence three and two on the road trip to start, three quality wins. That win that was the night before the road trip started. At home, they've really made the most of what looked like it could be a pretty treacherous week and a half or two

weeks away from home. So I think the combination of coming home and potentially having Joel be waiting for them at home is really exciting to this group. And of course Doc Rivers has expressed that he gets daily updates about Joel Embiat's progress, that things have been going well as he's ramped up on court activities, and we'll have to see exactly how ramped up. Those activities have been when the team is back for it's back to back

on Saturday and Sunday. So as the terrible injury athlete of the podcast that I am and having dealt with major injuries already, of course, when we see something like that with the big guy like Joel embiad Is at his size and the way that he went down, we've seen him go down before, but this one just looked a little different where the way he went down, and we're all happy, and him first and foremost, he's happy that it wasn't you know, the worst that was assumed

by many, and myself, you know, not being one of them, but just again seeing it, seeing how he went down, seeing how his leg went, but ultimately fun and out that it was later a bone bruise out for a couple of weeks. That was great. Now the only thing with the bone bruise part, like self, this is the

week's version of how did it happen? Is? If you remember, and Lauren, you weren't around when I when I almost broke my ankle, but I had a bone bruise and my ankle and I had a boot, had a walking boot and while I am only five six and I don't weigh as close to what Joel embiidways at the time, my physician did say, I wish you would have just broken your foot because it was an easier heel than

the bone. So I'm happy. I'm elated that things have worked out the way that embiads injury has and the recovery and the Sixers get him back for the stretch front of the second half of the season while they were about the seating and of course the playoffs in the very very very near future. And for the uninitiated out there, d you are recovering ACL patients almost a year now, a little bit more than a year, a little more than the year, almost two years. How about

that the pandemic just threw things off. It was May of nineteen, late May of nineteen and surgery in June, and of course I was rolling along. I had a little setback where I had some some knee scrape that had to go in there and some scar tissue on my knee. I was also a little meniscus tear as well. So you know how we often talk about these things and how things play out, and we never really know

what the injuries are. But now I know so bone bruise and ACL tear that I did suffer at full tear by the way complete tear that, yeah, you know I did. I did fear a little bit when I saw him go down the way he did because mine, while it was contact, it wasn't anything that I did. Someone ran into my knee and the same thing within beat and how his knee buckled the way that it did hyper extension. So that was great, and just happy that he's good. And yes, I should be able to

play ball soon. So Joel and I'll be back out there on the floor. Last time I was out there on the floor with them was with fir con court plots. He and I had a shoot out, so that was it. That's right. I forgot about that. Yeah, tremendous. You know, there are no locker rooms in the traditional sense this season. They are only zoom rooms, and Lauren, you're in all

of them with the seventy sixers when they speak. Why don't you bring us up to speed on what we know at this point in time about Joel Embiid, what Doc has said he's been up to, and how the Sixers feel he's doing well. I remember when we went into the break, we looked at the games that we're going to follow that came right out after the break, the stretch that the Sixers are now let's say halfway through that terrible twenty days on the road out of

twenty three days. It's a really tough strength of schedule these first few weeks back. And I think that if you had told us that we were going to see the Sixers come out five hundred halfway through that tough stretch, I think we'd feel pretty darn good about it, maybe even with Joel Embiid in the fold, considering how much they were playing on the road, So for them to have gone over five hundred, still jockeying for that first

seed in the East. In Joel's absence, I think he's really presive, and I don't think enough people are talking about it. Obviously, a couple of tough losses there on the road that sort of tarnished the thing that they had going, But when you zoom out and look at what they've done since the break, especially without Joel, I think it's been very impressive. Dyeah. I think if there's any guy in the league, for better or worse, who

knows how to return from an injury. It's Joel Embid And I probably should have looked up games of note for Joel coming back off of injury absences, but the first one that actually comes to mind was the game against Detroit last year at the Center, right before the shutdown when he came back. He didn't play during the West coast trip, and he went out there against the Pistons and had a fantastic game. It'd be compliments of

Milton about Joel Embid showing anything. No signs are rushed after the five game absence thirty and twelve for him in his return. He's a guy who's been through this before, and incredibly, it seems like more often than not, at least for what my gut is telling me, it seems like you it doesn't show that much rust. Yeah, I was about to say the exact same thing. No rust.

He typically comes back and has a big performance. So maybe that's something that we can prepare ourselves for when he does finally get back on the floor, whether it's this weekend or starting next week, he definitely goes out there and shows that he's ready to go. If I know Joel Embie like YouTube do as well, and the listeners the viewers is that he's been wanting to get back out there on the floor, so he's chomping at

the bit. And if it is against Minnesota and Karl Anthony Towns, or if it is against Jonah's Valancinis and

the Memphis Grizzlies, he definitely performs well against them. So I think that where the team is right now, definitely keeping their head way above water since in his absence and now with him coming back, he's ready to go, and I expect a big performance from him, and whether there's minute restrictions or not, when he's out there, you know he's gonna try to show that, hey, this injury may have shut me down for a little bit, but it didn't change who I am, and that is of

course still him understanding what's going on around the NBA that I am still the MVP of this NBA. We're going to get into that whether or not Joel Embiad still has as good of an MVP chance as he did before the injury, and also exactly what his return means. But before we go too far down that path, I wanted to ask you guys, how do you think the Sixers have fared in his absence, and in his absence, I'm taking that post All Star break in its totality because he had to miss the first game back due

to health and safety protocols. He played only twenty minutes against the Wizards, then went down with a knee injury. So I'm looking at this whole post All Star break stretch without Joel Embiad essentially as evaluating how we think, quote unquote they've fared, Lauren, how do you think they've

done without him? Well, I remember when we went into the break, we looked at the games that we're going to follow that came right out after the break, the stretch that the Sixers are now, let's say halfway through that terrible twenty days on the road out of twenty three days. It's a really tough strength of schedule these

first few weeks back. And I think that if you had told us that we were gonna see the Sixers come out five hundred halfway through that tough stretch, I think we'd feel pretty darn good about it, maybe even with Joel Embiid in the fold, considering how much they were playing on the road. So for them to have gone over five hundred, still jockeying for that first seed in the East. In Joel's absence, I think is really impressive,

and I don't think enough people are talking about it. Obviously, a couple tough losses there on the road that sort of tarnished the thing that they had going, But when you zoom out and look at what they've done since the break, especially without Joel, I think it's been very impressive. I mean, deed, the eight and three eight and three is eight and three. That's a pretty darn good eleven

game stretch, no question about it. Going into it, As you guys pointed out, you just looked at it and you say, okay, and when we're looking at six game road trip, that's going to be tough in another self. But then for him to go down and have to deal with everything before you even hit the road and

trek out west, they were winning. They were doing it in different way, the different styles, and you had different people standing up with the top performances, from Shake Milton to Firkin quirkmas Tony Bradley who's now moved on, But thank you Tony for all the great work that you did. Dwight Howard and the usual suspects and Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons as well, not to exclude Danny Green and

Seth Curry. But they did this as a team. This was a complete team effort into making sure that again they kept their heads way above water in his absence with the best player of being out and maintaining that number one overall seed in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn has a half game up on the seventy sixers in the standings.

But that's pretty darn good considering that you just talked about selves an eight and three record, and Lauren used talking about splitting five hundred on this six game road trip with the four out West. And while you have had some things go your way with Golden State in Los Angeles, Lakers missing their two best players in Steph Curry and Lebron James. Sometimes that happens, and that's just the nature of the schedule, will and how things play

out in an NBA season. So where they are right now to be in the position that they have been in without Joel Embiid eight and three selts, as you pointed out, that's tremendous. I mean, this guy has been great, so for them to play the way that they've been playing without him. It works for me. This one works for me. Now when he comes back and you have these If he does come back over the weekend, you have the two games at home, you have to go

back on the road for another four. Then we'll start another you know, next six or next ten that we look at in there and how we evaluate how we want them to play over the next few weeks as we prepare for mid May and started the playoffs. When you look at that eight and three stretch without Joel Embiid on the whole, there are a few things that shoot out to me. One, I think there's some guys who elevated their level of play from what we saw before the All Star break, and we've talked about this.

Tobias Harris has maintained an excellent level of plays, averaging twenty two points per games since the break. But then there's also guys like Danny Green. I think at the start of the road trip, the game again the Knicks, the game actually before that against the King's Golden State, a big late shot. Then obviously his twenty eight point performance against the Lakers really helpful of the Sixers Batis Thible doing a little bit more offensively, knocking down some

shots for Concorkmas scoring at a higher percentage. A good game here and there from Shake Milton Dwight Howard, Yes he's been ejected twice, but also dominating the glass, helping the Sixers do something on the rebounding side of things. In the absence of Joel Embiid, the Sixer I think they've made their shots. They're the seventh best three point

shooting team since the All Star Break. But the biggest thing is and this was something that Doc Rivers was hoping to be part of the team's identity going back to the beginning of the season and what he thinks will ultimately help win them a title. I think Darryl

Moorey would say the same thing too. They're playing great defense, so the number one rated defensive team in the league since the All Star Break doing that without their anchor Joel Embiid, and I think that is such a huge reason and really encouraging to see that they haven't really dropped off with the exception of save the Denver game on that end of the floor without him, and it speaks to the improvement that the players around that anchor have shown on the defensive end well, I guess the

stretch of playing without him, other guys kind of found their niche a little bit. You know, when he's off the floor, I think we'll have a better idea what to run. Obviously, you know, having him inmates our second unity deeper, so that will help as well. We talk about Ben Simmons on defense, we talk about Matisse Thyble on defense. I don't know if we talk enough about how good Tobias Harris has gotten on that end, about how good Danny Green remains on the defensive end. We've

seen good stuff from Seth, from fur Con. These guys really have stepped up on defense. I shouldn't forget Dwight Howard, of course, when you list defenders that are showing some of their best stuff over the last couple of weeks. But without Joel Embiads, someone had to pick up the slack on defense. And we've seen lots of players pick up that slack in a level that's maybe even higher

than it was prior to the break. So defense on this team, offenses, beware when Joel comes back, if you're not already a little bit scared of what this team can off on that end. It's supposed to be the calling car for how they win this season, and they've kept it going and once again they've done it in a different way. You've seen a lot of more help. The switching has been there, of course, meeting at the

room with Dwight Howard. A few blocks that stand out, like before he was ejected with the Montres Harold won against the Los Angeles Lakers. That one's highlighted and a

few others. Julius Randall. Julius Randall's a block. But yeah, absolutely, So this has been a really good and I just keep stressing it just a team effort on how they got this one done, not just with the eight and three record overall, but just making sure that they clamped down defensively and just be those dogs out there that you need without that guy who's going to protect the paint the way that Joel Embi has, where he's talked about often as the one of the best two way

players in the NBA. So I like what they've done. Dan Burke deserves a lot of credit, of course, and the defensive side of how he's changed things around a little bit with the team minus Joel Embiid. So they have to keep that going in order to get to where they want to go. Now we segue, and sooner rather than later. Joel Embiad figures me back in a seventy six ers uniform doing a little bit of a reset.

Let's just show some hands here. I will report the tally because this is an audio medium, of course, show of hands. Joel Embiid MVP before he went down to injury. Yeah, all right, so that's a clean sweep. All three of us felt like Joel Embiad was the MVP of the league before his injury. What each of you can pick, maybe one thing stood out the most to you? What did you like the most about the way he was

playing before he went down? Oh? Man, what didn't I like about the way he was playing before he went down? I think to me, I might have to take a page out of Tobias Harris and Ben Simon's book here, just the mentality that Joel has brought, because I don't know that he necessarily has played that much better objectively.

I think he's done it for longer on a more consistent basis, and that's what's making him so dominant and that's just the commitment that he made earlier in the season or prior to the season, to dominate on a nightly basis for as many minutes as he's out there. His teammates have noticed, his teammates appreciate him for it. So to me, it has to just be that sustained intensity. We're used to seeing moments of greatness from Joel Embiid.

We've seen multiple games of sustained greatness from Joel Embiid, and that's what was so exciting for me to watch in that first half of the season. For me, it was the decisiveness on the offensive vent where oftentimes even with Tobias Harris, where Doc Rivers has spoken about making the decision very quick. Not only was efforts byas Harris was also inbeed, especially when those double teams came on

the low block. He wasn't indecisive. He made up his mind very quickly, whether it was faced up, back to the basket, getting rid of the basketball, repost, get the ball back and go to work. He had an idea, he had a plan and it worked. And that's why many have talked about him and him and you know him included where he would say, I just want to be dominant. He always talked about it, and after a while it was old, just go out there and be dominant.

And that's exactly what he did because he was decisive with what he wanted to do with the basketball. He knew that his opponent, his opponent was going to suffer and it would ultimately help the team with the overall success.

So that was it for me. Decisiveness and everything. Just as we talked about the defense and what it done, everything from the offensive end, just went right back down the other end of the floor and just helped out right there because he knew confident wise, confidence wise that he knew who he was, he knew what type of player he was, and he knew no one can do anything with him on either end of the floor. You want to come down here and get this work, come

on down. You want to bring the ball in here and get it and get it blocked, Come on through. And that's what I loved about what we saw from him in the first half, which what happened choose him as the first half of the season went on. I didn't have him there first, but his level of play

just kept going, kept going and kept going. And that's why I had him as the MVP in the first half of the season, and it was so much fun seeing him rise to the occasion, especially in high profile games and see that narrative pick up, particularly on a

national level. There was that string of nationally televised games right before the All Star break where you heard the crew on TNT and ESPN start mentioning and really pushing the idea of Joel and recognizing just how great he had been during the first half of the season and referencing him as an MVP candidate, which I thought was totally well deserved. This award is going to go to

Joel and beats averaging thirty and eleven. It's not played and simple for me, it would be Joel beat and beat himself is wearing to go if he is able to get back to action on Saturday. What does that do to the MVP race. Well, I think it brings the MVP race back to where it should be. Right you want agree with both of you guys, just the holistic essence surrounding him being in the first half of the season. I'm terrified to make this reference because I

realized I might date myself, which is really frightening. It was like the Austin Powers where he's searching for his mojo. He's looking for the mojo. I felt last year was whatever number Austin Powers it was for Joel Embiid where he's searching for his mojo. I think that might have been the one when Goldfinger took the mojo. I can't remember. I don't know if I'm right on that. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I love the franchise, so

keep going. Yeah, it was like last year Joel or maybe this off sne It was the pursuit of the mojo for Joel, and now he's got it back. He is a superpower once again. And I think, to me, one thing that if I'm looking at tangible things that he brought to the Sixers that obviously they haven't had as much of in his absence is the threat he presented of always being able to get to the free

throw line and making his shots there. It should be the surprise of no one that the Sixers free throws collectively made an attempt to have dropped into the bottom third of the league with Joel Embiid being out, and that makes them all the more dangerous to me that you can count on him late in a game, clutch

spot to get to the line do his thing. I think it's just one of the many, many critical factors that Joel Embid brings the table, and there was no doubt that he was probably the best player in the league at the time that he went out. If he's coming back, the Sixers say it is going to be for the long haul. I liked hearing this from Doc Rivers before one of the seventy sixers recent games that their philosophy organizationally is that they're not going to bring

Joel Embiid back to play a game here. Rest him there another couple of games, give him some more rest. When they bring Joel back, it's going to be for what they hope is a sustained stretch moving forward. And I think that if you're a fan, that's exactly what you want to hear, no doubt about it. Especially as fans start to trickle back into the arena. I think they'll be thrilled to be able to get a little bit of Joel Embiid in their lives as they get

a little bit more basketball in their lives. And then for fans watching at home as we have been while the team has been on the road. It'll it'll be a pleasure to watch him continue this run if he's able to come back at full strength the way that he was prior to the break. And like you said, Selts, all indicators say that when he does come back, it will be because he is ready and because he's prepared to meet the moment and to meet the upcoming series

of moments. Let's rather say I'm looking forward to it as a fan of his, and I know a lot of people are as well well. Lauren, you know that he would want to see those fans too, so it goes both ways with the interaction there. So yeah, that's great to hear because typically we feel like they slow walk these things and get them back and allow them to get their legs no punt attendant underneath them, and

give them that necessary work to get themselves back. But there's nothing like just getting back out there and getting into a game to get back into basketball shape and get ready for the speed of the game. There's no practice that can you can do anything for that. So that's great to hear. I hope that that is the plan, and if that's the case, then you know, back to

backs and everything. I'm here for it because while as good as they are or haven't been without him, they're certainly at their best when he's out there on the floor, and they are a treat to watch when he's out there. As we begin, guys, to bring this conversation about Joel and his return full circle, we talked about the MVP push. I think that is such a big storyline still for

his season. With him not being out there, there'll be some people who debate whether or not he'll have played the requisite number of minutes or games to qualify for the MVP award. I also think and this isn't something that again should catch people off guard. By him not playing, it's allowed other guys to creep into the MVP narrative, whether it's a player doing it himself like the guy in Brooklyn, or someone like nikol Leokich who continues to go out there and very workman like put together a

terrific season. Do we think Joel can get back in the MVP conversation? Did he ever really leave? I think he can get back into the conversation. I do think that. I mean, according to the people that make the rankings. He did leave during this time to get healthy. I think it's interesting that Lebron James hasn't left the conversation out for a similar amount of time. I don't know what's going on there. I'm sure Joel doesn't know what's going on there. I'm sure Joel will want to be

back in the conversation. So I look forward to seeing him play himself back into the conversation. I would be surprised if he did not. I believe he will play himself back into the conversation, and I also think it makes for a great conversation because when we look at what all NBA centers are going to be, it's always at the last couple of years, Yo kits him be in Gobar, right, So when we talk about that, and however they finagle things with Anthony Davis and Carl Anthony

Towns too, but it's really those three guys. And while Mbia has been injured before that, it was the six Games, so he qualified technically and he was the leader for all of us. He was solely there. And now again if he puts up the numbers and he comes back and they maintain where they are, he's certainly going to be in the conversation. As great as James Harden has been in Brooklyn, it's kind of tough because the way

he handled things with Houston. Do you want to reward something like that, even though he's doing he's playing phenomenal basketball. But yes, as as as a purist of the game, you know, wherever he ended up, it's just the way that it went. It wasn't great. And I think we forgot two. So the one guy in Portland who is often left out guilty, guilty, is charged. He's been amazing,

he's been fantastic. And then the guy in Milwaukee, who you don't maybe not want to mention it, but they're still right there in the thick of things in the East, and his numbers are great again, and typically guys don't win three consecutive MVPs. But race and I can't wait to see how and Be now responds to all of this, with people maybe changing their minds if he's the MVP or not. James Harden has already come out and said that, oh,

so there you go, right, there you go. Well, the sixes now have the best sales pitchment, if you will. And Daryl Morey when it comes to who should be the MVP, right, Lauren, you talk to him recently, so hey, yeah, I have a feeling we all know where his loyalties are gonna lie on this one. But I do agree. I think the lack of games is something that either voters are gonna be able to get past or they're not.

And if they don't, I think you have to understand that based on some phenomenal seasons other players have had in recent history with injury absences. But I do think that Joel has come out all season. It's something to prove and it's never been that he's the MVP. It's about winning a championship, it's about winning Defensive Player of the Year. I think those are the things that are

going to continue to drive him. And if he can get back at least into the conversation for MVP, I think that's an accomplishment when you consider the fact that he did have to miss quite a few games to even still be a part of the conversation is a big deal. If he is forgotten in his own mind, I would love that going into the postseason. Okay, you forgot,

Now let me show you. Let me make up for those fifteen games that I've missed with this run that I'm going to make through the through the Eastern Conference playoffs, let me make up for it, and then you'll have that. So that's my thinking there, along with Tobias Harris right

for the All Star thing. Yes, I was going to say it's been a successful business model for Lebron James who's pretty consistently overlooked for MVP and then consistently finds himself in the finals as not necessarily as a result, but those things tend to happen with him, and he's made quite a living off of him. I like it. I do think it's going to make for great chatter on your show Divan on ninety seventy five. Certainly on the local level. Can Joel Embiid get back in the

thick of the hunt for the MVP national level? You know, all the talk shows first take up first, first this, then that, whatever it is, they're all going to be talking about it. But I think the biggest storyline is will the seventy sixers be able to take this stretch that they've had for a couple weeks without Joel Embiid, during which they've gone on a really nice clip and apply that to his return and ultimately emerge as a more cohesive, well rounded team. They at some point have

George Hill coming into the mix. You would think some point sooner rather than later. So do we think the Sixers at the end of the day could be in some ways better for having had to play a stretch without Joel Embiid and figure some things out without him. I think they would say that they are. I think

they've been saying that all along. When you listen to their media post game win or loss, they've talked about how much they've learned in his absence, how guys have stepped up across the roster, whether it's a Tobias taking over in the fourth quarter or a fur Con forcing over time. Are these are experiences that have been really valuable for guys across the roster, And to have been eight and three throughout the experience that was looked at on the outset as an opportunity to learn more than

anything is a huge accomplishment. And hopefully they'll take some of those lessons with them and add an MVP candidate to the pot and create something really cool. There's always something to learn from it and Unfortunately you don't want to,

but there is that case. Look, there may be games where he gets in faltroum, and how do we respond to him missing some time where we don't want to lose ground in the first half or the same thing in the second half, and they can just go back to what they did during the time that he missed during these eleven games maybe twelve games here. So I think it's something that they can definitely learn from. Lauren

just mentioned it. They've spoken about it themselves, and I think the coaches as well, seeing how they can maybe tweak things as well when he is not in the game. So sure you can take from it. And that's why we keep saying, this is why you have an MVP candidate. This is a team first and foremost. Well put, guys, always a pleasure diving deep. Thank you very much, thank you, Thank you guys. Before we get out of here, some programming notes for the days ahead here on the seventy

six ers podcast network. On Monday, a new mail bag with myself and Lauren Rosen. No, it will not be another edition with a cat filter wearing Darryl Moury. But if you have not heard last week's episode of mail Bag Monday, with Lauren and Darryl Mourray going to our

back catalog. Check it out. It is fantastic. On Tuesday, a new installment of Coach Check as we begin to wrap up the Bluecoat season with Matt Murphy, and then next Thursday, a brand new Tom's Talks with Tom McGinnis before Davon Lauren I returned with the Friday Deep Die All right, talk to you next time, see you