"He's a solo act" - Skip Bayless voices concern over Joel Embiid's return for 76ers with playoffs on the line
Joel Embiid could be back with the Philadelphia 76ers as soon as Tuesday, according to an ESPN report on Monday. However, while Embiid's return from left meniscus surgery is big news for Philadelphia, NBA analyst Skip Bayless isn’t too excited about it.
Bayless doubted whether Embiid’s return can do any magic for the Sixers (40-35), who are 11-22 since late January.
“I find him hard to play with," Bayless said on FS1's "Undisputed" on Tuesday. "I'm not sure he makes his teammates better because you kinda play through him … and he's a kind of solo act in the middle of the floor.”
Philadelphia, which is eighth in the Eastern Conference, hosts the Western Conference-leading OKC Thunder (52-22) on Tuesday before embarking on a three-game road trip. Including Tuesday's game, the 76ers have seven games left in the regular season.
“I don’t see the Sixers doing much of anything," Bayless said. "They’re not gonna make any noise. It’s too late.”
Bayless also criticized Embiid for not keeping himself in NBA shape throughout his career. He said that Embiid's MVP campaign last season may have been "the worst thing that could have happened" for him, because Embiid was rewarded with the ultimate individual award but has never won the ultimate team award.
Even with Joel Embiid's expected return, the 76ers are 2.5 games behind the 6th-seed Indiana Pacers.
Can Joel Embiid help the 76ers in the 2023-24 playoffs?
Joel Embiid's return for a playoff push has been largely discounted by fans and analysts like Skip Bayless.
Embiid is one of the NBA's most dominant players, and his numbers speak for themselves. He has averaged over 30 points in each season in the last three years, and this season, he was averaging 35.3 points a game.
However, Joel Embiid has not been able to match his regular season performance in the playoffs, let alone elevate it. He has made the playoffs six straight times. However, in 53 playoff games, Embiid has averaged 24.0 ppg on 46.1% shooting, including 28.0% from the 3-point line.
NBA greats often have legacies defined by elevating their games in the playoffs; however, Embiid has failed to do so, with injuries sometimes playing a part.
With Embiid, the 76ers haven’t even reached the conference finals, losing in the conference semifinals five out of six times along with a first-round sweep in the 2019-20 season.