“I’d throw everything in the kitchen sink at him” - James Worthy advices LA Lakers to keep all options open to limit Joel Embiid in their next game against the 76ers

Joel Embiid guards Anthony Davis [Source: Lakers Daily]

Former LA Lakers player-turned analyst James Worthy has advised Frank Vogel's side to throw everything at Joel Embiid in their game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Embiid has been averaging a career-high 29 points per game this season and is one of the prime MVP candidates. He will be a legitimate threat to the Lakers' chances of claiming a win on the road. The Cameroonian big has been single-handedly making a difference for the Sixers, and limiting him will be key for the Purple and Gold.

Here's what Worthy said regarding this on Spectrum SportsNet recently:

"It's going to take a collective effort. He (Embiid) is such a massive force, can do so many things on the court. I would throw everything in the kitchen sink at him, just to wear him down, take a little bit of pressure off of AD since this will only be his second game coming back."

The 60-year-old added:

"So I think Dwight Howard may play a role. And you know it's six fouls, he can come in and get physical and help slow him down. Meanwhile, AD continues to progress."

The LA Lakers received a boost with Anthony Davis returning to the lineup after a one-month injury layoff in their impressive 106-96 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Davis had four blocks on the night and was key to the Lakers' positive outing on the defensive end. His presence could be crucial to their hopes of limiting Joel Embiid.

.@Mike_Bresnahan & @JamesWorthy42 discuss Anthony Davis' return and their takeaways from last night's win over Brooklyn. https://t.co/XRZjo2qRVh

But as Worthy noted, it's just Davis' second game back and he is still finding his feet, so the rest of the group will have to collectively slow down Embiid.

Can LA Lakers continue to thrive in Anthony Davis' presence and prevail against Joel Embiid's 76ers?

The LA Lakers haven't played to their potential consistently this season so far. They have a 24-24 record and sit eighth in the Western Conference ahead of their game against Joel Embiid and the Sixers on the road.

"The baddest guy in the league right now is Joel Embiid."

@SHAQ makes his case for who should win MVP 🗣 @NBAonTNT https://t.co/2nPKsmD9Fa

LA has struggled the most defensively so far. However, they haven't had a fully healthy roster to play with for most of the campaign. That wasn't the case against the Nets in their previous outing, though, and the Lakers were finally able to record a convincing win against a team over .500.

Anthony Davis played 24 minutes in his first game back, which is an encouraging sign for the LA Lakers. His presence in the paint and ability to guard players 1 through 5 is massive, so the Lakers will be hoping to capitalize on that against Joel Embiid and co.

If Davis can continue to help the team play solid on the defensive end, the LA Lakers will fancy their chances of a win against the Sixers.