I’m well aware of the (suspect) timing of this piece. The Philadelphia 76ers just got thrashed, at home, by the Portland Trail Blazers, largely due to mismatches stemming from an absent Joel Embiid. On most nights, though, the Sixers have the tools to compete without their biggest star.
The Blazers were a uniquely challenging matchup, posing issues with their strong interior presence — Jonah Bolden and small-ball lineups were ill-equipped to defend Jusuf Nurkic — and their elite pick-and-roll game, which caused fits for resident hulk Boban Marjanovic.