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Joel Embiid is now the main focal point of the Philadelphia 76ers' offense, given Ben Simmons' reluctance to be with the franchise. The Sixers faced the Toronto Raptors in back-to-back preseason matchups, losing the first one, but winning the second.
They beat the Raptors 125-113 in their last game, thanks to a collective scoring outing. As many as eight different players, including four of their five starters, scored in double digits. The Philadelphia 76ers now take on Eastern Conference favorites Brooklyn Nets for their third game before they wrap up their preseason campaign with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
The 76ers' practices and scrimmages have been going well except the absence of Ben Simmons, which has disrupted a lot of their offensive flow. Tyrese Maxey will likely be the starting point guard until Simmons returns or if he gets traded.
What is Joel Embiid's status for tonight's game against Brooklyn Nets?
Joel Embiid didn't play in the first preseason game, but did so in the second. The Philadelphia 76ers lost the one without Embiid, but got a win when he laced up. He played just 20 minutes, and dropped ten points on 4-10 shooting, registering six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Embiid is not listed on the injury report for the Brooklyn Nets game, but a lot of players feature on the list. That includes Seth Curry, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle, among others. Hence, Embiid might appear in the game, as many players are not available.
Joel Embiid was named the second-best center in the NBA behind the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, in the 2021 Annual GM Survey. He received 23% votes compared to Jokic's 63.
Embiid was named the third-best big man in the NBA overall by CBS Sports. The term encompasses both centers and power forwards. He came in behind Giannis Antetokoumnmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Nikola Jokic.
As mentioned above, Joel Embiid is now key for the Philadelphia 76ers regardless of whether Ben Simmons returns to the team or not. Head coach Doc Rivers spoke about the role Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid may have to play in the upcoming season concerning ball movement and cutting off the ball, saying:
"Cutting is big with us, & you have to give up yourself. We had one the other night, it was Georges, Tobias, and Seth. So who cuts? We don’t care. The middle guy cuts. All the time. It was actually Seth, and Seth was like ‘I’m cutting?’ Well, yeah. You cut because the other guy gets a wide open shot just like you want the guy to do it for you. It’s still a process, but I think we’re better at it than we were when we started."
Also Read: What is Joel’s Current Contract
