'There are few players whose absences are as sorely missed as Joel Embiid’s,' writes inkstainedretch. 'That’s where DeAndre Jordan comes in.' At least, that's what the Sixers are hoping for.
He’s started less than half of the 145 games he’s played in the past three seasons, and he’s only played in 71% of the games his teams have played in that span. He’s averaged 7.1 points and less than 20 minutes per game. The Sixers are his sixth team in four seasons. He’s 33 years old.
Good questions. The answers started coming Monday night, when the Sixers hosted the Bulls – answers that sort of hide in the weeds, either under the boards or on the end of the court where dirty work gets done. Despite the deadline acquisition of James Harden, a three-time scoring champ; the dominance of Embiid, the NBA’s current scoring leader; and the emergence of second-year guard Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 26.8 points per game in Harden’s first four starts, the Sixers don’t try to drown you with points. They thrive when they defend well.