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After 12 games, the Sixers sit at the fourth-best record in the NBA with nine wins and three losses. They are certainly a contender, but they will not win a championship as currently constructed.
If anyone has tuned into a Sixers game this season, it has become apparent that the Sixers’ lack of a quality backup center is a problem. In years past, superstar center Joel Embiid has been able to mask this problem. This year, it is clear the 32-year-old is regressing and can not play 35-40 minutes a game at his best.
Right now the Sixers have one primary backup center in Adem Bona, who lacks on-court awareness and is often not tall enough for the other centers he faces. Recently, Bona has been out with a back injury, and his replacement has been six-foot-seven forward Jabari Walker, who has been good for his size but is clearly not ideal as an organization’s primary backup at the center position.
The Joel Embiid Factor Holding Philly Back
The 2023-2024 NBA MVP is averaging a career-worst 17.7 points per game and looks like a shell of the three-time second-team All-NBA defensive team player Embiid once was. Since technically entering the NBA in 2014, the seven-foot center from Cameroon has played less than half of the games the Sixers have. The numerous knee problems are well documented, and it is clear Embiid is not the same athlete anymore.
Along with the injuries, Philadelphia’s longest-tenured player is currently 32 years old and has already had a much longer NBA career than many originally predicted. Embiid is slowly declining, and with the former number three overall pick averaging 31.8 minutes a night in the regular season, the Sixers will not be a championship-caliber team when it counts.
A Back-up Center Trade Target Philly Should Explore
With the Sixers having a luxurious offseason, the potential moves to make are extremely limited. A player like Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis is clearly off limits. Even so, there are a lot of cheaper options the Sixers should explore.
Out in New Orleans, the Pelicans have fallen back to reality and sit at a lowly record of four wins and eight losses. In fact, after the Pelicans suffered their worst loss in history, the team looks to be in for another lost season. The Sixers should call up the Pelicans and ask for center Yves Missi.
The third-year man is currently injured, but when healthy profiles as an ideal backup to Embiid with excellent rim protection and can have the Sixers play at a faster pace when Embiid is given an extended rest period. Missi has career averages of 7.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks over 23.3 minutes per game.
There are a few packages the Sixers could send back to the Pelicans. Something like Justin Edwards and draft capital probably wouldn’t get the deal done, as the six-foot-seven wing has fallen out of the Philadelphia rotation. However, if the Pelicans asked for rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers should heavily consider it.
Now, the first-year man out of Alabama is a three-level scorer, but with this current Philly squad, he doesn’t fit with the win-now mentality while a guy like Missi does, and in New Orleans, Philon would be able to develop and get real playing time.
The Last Word
Philadelphia is one of the best teams in the league; Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal even puts the Sixers at the top. The championship puzzle is nearly complete. If the Sixers trade for Missi, the 21st overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the puzzle can be complete. The sooner the better, because then Missi could get more time to get accustomed to this Philly team, so come playoff time, the Sixers can feel like Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.
With Embiid needing more and more rest, a better backup center could allow the seven-time All-Star to rest more without Philadelphia having a big man liability when Embiid is off the court. This would also allow Embiid to play much better because the big man would have reduced wear and tear, so when it matters most, the Sixers would have a much healthier Embiid.
Featured Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fix-sixers-weakness-could-cost-175607442.html
