Sixers Power Rankings Summary: Can Joel Embiid fix a broken offense?
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Sixers Power Rankings Summary: Can Joel Embiid fix a broken offense?

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

With the Sixers winning four of their last five games and Joel Embiid scoring 31 points in a successful return to play, the question is whether this team has finally turned the corner and is ready to compete with the best teams in the NBA ?

As we do every week, let’s assess the Sixers’ national prospects with a power ranking summary:

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NBA.com: 18 (+8 from last week)

While many were understandably focused on Embiid’s return, author John Schuhmann describes one of the most important aspects of his 31-point performance in Chicago:

“Embiid scored 31 points in just under 33 minutes in his comeback, with 10 of his 13 shots assisted by Tyrese Maxey, who posted his first career triple-double. Embiid shot 3 for 14 from beyond the field, but conceded just as many shots (10 of 14) in the paint. Only 22 (38%) of his 58 shots in his first four games came in the paint. (NBA.com)

One of the most discouraging aspects of Embiid’s subpar play in his first four appearances of the season was that his average shooting distance was significantly higher than usual. Embiid has excellent touch for a seven-footer, but he also needs to be able to capitalize on his tremendous strength advantage down low.

MORE: Mailbag: What should Nick Nurse’s starting five look like with Embiid?

ESPN: 24 (+3 from last week)

ESPN’s panel of experts picked the biggest problem each team has faced to date. When it came to the Sixers, the choice was easy for author Tim Bontemps: star-driven offense:

“The biggest problem with this team is health. But from a pure field perspective, the team ranks 27th in offensive rating thanks to 28th in 3-point field goal percentage. A simple solution? The team’s superstars have to hit their shots. Joel Embiid is just 3 of 23 from 3 this season, while Tyrese Maxey (29.3%) and Paul George (31.2%) also struggled – not a good impression for a trio that has high expectations for offense this season” (ESPN)

The Sixers’ offense has indeed been lazy for most of the season – ESPN wasn’t the only network to highlight that this week – but it did show flashes in Chicago, albeit against a small and rather weak defensive unit. If Embiid, Maxey and George can all hit from three-point range in the near future to get their season shooting percentages closer to their career averages, this team will be in position to put up a lot of points.

The Athletic: 23 (+3 compared to last week)

Before explaining an interesting trend among each team, author Law Murray gave them letter grades for the first quarter of the season. Predictably, the Sixers received a D-minus.

“The lack of star player availability has a lot to do with Philadelphia’s poor start. Only five teams have a worse field goal percentage, only the Pelicans average fewer points per game, and no team takes fewer shots per game than the Sixers.” (The Athlete)

It’s hard to imagine how much worse these numbers would have been if rookie guard Jared McCain hadn’t emerged as a top scorer for several weeks and shown signs of future stardom. But ultimately, the 20-year-old may not be the player the Sixers depend on.

MORE: Can the Sixers protect the 2025 first-rounder?

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