Smith also said that if Embiid was available, then he would have made a profound difference.
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The Miami Heat took a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in their Eastern Conference semifinal match. What made the Heat’s job easy was the absence of star centre, Joel Embiid. Embiid has been a mainstay for the 76ers this season and has single-handedly carried his team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, a freak injury during the final game of their series against the Toronto Raptors has had him sidelined indefinitely. The question going into Friday will revolve around whether Embiid could be ready for Game 3. The league’s scoring champion and MVP finalist is recovering from an orbital fracture and concussion and has, not surprisingly, been big-time missed by the 76ers.
With Embiid out and not being able to make it thus far, Stephen A. Smith stated that if Embiid doesn’t come back for Game 3, then he is finished for the season. Speaking on ESP’s First Take, he said, “But now Miami is up 2-0. What you are talking about is a Philadelphia 76ers squad that has to win four of its next five games assuming that the series would go seven in order to win this series. That ain’t happening. We are talking about Joel Embiid being questionable for game three. I personally think that there is a shot that he will be there because he knows the season is on the line, they ain’t coming back from an 0-3 deficit. So to me, if he doesn’t play in Game 3, then he is really finished.”
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Joel Embiid was having an MVP season before his injury and it’s just unfortunate for the 76ers that he got injured the way he did. Sixers coach Doc Rivers also lamented the fact that he couldn’t rely on Embiid’s services. Stephen A. Smith also said in the same take that if Joel Embiid was available, then he would have made a profound difference. Smith said, “We’ll give the Philadelphia 76ers credit for this. If Joel Embiid was there, I think they will have a real big-time shot to win this series.
“I think he would be a pick up based on what I’ve seen in the two games alone. Joel Embiid would have made that kind of profound difference and with the way, Maxey showed up last night, the things that James Harden is doing in terms of being deferential and having somebody to defer to. I think all those things would have helped and I think that the Philadelphia 76ers would have had a big-time bonafide shot to win this series”, he concluded.
