What does Joel Embiid's injury mean to the Philadelphia 76ers' chances of reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since drafting Embiid in 2014 as the centerpiece of their rebuilding process?
On Friday, the Sixers announced that Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and a concussion during the late stages of Thursday's Game 6 win to close out the Toronto Raptors. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that Embiid would not travel with Philadelphia to Miami for the first two games of their series against the Heat but could return for Game 3 or 4 back at home.
That means the Sixers must prepare to play at least the next two games without Embiid, a finalist for the NBA's MVP award this season. Embiid was a strong candidate in part because he played a career-high 68 games this season, missing just four since a stint in the NBA's health and safety protocols in November.
Let's take a look at how the Sixers might adjust their offense with James Harden set to play without Embiid for the first time since being traded to Philadelphia.