PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers brought in Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers and Cam Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline. The Sixers then picked up Kyle Lowry in the buyout market in an effort to stay afloat until Joel Embiid returns.
Nobody knows when Embiid will return, but the Sixers hope he will return sometime in April before the playoffs begin. Whenever the reigning league MVP does return, Lowry and the rest of the Sixers will have to make adjustments on the floor.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to play with big fella and I’m looking forward to that,” said Lowry. “I’ve heard things out here and I’ve seen it. Like, I’ve seen it of course, but in person, it’s a lot different, and I think one thing that I’ve learned so far — his basketball mind is very sharp. A very, very smart basketball player. A smart individual.”
Embiid is one of the smartest players in the league. He has the ability to read the game in a certain way to make sure his teammates get involved and they get their shots and the Sixers miss him greatly.
For example, a guy like Hield is likely going to benefit the most from Embiid’s return. He is an elite shooter and he will be able to play off the big fella well.
“I know when he gets back, it will be a whole different style of basketball,” Hield said of an Embiid return. “That’s all I know. Just right now, we just trying to sustain this storm right now, until he gets back, it’s going to be a whole different style of basketball because I’ve been on the other side, where I had to prepare to guard him – and the guy is getting traps all day. So, what we are playing now is a wholly different game.”
The Sixers will certainly look to Embiid to give them more than a boost. With the big fella, Philadelphia is confident it can go on a deep playoff run. As long as he’s upright and can get time in with guys like Lowry and Hield, anything is possible.
“We just got to be patient until he is back and for me, I’m just, I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Lowry added. “Part of the reason to come here was Tyrese (Maxey) and Joel, and those two are the big main reasons for me to be here.”
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