Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been out since March 12 due to a bone bruise he suffered in his left knee, and the Sixers plan on being cautious with him since they want him ready for the playoffs in May and June.
With Embiid out, the Sixers have turned to young Tony Bradley to start in his place. Bradley is not going to put up Embiid-type numbers. He is averaging 4.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in five games as a starter, but he continues to do solid things out on the floor, and he looks like he can hold down the fort in Embiid’s absence.
While the MVP candidate is out, he has helped Bradley settle in.
“Jo definitely, whatever he sees on the court, he’s helping me out,” said Bradley. “Different things defensively, offensively, setting screens, just being in the right spot. Whatever he sees and feels like he needs to tell me, he’ll definitely tell me and let me know. So he’s been helpful.”
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Embiid has continued to step up in the leadership department whether it’s with his play on the floor or by taking guys under his wing off the floor. This is all a good thing for him and the team, really. The Sixers need to feel his presence even when he is not playing.
“They talk a lot which is nice,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I encourage all our positional players to talk to each other and share wisdom. I know Joel and Tony have come very close and that relationship is good, especially now that Tony is playing the minutes that Joel is watching and seeing a lot. I love that Joel watches every game and focuses and sends texts and he’s very involved in the games. That’s a good thing for us.”
Embiid and Bradley’s relationship has definitely evolved. The MVP even said the team needs to build around Bradley after a recent strong performance.
Philadelphia will continue to try and win games despite missing the big fella when they head to the Bay Area to take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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