Joel Embiid Wants Sixers Teammates More Involved in Scoring

Had he not suffered a ten-game setback due to a bruised knee, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid would probably have the MVP award locked up by now. Although his lack of availability at times might rob him of the opportunity to earn that accolade for the first time in his career, Embiid is still one of the NBA's most dominant players when he's on the floor for the Sixers.

His contributions helped the Sixers become the second team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff berth. They've also allowed the Sixers to get a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets to take over the first seed in the Conference once again. When the Sixers aren't in a groove as a whole, they can typically rely on Embiid to take over and put them in a position to win.

But as the playoffs inch closer, the big man admits that he can't do everything on his own. Following Monday night's win over the Chicago Bulls, Embiid made it clear that help will be needed from his supporting cast as he has his sights set on bringing a championship back to Philadelphia for the first time in decades.

Embiid admitted he hasn't really been looking to be the go-to scorer on the Sixers as of late. Outside of his 34-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, the big man hadn't scored over 20 points in the last five games. 

"I'm just trying to get guys involved," he explained. "You know, I haven't been looking to score except for the San Antonio game because I really had to. No one on the team had it going. Whenever I'm needed, I'm going to be there." 

While Embiid can certainly be relied on, he's going to draw tons of attention from defenses in the playoffs. When that happens, others will have to step up and put points on the board when he's not able to consistently.

“I can't win alone," Embiid said on Monday. "To be able to win, I need my teammates. I need them to have the most confidence they’ve ever had going into the playoffs. Seth (Curry) has been huge, Tobias (Harris) has been huge all season, Danny (Green), they’ve all been there, and then the bench, I thought they’ve been doing a good job."

The Sixers have seven games left in the year before they have no margin for error. While they are in the driver's seat of the East, the Sixers aren't perfect, and there are a few things they can improve on before they reach the playoffs.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.