Joel Embiid’s latest knee injury puts Sixers in danger of tumbling down the East standings

Jaden Springer was honest yet optimistic Sunday discussing how the 76ers attempt to “replace” Joel Embiid’s production.

“I mean, you can’t replace Jo,” the reserve guard said after practice. “He’s the MVP. That’s Joel Embiid. But I feel like we’ve all got the same mindset: We’re going to go out there and compete with each other and give it all we got.

“We feel like we’re capable of competing against anybody.”

And what else could Springer say? This was hours before the Sixers announced that Embiid would undergo a procedure on the lateral meniscus on his left knee this week. His recovery timeline could range from weeks to months, depending on what surgeons discover, making it unclear if the NBA’s leading scorer might be able to return in time for the playoffs or if his historic season is over.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid tore his meniscus and is getting surgery. Here’s what you need to know.

Regardless, the Sixers now must move forward without Embiid for an extended period of time — and try to hang on in the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture. That might seem dramatic for a team that entered Monday with a 30-18 record, including a six-game winning streak before Embiid aggravated his knee in a Jan. 25 loss at Indiana.

But the Sixers’ 4-10 mark when Embiid does not play sharply illustrates their difficulty in patching together games — much less weeks — while missing his dominating 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.

During their recent 1-4 road trip, the Sixers quickly slipped from third place to fifth in the tightly packed portion of the East standings. That’s the difference between having home-court advantage in the first round — and in avoiding the top-seeded Boston Celtics’ side of the bracket.

To even reach a second-round matchup against Boston would likely require getting past the red-hot New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers entered Monday 3½ games ahead of the sixth-place Indiana Pacers and four ahead of the seventh-place Orlando Magic, who occupy the highest play-in spot.

And the NBA regular-season schedule is about to stiffen by design, putting showcase matchups after football season and the All-Star break. According to Tankathon, the Sixers had the overall 12th-hardest remaining strength of schedule entering Monday. Milwaukee, with the second, is the only East team with a better record than the Sixers’ listed as having a more difficult schedule.

The Sixers have one more game against the Celtics (Feb. 27 in Boston), two against the Bucks (Feb. 25 in Philadelphia, March 14 in Milwaukee), and three apiece against the Cavaliers (next Monday in Cleveland, March 23 in Philly, March 29 in Cleveland) and the Knicks (Feb. 22 in Philly, and March 10 and 12 in New York).

They also still host the West’s No. 1 team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on April 2, and face the third-place Los Angeles Clippers (and James Harden) twice in a week, on March 24 in Los Angeles and March 27 in Philly.

The Sixers’ recent poor road trip, along with an uncompetitive home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, cannot be attributed fully to Embiid’s absence. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey missed three games with a sprained ankle. Ditto for standout forward Tobias Harris because of two separate illnesses. Fellow starters Nico Batum (hamstring) and De’Anthony Melton (spine) were also out for all or some of those games.

» READ MORE: What are Joel Embiid’s options? A doctor explains how he could approach lateral meniscus surgery.

Still, it’s now on first-year coach Nick Nurse — who has been lauded for his tactical creativity and experimentation — to re-craft schemes that do not require Embiid’s scoring and playmaking on offense, along with rim protection on defense.

Pressure also now turns up on Maxey, who has been terrific in his ascension to lead guard yet inconsistent when Embiid is out and he becomes the top priority on an opponent’s scouting report. Harris must shoulder more of the offensive load, and perhaps use his defensive versatility to guard bigger players.

Even down-the-bench player KJ Martin, who has recently been elevated into legitimate minutes, has emphasized the importance of cutting when Maxey is double-teamed and of remaining active defensively.

Nurse said Saturday before the team’s loss that he wants to cover the 48 minutes at center with Paul Reed, whom the coach stressed must remain a hustle rebounder who generates putbacks and extra possessions, and Mo Bamba, whom Nurse said needs to be a shot-blocker on defense and “caretaker” while getting the ball from one side of the court to the other on offense.

“They do those things,” Nurse said, “but they’re going to kind of have to team up and they’re going to have to cover the 48 minutes here — especially for now. And we need them to do that. We believe that they both can do that, but that’s what they’ve got to focus on and do those things at a high level.

“Anything else they give us is really icing.”

Embiid’s injury timing also adds another layer to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, which was already set to be intriguing given the Sixers’ replenished assets from the early-season Harden trade and potential max salary-cap space available this summer.

Rather than simply sharpening a championship-contending roster or considering a big swing for a third star, however, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey must balance the present and future of this era.

Details about the Sixers’ path forward will emerge following Embiid’s surgery. But to survive this extended period without the reigning MVP — and maintain the optimism that Springer expressed Sunday — the Sixers must figure out how to reverse their struggles when Embiid is off the floor.

Or the slide down the East standings could continue.

“As a team, I feel like we’re pretty confident in where we’re at right now,” Springer said. “We know we’ve got guys in and out, little stuff is popping up. I feel like adversity’s good for us. If we can fight through this, I feel like that’s going to help us [later on down the road], when we’re trying to make a real run for the championship.”