Fansided

NBA Power Rankings: The Boston Celtics are back, baby

By Ian Levy

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 6: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Boston Celtics looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at TD Garden on December 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 6: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Boston Celtics looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at TD Garden on December 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 16
Next
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 05: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 05: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Previous: 7th. Philadelphia 76ers. 12. team. 93. . 19-9

The 76ers have kept winning but the margins are tightening and the fact that Joel Embiid has expressed frustration with changes to his role since the Jimmy Butler trade isn’t encouraging, particularly when you consider how things ended for Butler in Minnesota and how much his poor relationship with Karl-Anthony Towns seemed to feature.

Embiid highlighted the amount of time he was spending on the perimeter as his biggest frustration, but he’s actually averaging more post touches since the trade, 8.8 per game compared to 7.1. That’s obviously just one data point, but this may be more a matter of feel and perception than a functional difference. If Embiid can manage this change, it may turn out to be a better scenario for both him and the team.

Home/NBA