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Sixers pumped up with Embiid, 'flat' without him

ATLANTA - It's obvious why fan interest in the 76ers shrinks when Joel Embiid doesn't play. In games he starts, the Sixers are an exciting team, capable of upsetting most squads in the Eastern Conference. There's no quit in the scrappy group, which plays with a swagger when the rookie center is on the court.

ATLANTA - It's obvious why fan interest in the 76ers shrinks when Joel Embiid doesn't play.

In games he starts, the Sixers are an exciting team, capable of upsetting most squads in the Eastern Conference. There's no quit in the scrappy group, which plays with a swagger when the rookie center is on the court.

When Embiid doesn't play, the Sixers look like a squad tanking for a fourth consecutive season. The ball movement is awful. The rotations are, at times, mind-boggling. And the defense has allowed teams to run a layup line.

Following a 110-93 setback to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at Philips Arena, the Sixers (15-27) dropped to 2-10 with three straight losses in games without Embiid. In those three contests, they lost by an average of 16.6 points.

"It is a little flat," Nerlens Noel said of the team's play without Embiid. "I think guys can do a better job of just bringing energy, the whole team, period.

"I think guys have got to know when you come into this game without Joel, things are a little different."

In those instances, the Sixers don't play through the post as much. It's more pick-and-rolls. The Sixers' offense relies on fluid basketball.

"So it's a tough little adjustment to go from," Noel said, "but you've got to do it."

Without the rookie center, the Sixers score 96.7 points a game and give up 106.5. Opponents shoot 47.3 percent overall and 39.2 percent on threes.

But in games in which Embiid has started, the Sixers are 13-17 and have won six straight games and eight of nine. They average 100 points and surrender 104 in those games. Opponents shoot 43.9 percent overall and 34.1 percent on three-pointers.

The 7-foot-2 Embiid was sidelined for one game with inflammation of his right elbow. He also was held out of another for rest. But the other missed games were scheduled off days in back-to-back situations.

The Sixers decided to carefully manage Embiid's workload and the stress on his right foot during games and practices. He sat out the previous two seasons after surgeries to repair his navicular bone. Not having Embiid play on back-to-back nights lessens the stress on the foot

The Sixers were unsure this weekend about Embiid's availability for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center. He suffered a left knee contusion in Friday's victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.

But the Sixers need to figure out how to play without the rookie of the year favorite, considering that they have nine back-to-back situations remaining.

"We just rely on playing with just Joel," starting point guard T.J. McConnell said. "He's not going to play on back-to-backs for this year. That comes with time. When you are inserting new guys in the lineup, it's hard sometimes, but we will figure it out."

Jahlil Okafor, who has been the third-string center, has started the last two games which Embiid has missed, with Noel continuing his role of coming off the bench. Okafor did not leave the bench in the six of the last seven games in which Embiid played. In the one game he did play, Okafor was Embiid's backup because Noel was sidelined with an ankle injury.

Okafor cannot protect the rim the way Embiid and Noel do.

Sergio Rodriguez, the Sixers' backup point guard, did not see any action Saturday. Coach Brett Brown said the decision was made to get rookie swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot more minutes in Embiid's absence. Nik Stauskas, the starting shooting guard, moved to backup point guard when paired with Luwawu-Cabarrot and the second team. The only problem was that the Sixers struggled to score with Stauskas leading the team.

"It's just something we are going to have to figure out as a unit," starting small forward Robert Covington said of improving the team's play without Embiid. "It's just a matter of coming together and figuring it out as a team."

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/Sixersblog