Joel Embiid shares what his Sixers are missing

Apr 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) before game one of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers saw their season come to an end on Thursday night following a Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat.

It was a frustrating loss for the fans, who had high expectations after the team acquired James Harden at the trade deadline. But it was equally as difficult for the players, including Joel Embiid.

The Sixers star, who finished second in NBA MVP, thinks he knows what the 76ers are missing though. Speaking after his team’s loss, Embiid seemed to say his Sixers could use some more toughness, such as a guy like PJ Tucker.

“I mean, we’ve had a few tough guys since I’ve been here. I can recall, whether it was Mike Scott, he didn’t play a lot of minutes, but when you have size and toughness, that goes a long way,” Embiid said.

“You look at someone like P.J. Tucker, great player, but it’s not about him knocking down shots. It’s about what he does. Whether it’s on the defensive or rebounding the ball. You look at defensively, he plays with so much energy, believes that you can get from point A to point B, and he believes that no one can beat him and he’s tough, like he’s just physical and he’s tough. And [the Heat] have a few of those guys, whether it’s Bam [Adebayo] and all those guys.”

The Sixers need those kind of guys. And after being bounced in the second round for the fourth time in five years, you can bet Embiid will push the front office to find them this offseason.