After the Sixers' road comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Joel Embiid had a declaration.

"I think I might just give up on shooting threes myself," Embiid said. "Can't make any as a team. We shot pretty good tonight, but overall, since the season started, it just hasn't been it - starting with me. So yeah, I quit."

Embiid dominated that night against the Pacers, but missed all three of his long-range looks, sinking him to 3-for-17 from beyond the arc for the season. Then came his assertion that he had "quit" shooting threes. And, in his next appearance – Friday's dramatic win over the New York Knicks – Embiid took another four three-point attempts, all misses.

In this week's 5 Sixers thoughts, diving into Embiid's long-range struggles before hitting other topics around the roster and across the NBA:

Joel Embiid's three-point woes

Embiid's comment that he was done shooting threes came with an accompanying grin, because that is the sort of thing Embiid says immediately before doing the opposite. Whether Embiid or people watching enjoy it or not, the former NBA MVP spacing the floor and forcing defenses to respect his ability as an outside shooter is essential for this offense – particularly within the Sixers' star-studded starting lineup.

"I think it's hard to guard when you've got a big that can go out and pop," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Friday. "...It's a lot of game-planning and all that kind of stuff. I think it will open up the driving lanes for some of those other guys."

There are many dynamics that give the Sixers a chance to become a tremendous offense once this entire puzzle comes together. Sheer talent is tops on that list. But the Sixers can get through 48-minute games rarely playing a non-shooter, let alone a poor shooter. That their starting lineup features five players that can do damage from three-point territory is dangerous.

These Sixers do not need Embiid to be Channing Frye, constantly standing 30 feet away from the basket ready to catch and shoot. But when he screens and pops, defenses will often prefer to try bottling up a drive from Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James or VJ Edgecombe.

"I think he's taken, for the most part, good ones," Nurse said. "I can only really remember one maybe that I would be like, 'That one was a little guarded,' because I think most of the time he wants to take them fairly wide open or pretty wide open."

Embiid's three-point shooting percentage has had ebbs and flows throughout his career, and the last two years have been down seasons for him in that respect. But he clearly has more than enough shooting talent to make defenses pay for leaving him open. He has done it many times before.

"I also think he's, like, a great shooter," Nurse said. "I mean, he's a really good shooter. I think if he consistently takes, let's say, four or five per game, then he'll start making a high percentage."

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Dean Wade shines

Because Embiid was resting the night after the win over New York, Dean Wade closed the Sixers' latest come-from-behind victory at center. And the Sixers would not have toppled the Hornets in Charlotte without Wade's tremendous performance. He doubled his previous career-high en route to a 10-assist night, adding five rebounds, two steals, a block and a pair of rare two-point baskets.

That performance came after a unique spot start against the Knicks. Wade played 27 minutes and did not even attempt a single shot. But...

"It felt like he was everywhere," Maxey said, "right?"

Yes, it did. Wade had three steals in that game, but also did an outstanding job as a one-on-one defender. His best work came shutting down OG Anunoby, but he also got cracks at superstar point guard Jalen Brunson and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Therein lies the value of Wade.

"He’s great. He’s great, man," Maxey said. "He’s been great, though. He’s in the position where some nights he’ll start, some nights he won’t start, some nights he’ll play five, some nights he’ll guard Jalen Brunson, he’ll guard KAT. He’s – I love Dean Wade."

Wade's heroics were less subtle on Saturday; late in the game he pulled down a contested offensive rebound and immediately assisted a huge Anfernee Simons triple, then came up with a critical block. But his ability to find space in the middle of the floor to create passing lanes for stars and then make the proper decision with the ball was a constant all night.

"One surprising thing for me is I didn’t know he was such a good cutter," Nurse said on Wednesday. "IQ [on] offense, of where to be and when to cut and where to get in the right positions a lot. I don’t know why I didn’t know that, but I guess he’s just been really available as a cutter for us. So maybe it just shows itself a little bit more with this group for some reason, as well. But that’s been a surprise – a pleasant surprise."

Caleb Love talks two-way life

Caleb Love would be the best two-way player on most NBA teams, but the Sixers' loaded mix of on-ball players – built in part after he signed – has made it challenging to envision the 25-year-old cracking the rotation. He has been active for six of the team's seven games so far. Before his lone inactive game on Wednesday in Indianapolis, Love spoke with PhillyVoice about how he is navigating two-way life and more.

How does Love find ways to get better when he does not get to play?

"I think first and foremost, just keeping my mind right, trusting God, that my time will come," Love said. "And then obviously just staying in the gym, getting extra work in, trying to stay sharp. Because when my number is called, I want to be ready."

Last season, Love became a critical contributor for the Portland Trail Blazers, but ran out of available days on his two-way contract and was not converted to a standard deal. But he said he will try to avoid focusing on the days as they dwindle – Love has 44 of his 50 games remaining as of now – and just focus on the task at hand each day.

"I just take every day as what it is," Love said. "Try to be where my feet at. I can't really control me playing or not. What I can control is me putting the work in, coming in, being a professional each and every day, giving the guys energy and things like that."

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Tacko Fall time?

The Sixers' third and final two-way contract, in a surprise to many, went to Tacko Fall, the 7-foot-6 center initially signed to an Exhibit 10 contract. Fall suffered a hip injury right after training camp started and was not cleared to play until Saturday, when he dressed for the first time with the Sixers but did not get into the game.

In the wake of Ariel Hukporti's season-ending torn Achilles and a slew of other frontcourt ailments, the Sixers badly needed their third two-way player to be a big. Fall is certainly that. But how would Nurse actually use him in a game given his mobility limitations?

"Did get to see a good chunk of him prior to kind of the injury," Nurse said. "How I plan on using him probably remains to be seen. But kind of was intrigued and liked what I saw in the fall, so we’ll see what happens."

If the Sixers are committed to rostering Fall, they should probably give him a chance to play center at some point when Embiid misses another game. The only other true center on the roster is the struggling Adem Bona. The Sixers have a handful of small-ball options, and the returning Jabari Walker should be firmly in the mix to play the five with regularity.

As he was in his brief NBA stops prior, Fall can be a gimmick sort of player for the Sixers. He can guard an end-of-shot-clock inbounds pass, for example, or come in to try to rebound a missed free throw on either end of the court. But do the Sixers see a pathway for him to play real minutes? If so, they should try to establish some proof of concept.

Injuries piling up around the NBA

The top story of the 2026-27 NBA season, unfortunately, has been a swath of injuries to high-profile stars.

On Wednesday, the Sixers missed Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. On Saturday, they missed Kon Knueppel and Coby White. Last week, they faced the Detroit Pistons without having to go up against Jalen Duren.

Injuries have ravaged the Oklahoma City Thunder; Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace could miss the entire season and Chet Holmgren will miss multiple months. Anthony Edwards is out for months, too, and Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined for at least the first matchup of the year between the Sixers and Toronto Raptors due to knee swelling. Jaren Jackson Jr. has a torn MCL; Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs both have long-term injuries for the Orlando Magic.

What do the Sixers make of all of this? A few addressed the issue in Indianapolis.

Nurse: "As a coach, we certainly want our guys out there. We want them to play. And we've got to coach the guys that are available. We've got to coach against the guys that are available on the other team."

Maxey: "I hate seeing guys hurt. I texted both of them, Hali and Ant. Telling them I was praying for them and I want to see them play. I'm a big fan of Hali, big fan of Ant. I like watching those guys play when I'm not playing. So I think for me, it's just trying to take care of my body. And as a team as a whole, we've been blessed to be decently healthy right now. Not fully healthy, but definitely decently healthy. And we're trying to get guys back and trying to get into the swing of things. But it's the NBA, man. It's a grueling season, you know what I'm saying? And being healthy is a part of being a good team."

Embiid: "It's all up to God. All we've got to do is pray."

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