Ad Disclosure
Joel Embiid is Not Done Dominating Yet
By Sean Barnard
Published:
There has been a growing minority in Sixers’ fan base that has become increasingly impatient with Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia tenure. He has spent 12 seasons with the organization, 10 of which he has played, and embodied a polarizing era as the self-proclaimed face of “The Process.”
But Embiid also carries some symbolism for the Sixers failure to get past the second round across all the iterations of this roster. He has been the constant for an organization consistently in flux, with general managers, coaches, and teammates cycling around him.
A new wave of motivation to move on from Embiid was sparked this summer triggered by the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. Philadelphia looked to be trending toward just allowing the Embiid and Paul George contracts to drift off the books as the organizational hierarchy started to be handed to the dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. But Mike Gansey and the front office pulled off the spectacular, flipping the 36-year-old George in a deal that stole Brown from the rival Celtics and making a major impact in luring James to Philadelphia in the process.
This shifted the motivation to move on from Embiid to be a bit less emotional and bit more strategic. The organization no longer lives and dies with the performance of the former MVP. There is more talent on the collective roster than ever before, including multiple stars that are capable of headlining the offensive attack.
As the laundry list of injury issues stacked up across his career, Embiid’s mobility and defensive impact regressed. The two-time scoring champion is still capable of serving as the engine of an effective offense, but this is no longer the most desirable skillset that he could bring to the table. Speculation has grown around whether Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis could become a trade target to reunite with James in pursuit of another championship. Others have pushed for the Sixers to explore moving Embiid’s contract in exchange for a high-level rebounding and shot-blocking center, along with greater financial flexibility moving forward.
But with the season now on the horizon, it’s becoming clear that Embiid intends to see through the era he started, and the Sixers are better off because of it.
The 32-year-old did himself no favors in his preseason debut. Sharing the floor with his new star-studded teammates, Embiid turned the ball over eight times and managed just six points on 1-for-5 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets. But as bad as he looked in the preseason opener, he looked just as good in the second outing. In the final dress rehearsal, Embiid diced up the Boston Celtics for 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while shooting an efficient 7-for-13 from the field.
Sure, you can throw the obvious caveat that the Celtics were resting their key players. A Boston starting lineup of Hayden Gray, Milos Uzan, Chris Cenac Jr., Tucker DeVries, and Gabe McGlothan does not exactly inspire fear into an opponent. But the takeaways should be much more about the way that Embiid moved and was willing to push himself physically. Especially given the preseason setting, this is the biggest takeaway at this stage of the year.
This fake dribble handoff, followed by a cut down the lane and a forceful dunk, looked like something straight from his 2018-19 highlight reel:
In the first clip below, you can see Embiid tags a roller before rotating out to the corner three-point line. After initially getting beat by a jab step, the three-time All-Defensive team member is able to recover for a block at the rim against 6-foot-6 explosive forward Jordan Walsh:
The eye test also suggests that Embiid put significant work into his body this offseason. He is reportedly down to his rookie-year weight and looks noticeably slimmer on the court than he has in recent years. The full effects remain to be seen, but reducing the weight his knees and lower body must support can only help his chances of staying on the floor throughout the season. It should also improve his mobility and allow him to make a greater impact defensively.
There are going to be growing pains for Embiid and this Sixers team alike in the early parts of the season. But the top-end version of what he can bring to the table is miles above what any potential alternative could be. He likely will never return to the level in which he had a case for the best defensive player in the league as was the case in the early stages of his career. But being a net positive on this end of the floor, and contributing to one of the best offenses in the league can still be the blueprint for Philadelphia reaching their championship goals.
Embiid has endured turbulent and dark times with this franchise, and his impact on the team’s outlook this season is far more than a footnote. The former MVP, two-time scoring champion, and seven-time All-Star arguably has more to gain from a legacy standpoint than anyone else on this Sixers roster. He is not done dominating just yet.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.