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Screw Caution, It’s Time to Get Pumped about Joel Embiid
By Jim Adair
Published:
I have no use for your cautious optimism, it’s time to go all in: Brett Brown told Anthony Gargano this morning that there are “no red flags anywhere” around Joel Embiid, so it’s time to throw reason and concern out the window and get rock hard about JoJo.
“Embiid is well and truly on track, there are no red flags anywhere. None of us should be afraid right now, we’re very proud of him” -Brett
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) August 22, 2016
It’s the news we’ve waited to hear for years. Gone are the qualifiers of “IF he’s healthy” and “IF he can ever play.” Now it’s just “if he plays to a level even close to his potential,” Joel Embiid can be great. Just last week, all-time NBA great Brian Scalabrine said Embiid will be better than Karl Anthony Towns in two years. Charles Barkley previously said that the Sixers can be a playoff team this year with a healthy Embiid. Both of those predictions might be overly optimistic, but with Brett Brown’s “no red flags” report, we have to stop talking about Embiid like he’s wrapped in bubble wrap, yet to be taken off of the shelf and start talking about him like a player who is going to contribute (all while keeping our butts clenched out of fear and anxiety every time he lands awkwardly).
He’s still unproven and he’s still got a ways to go, but it’s time to reverse the 80/20 “If he’s healthy”/”he’ll be good” split. Get excited now, before the inevitable comedown.
When he's not writing about sports here or ranting about them on Twitter, Jim is probably watching X-Files on Netflix or drinking a beer somewhere. Jim has nothing against hockey, it's just not his style. He once met Duce Staley at a Sixers game.