By all means, Joel Embiid‘s NBA career has been a resounding success after bursting onto the scene in 2016 after missing his first two seasons with injury. He’s won MVP, received All-Star nominations, has an Olympic gold medal and, as Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes, over $500MM in career earnings.
However, Embiid has never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure with the Sixers. From 2017-23, Embiid’s teams went to the second round in six of seven seasons, but never advanced past. Teams like the 2019 iteration of the Sixers gave it their all but lost to the eventual champs. Other years, like in 2021 against the Hawks, the Sixers probably should’ve advanced on paper.
Regardless of the fact that teams like the reigning champion Celtics or the new-look Knicks stand in their way, Embiid is more than ready to add a championship to his resume, Mannix writes. At nearly 31 years old, he’s feeling the urgency to win now. After several injuries that have impacted him in the playoffs, Embiid’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get to the playoffs in a healthy and dominant state.
“Basically every single year of my career, I’ve been hurting in the playoffs,” Embiid said, after explaining that back-to-backs would be phased out for him this season. “So I think that’s the goal. And it is all about doing whatever it takes to get there.”
While the Sixers made plenty of strong moves this offseason, including adding Paul George and Caleb Martin, they all understand they’re an aging roster. While the championship window may be overall limited, Embiid is excited by the success he sustained this summer with the Olympic team, per Mannix, and he’s hoping to build on that feeling this season.
We have more from the Sixers:
- On the note of staying healthy, Embiid knows the medical staff will tell him to ease off more than he would like this season, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. He understands that’s what he will need to do if he wants to make the postseason and stay there. “They know that if they have to punch me, slap me, take my stuff away from me [to] not to get on that court, they’re going to have to do it,” Embiid said. “I might get mad, I might curse people out, but I think it’s a relationship. We’ve been working together for years now. Now I look at the big picture, and I’ve always listened to them, but now it’s even more of the time where I should listen and see what they have to say.” According to Embiid, he’s already lost 25-30 pounds before the season and is aiming to lose more in accordance with his conditioning.
- Tyrese Maxey has consistently improved over the course of his four years in the NBA, but he’s now added muscle and is sounding different thus far in training camp, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Maxey is sounding more like a veteran leader this training camp, which has included closely mentoring 2024 draftees Jared McCain and Adem Bona. All three went out together for dinner, Pompey adds. “I lead by example now,” Maxey said. “I get up early and work out early in the morning before practice. And I like to win. I want to win. I know how things work around here. I’m just trying to be what’s demanded and make us be more dominant.“
- The Sixers spent the 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft on McCain, a sweet-shooting guard prospect out of Duke. While he’s only 20 years old, he’s already impressing teammates in camp. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), Embiid called McCain the team’s best player in training camp so far, making a point to highlight his competitiveness and shooting. McCain averaged 14.3 points and shot 41.4% from three in his first and only college season. He’ll face competition for minutes from veterans Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson.
- Former first round pick Guerschon Yabusele turned heads during the 2024 Olympics due to his play for France. Although he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019, the Sixers are planning on the 6’8″ forward to make an impact off the bench as a high-energy reserve who can make hustle plays and hit the occasional deep shot. “Yabusele was a great pickup just from when you are looking at the whole roster all summer long,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “You are kind of thinking, ‘Where is a need there?’ And I think there was probably a need at the four spot, and that’s what he is.” According to Pompey in a separate story, Nurse said Yabusele will get a shot at real rotation minutes.
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