Joel Embiid has tried to keep the ruse alive — that he was nothing more than a 7-foot couch potato this summer. Embiid says that every day was as easy as a lazy Sunday morning.
His biggest offseason achievement? He laughed and said, “Sleep” on Thursday.
The Philadelphia 76ers franchise center might not have been exaggerating about his desire for some R&R.
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FILE – Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts to a basket during the second period of a NBA basketball game against Chicago Bulls. Embiid is having the best season for a 76ers’ big man since Moses Malone and he has his team atop the Eastern Conference standings headed into the second half of the season.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Embiid has a 2-year-old boy with his Brazilian girlfriend. This can make even the largest of men look good. His long-time personal trainer in Beverly Hills put him through intense workouts this summer.
The personal process was urgent: Embiid is a Cameroonan who holds French citizenship. He was sworn into American citizenship in Philadelphia two weeks earlier.
“I’ve been here for a long time,” Embiid told The Associated Press on Thursday at training camp at The Citadel. My son is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. I thought, “Why not?”
The 28-year old graduated from a Florida highschool and played for a season in Kansas CollegeHe was No. 3 overall before the 76ers selected him. He was ranked 3rd overall in 2014. The obvious question is: Which country could Embiid represent in international basketball? Embiid dispelled speculation by saying it was too early to consider the Olympics or other international tournaments.
He told the AP that he just wants to be healthy, win a championship, and then go from there.
After missing the first two seasons due to injuries, Embiid is still the NBA’s dominant player over the past six years. Embiid was once the icon of load management. His career highs in minutes (68) as well as games (33.8%) made him the most successful player in the league. He also won the NBA scoring title for the first time with 30.6 points. He’s a five-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Denver’s Nikola Jokic in MVP voting.
Joel Embiid is seen looking at the injury to his finger in this photograph taken January 6, 2020. This was taken during an NBA game against Oklahoma City Thunder in Philadelphia. Embiid suffered a fracture to the radial collateral nerve in his ring finger while playing against Oklahoma City in the first quarter Monday night.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Embiid and James Harden, Tyrese Maxiey, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and P.J. Tucker may be the Sixers most potent roster since 2019, and they have a chance to contend for an NBA championship. Coach Doc Rivers, in his third season, knows the scoring load isn’t a democracy — it starts with the Big Man. Even Embiid can still grow.
“It’s just keep getting better at being a teammate and making everybody else better,” Rivers said. “That’s the next step, dominating. James will have the upper hand. Tyrese can dominate. Tobias can have a great game. I think he’s actually doing that right now.”
Embiid averaged 11.7 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists to help the 76ers reach Eastern Conference semifinals for the 2nd consecutive year. Despite playing with an orbital injury, Embiid was able to average 23.6 points per game and 10.7 rebounds over the playoffs. He underwent offseason surgery to repair the injury to his left index and thumb, as well as a procedure for the torn ligament in the right thumb.
Embiid claimed that his thumb was “still not the right”
“You can’t control freak accidents,” Embiid said. “I must keep going. I’m only doing this for 20 years. “I need to make it happen as soon as possible.”
76ER’S MAXEY TYRESE MAXEY CHANGES INTO A STAR PLAYER FOR CHAMPIONSHIP PUTCH
With a commitment to durability, Embiid spent his summer again with trainer Drew Hanlen — an unaffiliated NBA guru for many stars — and watched countless hours of film and worked on techniques that could shore up his deficiencies. Embiid, who was well-known for his addiction to Shirley Temples early in his career, has now worked with sports dietitians and improved his eating habits.
Hanlen confirmed that Embiid has improved his sleeping habits. When he’s awake, Embiid puts in the work.
“We know that teams can’t guard him one-on-one anymore. Hanlen stated by telephone that they must send multiple defenders, and they have to do it quickly. “That’s the biggest thing, we’ve tried to expand his game and grow his game to kind of counter that.”
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers’ center, drives up against Miami Heat centre Bam Adebayo (13), during Game 5 of an NBA second-round playoff series. This was Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Miami.
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Hanlen, Embiid and Dirk Nowitzki have analyzed the film that shows former NBA stars like Hakeem Olajuwan, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. Embiid desired to learn more about these former NBA stars. NBA greats during the playoffsHanlen laughed as Hanlen recalled what he had to give his prized pupil. Embiid kept a list of all made field goals from Nowitzki and other players on his computer. But there was plenty in Embiid’s postseason performance to scrutinize.
“One of the things we saw was that when teams were fronting him and he wasn’t able to catch the ball in favorable spots, he wasn’t able to dominate the game like he did in the regular season,” Hanlen said. “The most important thing we wanted was to find a way that he could counter that and generate his own offense without having rely on play calls or post entries.”
Hanlen wanted Embiid also to feel more at ease driving from the perimeter and finishing around a basket.
Embiid wants everything right now: the ring. The parade. Defensive awards. Sixers fans can have him for years. Embiid’s four-year, $196 million contract extension doesn’t kick in until next season and takes him through 2026-27.
“I feel like there’s a reason why I was fortunate to be the leading scorer last year,” Embiid said. “I feel like I’m good enough to be put in any position to score the ball. At the end of the day, when I get the ball it’s not about me scoring the ball. It’s about me making plays for myself and my teammates.”
Embiid became the face of the 76ers’ rebuilding effort more commonly known as The Process. Joel “The Process”, Embiid is his new nickname. He was originally introduced as playing in Kansas, but he changed it to Cameroon mid-season last year. Embiid’s triple-threat nationality might give PA announcer Matt Cord a mouthful this season.
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“We’re going to say Cameroon, American and French,” Embiid told AP with a laugh.
