For 76ers star Joel Embiid, his aim this upcoming season is to share the ball as much as possible. Revealing his thoughts on the topic during a chat with reporters, the reigning MVP denounced isolation basketball and explained how important it was for his team to play the right kind of way heading into the 2023-24 season.
“I think I’ve always wanted to play that way,” Embiid said, via The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I never liked just being an iso player. I don’t think that’s the right way to play, and I don’t think that’s the right way to win. So I like the system. It isn’t all about me, like today there were a couple of passes. Guys weren’t expecting it, and I’m telling them, I’m like, ‘When you cut, you got to cut hard. You got to cut to mean it. And you got to be ready to receive the ball.’”
In the modern NBA, going iso has become an increasingly common method for players to rack up points. As the league has become more fast-paced, and deeper in talent all around, it’s become easier for players to find their own shot and look out only for themselves. While Embiid has the ultimate green light to go iso anytime he wants, he’s not one to abuse the strategy and he’ll make it a point to get his teammates more involved this season.
Can Embiid Win Another MVP?
With head coach Nick Nurse in place for Doc Rivers, the 76ers are going to be playing differently next season. Nurse, who led the Raptors to a championship in 2019, emphasizes unselfish play and we’ll be seeing more ball movement than ever in Philly this season. Whatever role Embiid will have in sharing the ball, we know that the offense will run through him in some form.
Since the status of James Harden is still unclear, Joel Embiid will have to rely on the other guys, like Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and Montrezl Harrell to keep their title hopes alive. As the centerpiece of it all, Joel could be primed for his best season yet if he stays healthy and buys into Nick Nurse’s system. Fortunately, he seems more than up for the task after averaging a career-high 4.2 assists per game last season.
76ers Are Falling Behind
Joel Embiid appears more focused than ever heading into this campaign, and there’s no doubt that he can single-handedly carry the 76ers into the postseason. Comparatively, though, the Sixers don’t stack up against the rest of the East. With Giannis and Damian Lillard, the Bucks are set to re-claim their championship status. Meanwhile, in Boston, the Celtics got stronger after adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, which will make it that much harder for the 76ers to beat them in a series next spring.
Sadly, the ongoing war with James Harden has been a huge distraction for the organization and it’s limited what they’ve been able to do this summer. Unless GM Daryl Morey can pull off a miracle here, the 76ers are doomed to take a step back in the East and it could spell the beginning of the end for the famed Philly “process” that’s been in the works for over nine years now.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
