Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers finished their preseason, going 4-0 after a 99-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. This would be great news for anybody else, but people within the organization don’t think they are in the right place to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
With all the additions they brought up in the summer, the Sixers looked ready to take over the league and win that elusive NBA championship next year. But, things aren’t going as smoothly as they’d like and their superstar has been very vocal about this.
Joel Embiid doesn’t think the Sixers are right where they want to be ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, saying that they’re not a championship team at this very moment.
Joel Embiid Doesn’t Think Philadelphia 76ers Can Win A Title Right Now
Following the game against the Hornets, Embiid had a big assessment of his team and where they stand right now. The big man doesn’t think they’re there just yet but admits that things can get better for them.
“We got a long way to go,” said Embiid. “We’re not where we want to. Obviously, new guys, basically a new team so it’s gonna take a while for everybody to get on the same page. I think we got a good foundation to build on it and get better every single day.”
He added that they need to do better on defense and try to stay focused throughout the entire game.
“Defensively, obviously, we have our moments, but we need to be solid throughout the whole game,” Embiid explained. “Then offensively, keep moving the ball, getting guys open, me doing my thing, James (Harden) getting everybody shots all around, but it all goes back to ball movement and defensively, just gotta be on for 48 minutes.”
The Sixers will need to make these adjustments quickly, as they have a big schedule to start the season. If they survive these games, it will be a good signal that they are on the right track in a season where they are championship candidates.
“We got a tough schedule that’s gonna get us ready,” the big fella added. “We like the challenge and, like I said, there’s gonna be a bunch of different schemes and different teams that play differently. You look at Charlotte, whether they play drop defense and we’re gonna play Toronto that switches everything so it becomes harder to run pick-and-roll offense. We’re gonna play Boston that kinda does the same thing so I’m just excited to see how we look and what we can learn from each team every single night.”
The 76ers are a dangerous team, especially after making some signings that will lift their level in the postseason. After the Ben Simmons drama is over, this team can focus on competing and nothing else. Embiid will be ready to carry the load, while other stars like James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris will be ready to help him.
