Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers face many challenges in the upcoming 2021/22 NBA season. Amid the Ben Simmons saga, the team needs to focus on the next campaign, where they’ll try to bounce back and have a deep playoff run in the stacked Eastern Conference.
Embiid is ready to lead this team after a 2020/21 season where he finished second in the MVP voting. The big man is looking for revenge, and even if Simmons doesn’t return to the squad, the player will try to carry the squad as far as possible.
His goals for the future are pretty straightforward: he wants to become the Defensive Player of the Year while helping the Sixers compete in the East.
“As I mentioned in the past, I have aspirations to become the Defensive Player of the Year,” Embiid said, via The Philadelphia Inquirer. “For me, personally, I just got to be more active. It’s hard to do because, offensively, I’m also asked to do a lot. And I don’t mind.
“I love carrying the team on both ends. And I think that’s what probably makes me special.”
Further, Embiid made it clear that he will try his best and prove his value on the defensive end regardless of who is on the court with him.
“I’ve always believed that, and you can look at the advanced numbers and defensive metrics and all that stuff, it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor with me,” he said. “I’ve always been able to be the anchor of the defense.”
This upcoming season will be a challenging one for the Cameroonian and his team. Still, he has repeatedly stated he wants to win the DPOY and prove that he can be a two-way threat in the association.
