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Sixers All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons believe they have all the parts for a championship.
Imagine sitting on the floor staring at video game controllers discussing how you want to dominate the NBA. This is the scene that popular NBA coach Drew Hanlen recently filmed in an ESPN cover story about Joel Embiid, the star of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The two were planning world domination in Embiid’s cramped Philadelphia apartment back in 2014 Basketball. The then rookie center refused to buy a couch, so the player and coach sat on the « bloody floor » planning how Embiid would become one of the greatest players of all time. Hanlen said he recorded these early sessions to later use as motivation and accountability. Wow, being a fly on that wall.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne takes us back to a more innocent time when Embiid pinched pennies on a rookie deal that gave him $ 4.4 million in the first year paid. The Cameroonian had just rehabilitated himself from an operation on his broken right foot, so the future was very unclear.
In the first year of their collaboration, Hanlen asked Embiid if he could record his career goals. He knew he would use them for motivation and accountability, but also to remind Embiid where to start.
Embiid was a little thinner than now. He lived alone in an apartment where the only signs of life were some worn out video game controllers.
« He didn’t even have a couch at the time because he’s a cheap ass, so we’re sitting on the fucking floor and talk about how he wants to be one of the greatest of all time, « says Hanlen. « That was before he ever played a game. »
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Now Embiid is arguably the best player in the league. He would undoubtedly be MVP’s first choice if a knee injury – « My season is over, » Embiid recalled – didn’t keep him missing out on 19 games. The 7-footer could still win the award over Nikola Jokic, but he’s doing fine either way. Embiid has much bigger goals this year.
« When we got into the season, our goal was to win the championship, » Embiid told reporters on April 28th. But we have everything we need to make it happen. “
Another notable topic was Embiid’s desire for a“ clean run ”of the three top NBA prizes: All-Star MVP, NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP. He missed the first after his barber tested positive for COVID-19 before the Atlanta All-Star game in March. Embiid did not contract the virus, but was sent home on a private flight and asked to be quarantined anyway.
« Nobody does anything alone. I think it would make the entire locker room feel good. “
And he’s likely to miss MVP after a cracked knee caused him to miss a quarter of the season. NBA Finals MVP? Well, that stays in focus and the main goal.
« This season Joel wanted a clean overview of MVPs, » Hanlen told ESPN. « He wanted to win the regular season MVP, he wanted to win the All-Star MVP, and he wanted to win the MVP of the Finals. »
The Sixers are just one win away from being number 1 in the Eastern Conference. It’s a formality with three games remaining, just a matter of when. All roads to the NBA final have to go through Philadelphia, and Embiid likes those opportunities. « We have a chance to win a championship this year, » said Embiid. « We have a chance. »
Embiid had to suspend the loss on Tuesday night due to an unknown disease (not COVID-19) and was classified as questionable in Thursday’s injury report for the same reason. There’s a good chance the Sixers will face the Miami Heat without their big all-star man. This isn’t the worst thing in the world for a team looking to win a title. Embiid has to be 100% healthy for the playoffs for the extra calm to be in order.
Philadelphia also listed sophomore Matisse Thybulle as questionable because of an injury to the Detroit Pistons on May 8th left hand. There will be consecutive absences for Thybulle if he doesn’t leave.
Meanwhile, guards Furkan Korkmaz (ankle) and Shake Milton (knee) are « likely » to be playing in South Beach. Both players trained on Thursday and gave each other a clean health certificate. The Sixers have three more games on their schedule before closing the regular season on May 16.
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