Joel Embiid: The Process Is Here

By: Joe Cardoso

This new generation of sports fan HATES waiting and that is a fact. Gone is the day of drafting a quarterback and having him sit and learn behind the old vet, the rookie point guard learning the ropes from the old reliable one. Oh, no way we want results and we want them fast, give us YouTube-worthy dunks, plays that get us the most Instagram likes and Facebook shares. So, when ex-Philadelphia 76ers GM Sam Hinkie started his “trust the process” movement Philly hoops fans wanted no part of it and it was tough to watch, and I mean TOUGH. With the third pick in the 2014 draft, they selected Joel Embiid out of the University of Kansas. Coming off a college career that ended in injury but when he was on the court for the Jayhawks he was a solid player with a huge upside.

The 76ers sat him his rookie season with a broken bone in his foot and the rumblings started was he a bust? Greg Oden 2.0? An x-ray showed he had a setback in recovery and he missed all his would be second season as well. NOW the talk was getting hot the team was horrible and drafted other big men in Nerleans Noel and Jahlil Okafor. What was behind those selections? Was the process broken? And would we ever see the promise from Embiid we saw at Kansas?

This season things have come full circle for the rookie, he has had a major impact on the team and become a fan favorite league wide. Even with his minutes being limited he is a game changer and has some help coming in the form of this year’s number one pick Ben Simmons.

19.7 Points Per Game
7.7 rebounds
2.4 Blocks
78% from the line
2.0 Assists per game

His game is still a work in progress but from his mid-range jumper and ever expanding post game, you can see he puts in the work.

PHILADELPHIA,PA – OCTOBER 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against Oklahoma City Thunder during game at the Wells Fargo Center on October 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

If you follow ONE professional athlete on social media, make it Embiid. At age 22 the sky is the limit for the kid and he is making a once joke of a franchise into a positive talking point. Now don’t get me wrong the Sixers are not a championship team but they are fun to watch and have a bright future. Sometimes when you want to have the best meal you should wait and trust the process.