NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
If the Philadelphia 76ers want to win a championship this coming season, Joel Embiid and Nick Nurse must adopt the Steve Kerr Olympic approach. This is not about being in good graces with a player, this is about reaching a common goal— winning.
Embiid is the face of the franchise but he’s also the face of a franchise that has not made it out of the second round in 7 consecutive seasons. Something or someone has to change. And as the leader of this team, it has to be him.
Joel Embiid has to ask himself what’s left to accomplish. He’s already led the league in scoring. He already has an MVP Award, and he now has a gold medal. Now he needs to readjust to win the ultimate team prize. He has to look at his team and say, I’ve done more and we still lost, what if I do less?
With the addition of Paul George and the rise of Tyrese Maxey, Embiid can take somewhat of a backseat this season. His numbers will still come. When he’s on, he’s unstoppable. However, if the 2024 Olympics taught him anything, it’s that winning sometimes comes at a cost.
Jayson Tatum just won a championship with the Boston Celtics right before the Olympics and saw limited playing time. Tyrese Haliburton is viewed as one of the best PGs in the NBA and saw limited playing time. But in the end, they walked away with their medal. It wasn’t about playing favorites, Steve Kerr has 9 rings in his collection because he understands what sacrifice is all about. It’s time for Embiid to take that stance.
Can Joel Embiid Be A Leader
Let Maxey cook. Let PG cook. Embiid will get his shots. Last season he averaged 34.7 points on 21.8 shots per game. He also averaged 11.8 Free Throw Attempts per game. If Maxey and George can adjust to one another, the lane will be open for Embiid to operate.
One stat that is not talked about enough with him has been his improvement in moving the ball. Last season, Embiid averaged a career-high in assists with 5.6 per game. With George now in tow, those numbers should increase only if Embiid is willing to step back from the offense and relinquish some control.
Gone are the days when Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant took over an entire series. We saw that with the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals where Luka Doncic wasn’t enough for the balanced attack of the Celtics. Having that one great player is good through the regular season and might get you a few wins in the playoffs, but come that Finals crunch time, help is needed. Daryl Morey has done what he could to place scorers around Embiid, but how will Embiid react to having a player like George?
George, for all his skills still has fallen short of a Finals appearance. He has played with amazing talents but has not reached the goal. The Philadelphia 76ers face an uphill battle this season as a handful of Eastern Conference teams upgraded. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Nurse will have to figure out a way to make everyone happy. All fans want to see are 5 All-Stars on the floor at the same time. Well, that’s not the way the game is designed. One or two stars is enough. The 76ers have three at their disposal. Embiid is the face of this organization but time is running out on his tenure and fans of the Philadelphia 76ers are waiting for a parade. Hell, making it past the 2nd round is not even enough. It’s championship or bust.
To win, everyone has to be on the same page and reaching for the same goal. MVPs are cool as well as scoring titles but the true makeup of a great player is holding that Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season. Joel Embiid is good but he’s not at that great level yet until he learns what it takes to do less to gain more.
