NFL
Here we go again. The moment a team goes through some sort of struggle, the media smells blood. The Philadelphia 76ers are not where most analysts and fans figured they would be and are beginning to wonder if the team needs a fresh start. What they’re really asking is who should be traded, Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid?
Each season, teams hit the trade deadline and offseason searching for the perfect amount of chemistry that it takes to win a championship. Often times, they miss. However, there are exceptions where you can see the greatness coming but it just takes time. This is what the 76ers have with the Simmons and Embiid pairing. Just think, for all they have accomplished, they’ve only played two full seasons together. Let that sink in.
Look how long it took the Golden State Warriors to get their title as a unit. As great as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were as a duo, they never won a title. The same goes for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. And to go back farther, how many years before Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won theirs?
Is there really an issue between the two players or is this another media-related scenario? The Los Angeles Lakers were too focused on their brand that they never took time to figure out what exactly went wrong with their two superstars. Shaq and Kobe put the Lakers back on the map after the Magic Johnson and Showtime Era and won three of four championships they played in as a unit. Then it all fell apart.
To be honest, the writing was on the wall well before the series against the Detroit Pistons but that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But it didn’t have to come to that. All it took was some communication and neither player, Phil Jackson or the front office was willing to put in the amount of work it took to remedy the situation.
Years later, it took an emotional sitdown for the players to admit they were wrong. There is no need for this to happen to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with whatever the issue may be. Both players have their money and should be dedicated for the long haul with each other. Why trade the last two players standing from the “Trust The Process” era because the media is trying to make a name for themselves and cause the team to make a move they’re not prepared to make? Shaq and Kobe’s breakup hurt not only the Lakers but a dynasty as well.
Winning takes time. This is not the same era where teams stayed together for 4+years. Free Agency rules the NBA and no team is immune to breakups. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have been on the floor together for 2.5 years and each year the Philadelphia 76ers keep climbing the ladder. It’s only a matter of time before the right pieces are around in order to make that leap.
Last season, they came extremely close. A buzzer-beater shot by Kawhi Leanard pretty much stopped the 76ers from winning a championship. What’s the point of going through those dark years only to grab two of the best players in the NBA and watch them part ways due to the media’s influence? While they have been dismissed from the playoffs in the second round the last two years and have struggled this year, it’s all a learning process.
The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have ruled the NBA the last few years and that’s due to their front office putting the right players with their stars. This is what Elton Brand must figure out. Division titles are nothing these days. First-round wins are easy, however, it’s that step Simmons and Embiid crave. If they can make it to the NBA Finals this season, it changes everything. Free Agents will be pulled to the City of Brotherly Love just to play with this dynamic duo.
