Joel Embiid has tried to maintain the ruse alive — that he was nothing greater than a 7-foot sofa potato this summer time. To listen to Embiid inform it, every single day was straightforward like a lazy Sunday morning.
His greatest offseason accomplishment? “Sleep,” he mentioned with amusing Thursday.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ franchise heart may not have been exaggerating about his need for some R&R.
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FILE – On this Feb. 19, 2021, file picture, Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid reacts after making a basket in the course of the second half of an NBA basketball recreation towards the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia. Embiid is having one of the best season for a 76ers’ massive man since Moses Malone and he has his crew atop the Jap Convention standings headed into the second half of the season.
(AP Picture/Matt Slocum, File)
Embiid and his Brazilian girlfriend share a 2-year-old son. That may tucker out even the largest of massive males. He was put by way of rigorous exercises this summer time by his long-time private coach in Beverly Hills.
And there was a urgent private course of: A local of Cameroon who additionally holds French citizenship, Embiid was sworn in two weeks in the past in Philadelphia as an American citizen.
“I’ve been right here for a very long time,” Embiid informed The Related Press on Thursday at coaching camp at The Citadel. “My son is American. I felt like, I’m residing right here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I mentioned, why not?”
The 28-year-old graduated from a Florida highschool and performed a season in school at Kansas earlier than the 76ers drafted him No. 3 total in 2014. The pure query raised is, which nation might Embiid doubtlessly characterize in worldwide basketball? Embiid defused hypothesis and mentioned it was means too early to consider the Olympics or different worldwide tournaments.
“I simply need to be wholesome and win a championship and go from there,” he informed the AP.
After lacking his first two seasons with accidents, Embiid has been each bit the dominant drive within the NBA over the previous six seasons. As soon as the poster little one for load administration, Embiid set profession highs in video games (68) and minutes (33.8 common) and his 30.6 factors made him the primary worldwide participant ever to win an NBA scoring title. He’s a five-time All-Star and was runner-up every of the final two seasons to Denver’s Nikola Jokic in MVP voting.
On this picture taken Jan. 6, 2020, Joel Embiid appears at his injured finger throughout an NBA basketball recreation towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in Philadelphia. Embiid injured the radial collateral ligament within the ring finger within the first half Monday evening towards Oklahoma Metropolis.
(AP Picture/Matt Slocum)
Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker would possibly type the Sixers’ most potent lineup since 2019 and so they have a professional shot at contending for an NBA championship. Coach Doc Rivers, in his third season, is aware of the scoring load isn’t a democracy — it begins with the Massive Man. And even Embiid has room to develop.
“It’s simply hold getting higher at being a teammate and making all people else higher,” Rivers mentioned. “That’s the following step, dominating. Giving room for James to dominate. Giving room for Tyrese to dominate. Giving room for Tobias to have an amazing recreation. I feel he’s truly doing that proper now.”
Embiid additionally averaged 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in serving to the 76ers attain the Jap Convention semifinals for the second straight 12 months. Embiid averaged 23.6 factors and 10.7 rebounds within the postseason regardless of taking part in with an orbital fracture. He had offseason surgical procedure to restore the torn ligament in his proper thumb suffered within the playoffs and a process to restore an harm to his left index finger.
Embiid mentioned his thumb “remains to be not the identical.”
“You’ll be able to’t management freak accidents,” Embiid mentioned. “I have to carry on going. I’m solely doing this for 20 years. I have to get all of it in whereas I can.”
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With a dedication to sturdiness, Embiid spent his summer time once more with coach Drew Hanlen — an unaffiliated NBA guru for a lot of stars — and watched numerous hours of movie and labored on strategies that might shore up his deficiencies. Embiid was recognized early in his profession for sucking down Shirley Temples however has labored with sports activities dietitians to develop more healthy consuming habits and streamlined his exercises.
And sure, Hanlen mentioned, Embiid does have improved sleeping habits. When he’s awake, Embiid places within the work.
“We all know that groups can’t guard him one-on-one anymore. They need to ship a number of defenders and so they need to ship them quick,” Hanlen mentioned by telephone. “That’s the largest factor, we’ve tried to increase his recreation and develop his recreation to type of counter that.”
Philadelphia 76ers heart Joel Embiid (21) drives up towards Miami Warmth heart Bam Adebayo (13) in the course of the first half of Recreation 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff sequence, Tuesday, Could 10, 2022, in Miami.
(AP Picture/Wilfredo Lee)
Hanlen and Embiid have analyzed movie on the NBA careers of former stars comparable to Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwan and Dirk Nowitzki. When Embiid wished to check extra of these NBA greats in the course of the playoffs, Hanlen laughed as he recalled that was nothing extra he might give his prized pupil. Embiid had each single made discipline purpose from Nowitzki and others on a folder on his pc. However there was a lot in Embiid’s postseason efficiency to scrutinize.
“One of many issues we noticed was that when groups had been fronting him and he wasn’t in a position to catch the ball in favorable spots, he wasn’t in a position to dominate the sport like he did within the common season,” Hanlen mentioned. “The most important factor we wished to do was discover a method to counter that so he might generate his personal offense with out having to depend on publish entries and play calls.”
Hanlen additionally wished Embiid to “really feel extra comfy driving from the perimeter and end across the basket.”
Embiid desires all of it now: the ring, the parade, the MVP, defensive awards. Sixers followers can take pleasure in him for years. Embiid’s four-year, $196 million contract extension doesn’t kick in till subsequent season and takes him by way of 2026-27.
“I really feel like there’s a cause why I used to be lucky to be the main scorer final 12 months,” Embiid mentioned. “I really feel like I’m adequate to be put in any place to attain the ball. On the finish of the day, after I get the ball it’s not about me scoring the ball. It’s about me making performs for myself and my teammates.”
Embiid turned the face of the 76ers’ rebuilding effort extra generally often called The Course of. He embraced the nickname and is launched earlier than each house recreation as Joel “The Course of” Embiid. He was additionally launched as taking part in out of Kansas till he switched it to Cameroon round midseason final 12 months. Embiid’s triple-threat nationality would possibly give PA announcer Matt Wire a mouthful this season.
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“We’re going to say Cameroon, American and French,” Embiid informed AP with amusing.