I’m Not Fully Onboard With Joel Embiid The Olympian

Joel Embiid as an American Olympic team member should be a reason for great civic pride. If you are a 76ers fan or have lived in a hole for the past decade that would be the only reasonable response.

If you look at it objectively, there are many reasons to be skeptical. Let’s try to be reasonable about this discussion because that is always the norm here in Philadelphia sports. This won’t be popular but will contain a lot of factual discourse.

I’ve heard from very knowledgeable basketball people that I respect (damn you Bob Cooney) that the level of competition on the Olympic stage will help him in his future NBA seasons.

I am willing to agree that in theory that makes sense. Logically though, it could create a whole different level of frustration for 76ers fans. Yes, Joel Embiid could end up being a better player going forward because of what he experiences. He could also end up hobbled.

Imagine having to push yourself to keep up with the greatest competition on a pressure-packed stage. What if that leads to a recurrence of a past injury or a new one? We will all regret his decision to play if that happens.

Over the course of every 82 game regular season, Joel Embiid has suffered many injuries that have caused him to miss considerable time. He’s also a guy who plays in games during those schedules when he’s banged up and struggling to perform.

Then we throw in the “nights off” that the 76ers medical staff believes are necessary to see him operating at peak efficiency.

If that is truly the case, why would anyone advocate for him to get less rest, more workload, and greater injury risk? I wonder if he will play in every game or take some games off? That would make sense if the 76ers plan is a solid one.

If he has a different plan as an Olympian I’m questioning why?

I’m sure that I will be told that playing for America in the Olympics would be the dream of any athlete in this country. I completely agree, except when they shopped their services trying to decide who they wanted to play for.

It is most certainly his right to pass on playing for his native Cameroon, though that would make the most sense. It has been the norm for native heroes to want to prop up the countries of their birth for generations.

Remember he petitioned Emmanuel Macron to attempt to play for France in the 2024 Olympics. They completed all the necessary paperwork to make him eligible to do so.

Then the third option of playing for Team USA was discussed. He finally chose to represent this country. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be thrilled if Joel Embiid leads our country to a gold medal. I am just not going to buy into the feel-good narrative that he’s doing this out of a patriotic passion.

There are two ways (or more) that this could potentially play out. Embiid could be a huge part of bringing home a gold medal in the 2024 Summer Games. He could remain healthy and because of this experience become the best version of himself that we have ever seen in the 2025 playoffs.

He also could get banged up and that could affect his next 76ers season. He might just be so fatigued that his next 76ers season suffers. Either way, the drama will be high. I’ll be holding my breath the entire time.

Another year, another playoff exit for the 76ers. This time they didn't even make it to the 2nd round. But oddly, there are also more reasons for optimism after this exit.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both played well in the series. Embiid dropped 50 in game 3, 39 in game 6, and 33 per game overall. Maxey struggled in most of game 6, but showed up in the 4th quarter, and of course had that amazing performance in game 5.

Those two make the future bright. But there is still a lot of work to do. That much is clear given how they lost this series despite those two playing so well.

As of now, the Sixers have just two players who are guaranteed to be under contract for next year. One of those is Ricky Council IV and the other is Joel Embiid.

They also have Paul Reed, but none of his money is guaranteed. Then there is Jeff Dowtin who has a Team Option.

Apart from that, they have a lot of work to do just to field a legal roster next season.

Certain guys who are free agents will return. Others will be long gone. But we are likely going to see some new faces next season

The good news about having so few players locked in is it means you have tons of cap space to work with. If they cut Paul Reed, they could have as much as $65 million to spend this offseason.

They are going to be busy. but before we figure out who they should sign, we should figure out who will be back next season.

This one is easy. You do not get better by moving Joel Embiid. Thankfully after he played great in game 6, I don't see many people calling for this. If he had played poorly, we might see people calling for the Sixers to move on from Embiid. But the general vibe around the city seems optimistic after his 39-point game.

Despite them coming up short every year with Embiid, he remains their best chance at winning a ring. Embiid is among the best players in the league. The goal needs to be building an amazing team around him, to best make use of his unique skillset.

Verdict: Stay

Tyrese Maxey proved he is the perfect star to play next to Embiid. For the first time, we saw him pick up a struggling Embiid in game 5. No other player had ever done that for him before now. He was fantastic in the Knicks series. Even in game 6, when he struggled, he came alive in the 4th quarter as Embiid slowed down due to fatigue.

Give Maxey the Max Contract, and don't think twice about it. The dude is a Super Star.

Verdict- Stay

0 points. In an elimination game, Harris scored 0 points and took only 2 shots. I have been a Harris defender for most of this contract. Obviously, he was not living up to being a max player. But for the most part, he still was a decent player. He was terrible in this series though. For me, he is the primary reason they lost.

It is time to move on. It is not Harris' fault he was overpaid. But it is his fault that he made no impact on the offensive end of the floor. Now that his Max Slot is open, maybe they can finally add an actual 3rd scorer you can count on.

Verdict- GO

Oubre was a great surprise for them this year. When he signed the vet minimum, I was excited to get an athletic wing, but I didn't think he would actually be an impact player. I thought he would occasionally give them something off the bench, and be streaky.

Turns out he was their 3rd best scorer. If they can get him on a somewhat team-friendly deal, I would gladly have him back. He won't be a minimum guy again, but he could still be somewhat affordable.

Verdict: Stay

Lowry was a massive disappointment for me in the playoffs. he had that big game 1, but was a net negative in every other game. First, it was the mental mistakes in game 2, like his bad inbounds pass, and not calling a timeout. And then it was giving them nothing in games 3 through 6. That nothing is literal in game 6. Like Harris, he scored 0 points and took only 2 shots.

The guy doesn't have the legs anymore for extended minutes. Maybe as a bench guy where if he gets 12 minutes a game, he can be decent. But even for that role, there will be better options.

Verdict: Go

Batum on offense was streaky. They dont win the Play-In game without him, and he was great in game 6. The other 5 games though... he gave them no scoring.

He does give them other things. He still plays good D, is a good passer, and gets tough rebounds. But I think we have had enough of guys on the court who just cannot score on some nights. We saw it with Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, PJ Tucker, Kyle Lowry, and Batum.

I still think you bring him back, just so there is some continuity. Embiid begged for there to be continuity in his post-game press conference after game 6.

Verdict: Stay

I will gladly take Payne back at the right price. Having that type of shooter providing energy off the bench, can be huge in the right moments. This series might have ended before 6 games if not for Payne. Is he streaky? Yes. But they aren't counting on him to be a great contributor, they are counting on him to have nights here and there. I'll take that as long as he is affordable.

Verdict: Stay 

This one is tough. Before game 6, I was done with him. But then he showed life. He was tremendous in that final game. it was the Hield they thought they were getting. That is the type of guy you want around Joel Embiid. But we just didn't see it consistently enough.

Hield has been one of the most consistent shooters in the league since he entered it. If they can fit him in, I will have him back. We will see if they can make the money work though. A splashy move like Paul George might preclude them from bringing Buddy back. For that reason, I don't think he returns.

Verdict: Go

Reed was unplayable in this series. It is not all his fault, but the entire team fell apart whenever Embiid came off the floor. You aren't going to get someone who can do half of what Embiid does to be your backup. But you need someone who can keep things stable, and that is not Reed. They can get out of the contract at no cost, and they would be foolish not to take that chance.

Verdict: Go

We saw how bad Reed was. Yet, Bamba still couldn't get a single minute. That tells you everything you need to know about Bamba. Can he be your 3rd center. Sure. But you can get more from someone else. So for me, there is no reason to bring Bamba back.

Verdict: Go

Melton's big injury makes this one hard to judge. We don't know if he will even be healthy next season. But that could make him available for cheap. If they can get him on a minimum, or close to it, prove it deal, why not? When healthy he has a lot to give to the team. They certainly could have used his perimeter defense in the Knicks series.

Verdict: Stay

Will Council be a real player going forward? I don't know. But he has some traits you like and is cheap. At the worst, he is an end-of-the-bench energy guy. There is no reason not to bring him back though.

Verdict: Stay

Like Council, there isnt really a reason not to bring Dowtin back. You have the team option, and he is cheap. Will he be a real player for you? No, but you need those types of guys at the end of your bench. He actually gave them decent minutes at some points in the regular season.

Verdict: Stay

If he is a Vet Minimum guy, sure. But otherwise, I am out on RoCo. There is nothing he gives you that you can't get elsewhere, cheaper. He is not even that good of a defender, he just has long arms and occasionally tips the ball away. Thank you for your work in The Process years, but I am moving on.

Verdict: Go

Martin is another end-of-the-bench guy. If he is affordable, sure. But more likely they just bring in someone else. I don't mind Martin, but you can do better.

Verdict: Go