Joel Embiid has been the centerpiece of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster for much of the last decade. During that time, the Sixers have failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs. Patience among the fanbase is wearing thin. According to comments Embiid made in an interview on July 13 at Uninterrupted Film Festival in Los Angeles, the big man is also beginning to show some frustration with the current situation.
Was not expecting Joel Embiid to say “or anywhere else” when talking about championships… He’s close to his breaking point here in Philly. pic.twitter.com/0MqXX1rnrT
— AJ Torres (@ajtorres1230) July 17, 2023
“I just want to win a championship. Whatever it takes,” Embiid said. “I don’t know where that’s going to be, whether in Philly or anywhere else, I just want to have a chance to accomplish that. I want to see what it feels like to win that first one, and then you think about the next one. It’s not easy. It takes more than one, two, three guys. You got to have good people around you. Myself, every single day, I work hard to be at that level so I can produce and make it happen. Every single day I’m working towards that goal.”
The “or anywhere else” piece of that quote sticks out and is cause for some concern. Embiid is sending a not-so-subtle message to the Sixers’ front office to put their foot on the gas. This comes during an offseason where his co-star James Harden requested a trade and the roster arguably got worse. Outside of making a coaching change by firing Doc Rivers and replacing him with Nick Nurse, the Sixers have been in neutral so far this offseason.
However, it will take more than just roster improvement to push the Sixers over the hump in the postseason. Embiid, partially because of numerous untimely injuries, has often not been at his best when the games truly matter. Better postseason performances from Embiid would go a long way towards helping the Sixers succeed in the postseason.
If they were not aware before, Embiid’s recent comments should put the Sixers’ front office on notice. His comments are likely an attempt at posturing and using his leverage to push the front office to not be stagnant this offseason. There were some whispers of the Sixers’ punting next season in an effort to give themselves more flexibility to re-tool the roster around Embiid in the 2024 offseason. Embiid’s comments are a clear message he is not going along with that strategy. At 29 years old, he only has a certain number of years left in his prime. The clock is ticking on their championship window, which grows smaller every year.
Embiid’s recent comments could also be a sign he is beginning to contemplate wanting out. He has been loyal to the Sixers thus far in his career, but it might not stay that way if the team’s postseason failures continue. As an example of what it looks like when a star player breaks up with his team, just look at the current situation playing out between Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Embiid’s latest message to the Sixers is nowhere near a formal trade demand. However, it is a sign that eventuality could be coming down the pike if progress fails to be made next season.
