NBA – Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia Sixers, a “Process” that is dangerously starting to go off the rails

“Trust the Process“, he said. For ten years Joel Embiid has embodied the crazy strategy imagined by Sam Hinkie when the latter was still managing the Sixers. Aware that his team from the soft underbelly of the Eastern Conference would go nowhere, the latter had undertaken a vast undertaking of demolition of the workforce to collect draft rounds with a clear objective: to lose, again and again, in the hope of recovering one or two superstars of tomorrow to rebuild everything around them. that the franchise found itself in Embiid, third in 2014, the pillar of its project.

Forfeited during his first two seasons, the Cameroonian kept repeating that he had to trust the process. That the club would eventually achieve its ambitions. The years have passed and the pivot has indeed become one of the best basketball players in the world. An MVP. An All-Star, of course. An Olympic champion since this summer. But Philadelphia is still waiting for the promised results. Because presidents, coaches, stars and impact players have multiplied around him. Different elements for a similar outcome: premature exits in the second round of the playoffs, cascading injuries and absences of the team leader.

Disappointments that accumulate, tension that rises and an increasingly palpable frustration around the organization and especially its best player. While the season has resumed for two weeks now, Joel Embiid is once again missing. It’s annoying in Pennsylvania. Supporters wonder what is going on and some local journalists criticize him for his lack of preparation and professionalism. One of them, Marcus Hayes, who follows the club for Philadelphia Inquirerwent too far by mentioning the basketball player’s son and his deceased little brother while drawing a parallel with his desire to become better.

A few hours earlier, he reacted to other critical comments about his involvement by recalling “that he had done way too much for this fucking city to be treated like that” before adding: “I played with my fractured face, taking the risk of losing my sight. I broke my finger, I came back. I’ve done so much for the city. This is bullshit.“In fact, the real nature of the problem is communication. And it has been for a long time with Embiid.

Moreover, the problem is such that the league decided to sanction the franchise $100,000 for inconsistencies in the media treatment of its star’s package. The investigation determined that the latter was indeed injured. Except that at the same time, management insisted that there was no relapse following the knee operation carried out last February. Operation that the leaders have always refused to name as it is, each time preferring the term “procedure” in their press release. In fact, Embiid is probably injured and he refuses to admit it, perhaps for fear of being labeled as unreliable. However, it is entirely possible that he will never fully recover from all his problems.

And yet, this year is supposed to be the good one! Or, failing that, perhaps that of the last chance. The Sixers had a very good offseason by attracting Paul George (injured during the first five matches of the season…) but also Caleb Martin and even Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele. This is the best group Philly has seen since 2019, when Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons shared the roster with Joel Embiid. There is everything in this roster. Three complementary stars in three key positions, talent, size, shooting, defense, depth, an excellent coach… and yet, everything falls apart after two weeks.

All is not lost and there is obviously hope. Because there is still time. The season has just started, even though the Sixers have lost five of their first six games. PG is back, Embiid is coming. Then, as Daryl Morey repeats, the main thing is the playoffs. Except that it is already certain that the two stars will not play on evenings when the team plays two matches in a row during the season. Not optimal for developing chemistry and getting a good ranking, synonymous with home field advantage. So, yes, as a whole, this group can go far. But he no longer really has room for error. There will be no more excuses. And above all, if you fail, there may not even be a next time.