The Philadelphia 76ers had some big plans heading into the season. They were thinking Larry O’Brien trophy after the high profile additions the team made in the offseason.
However, at the All-Star break, the team is only the 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and the team has a lot of issues they need to work out.
One thing that the team needs to figure out is how to make this roster fit and Joel Embiid has been at the center of the talks. He is the leader of this team and he needs to make sure he’s in a good spot mentally to take this team to where they want to go. His mental state is where coach Brett Brown notices something with his big man.
“I think the place that interests me the most, where I see his conditioning being incrementally getting to an elite level is his head,” said Brown. “I think he is in a space that is excellent. Seeing this final third home to grab the team by the throat and lead us in a bunch of different areas. I see that conditioning being ever apparent. I’ve been with him a long time and when I look at him and I talk to him and I hear his words and, you know, we’re always sort of like you wouldn’t be children judging the body language and all that. I just think he’s in a really good space.”
If Embiid is in a good mental state, that makes all the difference. How Embiid is feeling emotionally from game to game is always something to keep an eye on. Will we get the fun and jovial Embiid who dominates? Or will we get the more serious and mature Embiid who is indifferent to things going on around him?
Fans are more interested in his physical state. They want to know he can play 30-40 minutes when needed and Brown is happy with that as well as the team got back to practice on Wednesday.
“As it relates to the physical conditioning, we just went up and down hard for about 60 minutes you know really up and down, up and down, up and down, saw no drop-off,” said the coach. “If you study the tape from the other night (All-Star game) and you watch Joel Embiid run the floor, and some of his rim runs just going rim to rim, we all would be say well shoot and it can’t get any better than that. So I think his fitness level is fine and I think his headspace is even better.”
The big physical aspect for Embiid right now is that he will no longer wear any wrapping or splint on his hand anymore. He will now wear something called “buddy tape” which is tape just to keep the finger in place so this is some good progress for him moving forward. Brown hopes this will keep him in good shape for the postseason.
“I believe I’ll be able to tell more when he gets double teamed that what I call the up block,” explained Brown. “When he’s looking at the basket that right side, that upside I call it when he’s at that up block, and he’s forced maybe to pass more with his left hand which used to be all bandaged up, I used to get worried in that environment. Where people come hard, you know looking to whack it or double team him from that floor spot. I look forward to seeing him pass from that floor spot. It’s easier on the other side the downside with his right hand. I think that’s where it’ll stand out is probably the most for me to see the difference of, you know no wrap and one that used to be wrapped.”
Joel Embiid is no longer wearing the splint. He’s rolling with the buddy tape around his fingers. #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 19, 2020
The Sixers get back to work on Thursday as they host the Brooklyn Nets. They will need a big surge over the final 27 games to really make that push for the home-court advantage in the playoffs and Embiid will be the biggest catalyst for that. [lawrence-related id=26081,26071,26059]