Tag: Joel Embiid

Sixers’ Joel Embiid scores 10 points as Team USA holds off Australia

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and had 10 points while making an impact for Team USA in a win over Australia.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid continued his preparation for the Paris Olympics on Monday as Team USA took on Australia in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi. The big fella fouled out in his Team USA debut in a win over Canada on July 10, but he was able to bounce back in this one.

Embiid had 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting and he knocked down two triples on five attempts. He also grabbed five rebounds and had two steals to help Team USA hold off Australia 98-92. The Americans had a sizeable lead in this one, but Australia deserves credit for digging deep and not giving up.

The big fella was clearly able to make an impact in this one with his rim protection. A big reason why Australia was able to get back in the game was they were able to get to the basket often with Embiid off the floor. That’s something coach Steve Kerr and his staff will look into as they move forward.

Embiid and Team USA will continue their prep for the Olympics on Wednesday when they take on Serbia in Abu Dhabi.

Sixers’ Paul George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey ranked 2nd-best trio in the NBA

Philadelphia 76ers stars Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey are ranked as the 2nd-best trio in the league.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of hype surrounding them following the big addition of Paul George. The Sixers are now led by George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey to form one of the more talented trios in the league.

On top of that, the Sixers have put some solid pieces around them in the form of Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Caleb Martin as well as bringing back Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry. The Sixers have had a very good offseason at this point.

With the new Big 3 leading the way, Bleacher Report ranked the top trios in the league with the Sixers coming in ranked No. 2 behind only the Boston Celtics:

Truthfully, there’s a chance no threesome in the league is as well-rounded. Embiid gives you that top-end MVP talent who can anchor a defense entirely on his own. Maxey has transformed into a lethal three-level scorer with developing playmaker chops. George’s off-ball motion will brutalize defenses yet he still has the on-ball skill necessary to generate looks from scratch. His defensive slippage has also been dramatized, even if the Sixers may wind up a little too reliant on him during non-Caleb Martin minutes.

On paper, the Sixers should absolutely be the biggest challenger to the Celtics in the East. With that being said, Philadelphia will need healthy playoff runs from Embiid and George to get the job done. While both are extremely talented players, they both have an injury history and that’s something the Sixers will have to be cognizant of.

 

Joel Embiid, Sixers in Eastern Conference Group A for NBA Cup tournament

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are placed in Group A in the 2024-25 NBA Cup Tournament.

The 2024-25 season will feature the second annual in-season tournament that has a new name: The NBA Cup.

All 30 teams will be divided into six, five-team groups. Joel Embiid and the Sixers will be in Group A in the Eastern Conference. They will be joined by the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Charlotte Hornets with games beginning on Nov. 12.

Each team will play the four other teams in its group, and eight teams will advance to a single-elimination tournament playoff capped by the title game in Las Vegas in early December. The Sixers were eliminated in group play in the initial NBA Cup Tournament in the 2023-24 season.

Embiid and the Sixers, of course, were knocked out of the playoffs by the Knicks in 2024. Philadelphia will be looking to make a statement against the Knicks when the group play begins in November with a new look team led by the addition of Paul George.

Eric Gordon gives his thoughts on new Sixers teammate Joel Embiid

Veteran Eric Gordon gives his thoughts on new Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a busy offseason as President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has done a terrific job of taking advantage of the cap space he has been able to create.

The big addition has, obviously, been Paul George, but the Sixers also added some helpful role players such as Eric Gordon for example. Gordon, a 16-year veteran, shot 37.8% from deep in the 2023-24 season for the Phoenix Suns.

As Gordon now heads to Philadelphia, he will now be playing with superstar big man Joel Embiid. Gordon is no stranger to playing with stars as he has played with the likes of Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and others in the past.

“Well, I think he’ll be the most dominant or dominant big thatā€™ll be my teammate,” Gordon laughed. “I’ve had AD before, Blake Griffin during his good time. I mean, I’ve had a lot of good bigs, but he’s very dynamic.”

As terrific as Davis and Griffin have been in their careers, neither of them has been named an MVP and can do the things Embiid can. Not to take away from those two players, because they’re both fantastic, but Embiid is just on another level. Gordon should benefit from the open 3s he will get while playing next to the big fella.

“He’s a major force down there so,” Gordon added. “Like I said, as long as we all figure it out, jell together, I mean, the game should be easier for him and it should be easier for everyone else. So yeah, he’s definitely a special player.”

Embiid has always excelled when he’s had shooting around him. When the big fella is able to have spacing, that’s when teams are not able to double team him as much and if they do double, then Embiid will be able to pass it out to guys like Gordon which makes life easier for everybody on the offensive end of the floor.

Adem Bona excited to join Joel Embiid

Bona is ready to work with Embiid.

It’s been discussed several times about the 41st pick in the 2024 NBA Draft being former UCLA star Adem Bona. But, now the stories are coming out regarding what it means for the youngster, and the discussion has turned to playing with Joel Embiid.

The 76ers big man, who played his college basketball at Kansas scored 34.7 points per game a season ago. He did not win the scoring title, as he played in just 38 games. Embiid has had trouble staying healthy, missing big chunks of every season in the league. In his career, he scores 27.9 points per game.

Ky Carlin at SixersWire had a nice piece on his emotions and had quite a bit to say about his joining up with Embiid. Here is what Bona had to say regarding that:

ā€œWe have similar roots,ā€ he stated. ā€œHeā€™s African. I am African, too. Playing against him, going against him every day is going to be a handful for me and also, itā€™s gonna be a learning process for me to be able to learn from such an amazing player, itā€™s really gonna be a good step for me towards my career. Practicing against him every day and going against him in practice, I think thatā€™s going to help me in my progression.ā€

Bona is excited to get to work this summer with the 76ers. They will start their summer league in Salt Lake City and then move to Las Vegas during July.

Sixers star Joel Embiid fouls out in Team USA showcase win over Canada

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid fouls out in 12 minutes as Team USA was able to defeat Canada in the basketball showcase.

Team USA began their quest for a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics on Wednesday night when they took on Canada in an exhibition match in Las Vegas. It allowed coach Steve Kerr and Co. to see what they have and what needs to be corrected.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid made his Olympic debut and it was a bit of a struggle for him as he adjusts to the game. He fouled out in only 12 minutes while scoring five points with six rebounds and four turnovers. He shot 2-for-5 from the floor and 1-for-2 from the line.

The Sixers star was able to help Team USA turn things around to defeat Canada 86-72 after a slow start, but Embiid will certainly have to adjust a bit to FIBA rules and make an impact on the floor.

The Americans will next play on July 15 when they take on Australia in Abu Dhabi. That will give Embiid a few days to look at the tape and get back to his normal dominant self.

 

Joel Embiidā€™s Team USA debut went about as poorly as possible and basketball fans were unforgiving

There will be better games ahead for Joel Embiid.

It was a big win for the U.S. when Joel Embiid made the decision in April to play for Team USA over France or Cameroon for the 2024 Olympics. He gave the team a much-needed size boost to hold up against some of the bigger teams they’ll face in Paris.

That decision did not pay immediate dividends in his exhibition debut for Team USA, though.

Embiid fouled out in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game against Canada after just 12 minutes on the floor. That includes an unsportsmanlike foul for elbowing Dwight Powell in the face. He finished with five points on 2-of-5 shooting with six rebounds, two assists and four turnovers.

The former MVP that he is, Embiid will almost certainly have better games to come. But that didn’t stop basketball fans on social media from ripping him for his struggles adjusting to international rules.

Social media reaction to Joel Embiid

Stephen A. Smith picking Sixers over Knicks in Eastern Conference race

Stephen A. Smith is picking the Philadelphia 76ers over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

The 2024 offseason has been a hectic one in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics are the defending champs and teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks, and others are in the process of chasing the Cs to take them down.

The Sixers had a huge offseason bringing in Paul George to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and form the most talented Big 3 in the East. They also brought in Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, and Eric Gordon in an effort to form a contending team.

The Knicks also made a big move by bringing in Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Avid Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith hopped on “The OGs Show” and is picking the Sixers over the Knicks:

If Embiid is healthy, there’s no excuses. Embiid on one leg averaged 35 against the Knicks on one leg. We know how big-time Embiid is. We know that Tyrese Maxey is special. Brother got a $204 million extension. I feel sorry for him. He deserved more. I know that’s the max they could give him you know, but I’m just talking about his greatness. He deserved more. I know they couldn’t give him more, but he deserved more. If Paul George is what Paul George is supposed to be, Maxey, Embiid, and Paul George, as much as I love my Knicks, orange and blue skies, baby. They don’t come before Philly and Boston. We know Bostonā€™s on another level. They the champions. They the reigning defending champions and we’ll see what happens with them, but Embiid with Maxey and Paul George? Yes, I believe in that. Thatā€™s big.

It remains to be seen if the big George addition will work out, but it’s obvious that on paper, the Sixers are a talented bunch. If healthy in the playoffs, then they should be the biggest challenger to the Celtics in the East. Of course, injuries are always a big “if”, but Philadelphia should be able to get over the hump finally and make a run at the title.

 

Andre Drummond reveals Joel Embiid called him to rejoin Sixers

Andre Drummond reveals Joel Embiid gave him a call to have him rejoin the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

CAMDEN, N.J. — Andre Drummond is back with the Philadelphia 76ers. After spending the first half of the 2021-22 season with the Sixers and being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden deal, Drummond joined the Chicago Bulls for two seasons before signing with the Sixers early in free agency.

Drummond averaged 6.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while playing for the Sixers before the trade. He is without a doubt the best backup Joel Embiid has had in his career in Philadelphia.

In fact, the moment Embiid knew the Sixers could possibly get Drummond back, he gave him a call.

“We always stayed in constant communication, so that relationship never died,” Drummond said on Tuesday. “The moment that he found out there was a possibility I was going to come here, he called me immediately. I respected that. I loved that the most. He FaceTimed me like, ā€˜Bro, we doing this? What are we doing? Whatā€™s happening?ā€™ His excitement overall was truly the pushing factor in me coming here.”

Drummond, who is one of the best rebounders ever to play the game of basketball, had other options in free agency. There were a lot of teams interested in him, but the Sixers made the most sense for him and that’s why he decided to return to Philadelphia.

“Yeah, I definitely had a couple of different options I couldā€™ve looked at, but this one made the most sense for me,” Drummond stated. “Itā€™s familiar, I know what Iā€™m going to get here, and we have a great team.”

That comfort level and familiarity is mostly due to Embiid. The two big men have had a lot of battles in the past. Notably, when Drummond played for the Detroit Pistons, the two of them would go back and forth often. The respect factor is there for both players and the relationship never died even though Drummond was traded.

“As I said, Iā€™ve had a chance to catch him early in my career in Detroit when he was very dominant,” Drummond finished. “I just had this conversation with somebody the other day–it was hard to stop him. Itā€™s still hard to stop him now. Heā€™s gotten even better. His game has just progressed over the years. Heā€™s taken great care of his body and heā€™s still one of the best players in the league.”

The hope now is that the Sixers will not struggle as much when Embiid goes off the floor now that they have Drummond back on the roster.

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Joel Embiid gives thoughts on Sixers’ plan, big offseason additions

Joel Embiid gives his thoughts on the plan of the Philadelphia 76ers and the team’s big offseason acquisitions.

The Philadelphia 76ers told their superstar big man to be patient. They told Joel Embiid that they needed some time and that they would be able to add to the talent surrounding him in order to be amongst the contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers swung for the fences and they hit a home run with the additions of Paul George, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Caleb Martin as they look to reach the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Coach Nick Nurse will be the one to try and put it all together on the floor to get the job done.

Embiid sat down with Tim Bontemps of ESPN and gave his thoughts on the additions as well as the team’s plan and asking him to be patient:

“Yeah, I think as far as the fit, it looks amazing,” Embiid told ESPN. “It is great, especially when you got a big … I don’t like to call myself a big, but when you got a player that posts up and that isos quite a bit, you need to have willing shooters and guys that are not afraid to pull the trigger. PG, great shooter, 40%, 45 catch and shoot; Tyrese, we know great shooter, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot.

“On paper, and as far as the fit, it looks fantastic because you got both guys that can play off the ball, and they can play on ball and they’re great shooters and they can handle the ball, and then you also got me,” he added with a smile.

Embiid also told Bontemps that it wasn’t exactly easy to stay patient. The Sixers didn’t have much of a chance to contend in 2023-24 and the front office told him to reman patient and to believe in what they were going to do.

The big fella told ESPN:

“I’d be lying to say that patience wasn’t tested,” Embiid told ESPN. “Because I’m at the point where there’s no awards, there’s no regular season or no All-NBA or All-Stars is going to change the way my legacy is. Well, there’s a few things that can change it, but the main one is the championship. So when you start thinking about what you want to be remembered as, you want to be remembered as someone that’s won.

“When you are presented with a plan, sometimes it goes wrong, sometimes it goes right. We’ve still got long way to go. On paper it looks great. But we still got to go on the court and make it work.”

It remains to be seen if all of this will be able to work out, but on paper, the Sixers have the most talented trio in the NBA and it isn’t close. It will come down to health and chemistry as Philadelphia moves forward with its plans to win a title.

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