Can Celtics Bury 76ers With Latest Joel Embiid Development?
The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to fall apart, which to the Boston Celtics, should be like music to their ears.
First, the 76ers were forced to depart from James Harden, which removed one of their All-Star-caliber pieces, fully capable of performing any given night. That leaves Philadelphia’s front office, which has made questionable decisions a staple in recent years, scratching their heads once again.
More importantly, it segways into another critical part of Philadelphia’s agenda: Joel Embiid. Last season’s MVP and one of the greatest talents to ever sport a 76ers uniform, Embiid has a future that grows to be even more questionable by the day.
“The only thing I care about is winning. That’s my focus,” Embiid told reporters after Thursday’s win over the Toronto Raptors, according to Tim Bontempts of ESPN. “I hope we’re all on the same page. The moment we’re not on the same page then that’s a discussion for another day.”
Philadelphia’s front office, so far, has failed Embiid miserably.
While keeping the team competitive, the 76ers haven’t given Embiid a stable enough supporting cast. They traded Jimmy Butler, a playoff beast, drafted Markelle Fultz first overall in 2017 and signed Tobias Harris to an undeserving five-year, $188 million contract in 2019 that’s aged horribly.
It’s come to the point where the 76ers are expected to fall flat on their faces in the playoffs, and that’s what’s happened. Embiid has never played in the Eastern Conference finals and has been eliminated by the Celtics three times, including last season after the 76ers took a 3-2 lead in the semifinals.
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Again, music to Boston’s ears.
“For him and Philadelphia, he’s gonna have to buy into what Daryl Morey’s vision is there with the assets they’ve got,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “Whether that’s at the trade deadline, whether he sells them on what they can do around the draft or free agency with trades or free agents signings, to get a team around him that he believes in moving forward.”
Wojnarowski added on Philadelphia’s front office: “They’re going to spend, literally, every waking day trying to convince Joel Embiid.”
The Celtics get Philadelphia for three matchups this season plus the possibility of a rematch in the playoffs. Up to this point, it’s clear that Boston is Embiid’s strongest kryptonite, therefore, those games could hold more weight than just another regular season matchup. If the Celtics really stick it to the 76ers, they could be responsible for the straw that broke the camel’s back, thus, giving themselves a potential side victory.
Very easily, that consolation prize can come to life considering the repeated incompetence of Philadelphia’s front office. Fumbling a chance to maintain a future Hall of Famer in Embiid wouldn’t be just another mistake, but a catastrophic nightmare that will place a dark cloud over the 76ers for years.
In other words, the end of the “process.”
Boston and Philadelphia will meet for the first time this season on Nov. 8.