Joel Embiid has the Philadelphia 76ers right where he wants them to be. They have been outperforming almost every team that’s projected to win the title this season, making them the best out of the lot. Their impressive 6-1 start to the season comes as a complete shocker to fans especially after what conspired during the off-season. But it’s a good thing that the Sixers are doing better than expected.
During the summer, James Harden put the Sixers in a tough situation to get through. Both parties were equally responsible for the bad blood that came into existence. Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey couldn’t give Harden a maximum deal but instead convinced him to sign a $35.6 million player option. Morey also claimed that he would trade Harden. Somewhere down the line, Morey withdrew from Harden trade talks and the 10x All-Star made the situation ugly.
Despite the chaos that was happening, Harden still chose to attend training camp in peace. But he did not wish to make amends and come back to the Sixers for good. The Sixers re-engaged trade talks with the LA Clippers and managed to reach an agreement. Harden was sent to the Clippers for Robert Covington, KJ Martin, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, and draft picks. The Sixers also gave up PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev.
Joel Embiid applauded his Sixers teammates after defeating the Celtics
Since the start of the season, the Sixers were never included in title talks. This was a judgment based solely on their history of tanking during the second round of the playoffs. Experts believed that Harden’s departure also meant that the Sixers would stoop down further. But Joel Embiid and his current partner in crime, Tyrese Maxey have been putting in a lot of effort to keep the Sixers afloat. They recently defeated the Boston Celtics to assume the Eastern Conference throne.
Based on their performance, Embiid said, “I think it’s a lot of credit to the culture that we have. No one has an ego on this team… Guys are unselfish, the ball is moving no matter if the shots are going in or not. Guys are just happy, just worried about the right things, which is to win. That’s the only thing that matters and that’s the only thing that should matter.”
The Sixers are at the top of the East, and Joel Embiid has some WORDS for it 👀 pic.twitter.com/BedDwe91mj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 9, 2023
Joel Embiid praised his teammates for being selfless on the court, which isn’t a trait most teams possess these days. Embiid is averaging 31.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 53% FG. He had an incredible 48-point performance and scored a franchise-record 29 points during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards.