So how about Joel Embiid

[mtron929]

Hinkie is a genius. You guys realize that even if the Sixers did not have Noel and Okafor, they would be viewed as a promising team. If I were a rebuilding team that wants to compete for a championship, I am hiring Hinkie.

[LloydFree]

This x100.

He's already looking like a defensive anchor and the ability to switch onto guards what protecting the rim is a vital skill these days.

A future Noel/Embiid front court would be INSANE from a defensive stand point, they can tussle inside, block from the strong or help side and switch all day long. With Embiid range, he can play PF on offense, too.

If Simmons gets any semblance of an outside shot to play the 3 and handle the ball, put two shooters at the other perimeter positions and that could be a dynasty (health and Simmons development permitting)

Hinkie is a genius and I can't believe he got canned.

Yep, drafting Okafor and giving an injured Marshall the starting PG role last year were his biggest mistakes. Do believe his intention was drafting Russell and settled with Okafor, thinking he could trade him. Nonetheless, a core of Noel, Embiid, Okafor, Simmons is great and we're probably adding two top 7 2017 picks this summer. Future is bright.

Nope , drafting Oak was NOT a mistake, 17 and 7 his rookie yer......those trade rumors came out of Boston. .....f*ck the celtics.....

Yes. Drafting Okafor was a huge mistake. He passed on better players. Okafor made the team worse. And after tanking two straight seasons, he couldn't survive a third tanked season. Drafting Okafor was the beginning of the end of Hinkie and he should have seen it coming.

[CoreyGallagher]

Lets leave the Noel/Okafor debate at home.

[JoeyOtis]

This x100.

He's already looking like a defensive anchor and the ability to switch onto guards what protecting the rim is a vital skill these days.

A future Noel/Embiid front court would be INSANE from a defensive stand point, they can tussle inside, block from the strong or help side and switch all day long. With Embiid range, he can play PF on offense, too.

If Simmons gets any semblance of an outside shot to play the 3 and handle the ball, put two shooters at the other perimeter positions and that could be a dynasty (health and Simmons development permitting)

Hinkie is a genius and I can't believe he got canned.

Yep, drafting Okafor and giving an injured Marshall the starting PG role last year were his biggest mistakes. Do believe his intention was drafting Russell and settled with Okafor, thinking he could trade him. Nonetheless, a core of Noel, Embiid, Okafor, Simmons is great and we're probably adding two top 7 2017 picks this summer. Future is bright.

Nope , drafting Oak was NOT a mistake, 17 and 7 his rookie yer......those trade rumors came out of Boston. .....f*ck the celtics.....

Okafor gets too much abuse around here. He is a flawed player at the moment, as most 20 year olds are, but it's not like he was Kwame out there. I've seen many here preach patience when it comes to young players, a lot were making excuses for Exum a few years ago when he was really struggling.

[HeartBreakKid]

He's been my pick for ROY for a few months now.

I hope the guy really delivers this season. Tired of seeing all the damn short sighted haters who kept crapping on the kid or the Sixers in general. People even said things like Embiid is too old or something, the guy is like 21 or 22, the same age he would have been if he had played college for 4 years...

[Stanford]

Imagine tanking for 4 years to get an inferior version of Denver's frontcourt.

[LloydFree]

If Embiid plays even 20 minutes per game, he got this ROY award in the bag.

[rumdiary]

If Embiid plays even 20 minutes per game, he got this ROY award in the bag.

Outlandish 2014 Draft Prediction in Signature Bro!

[mtron929]

I'll make a bold prediction. If Embiid stays healthy for rest of his career, the Sixers are winning a championship. And I think Embiid will make sure that Hinkie gets credit for this.

[76ers 2020]

I hope the guy really delivers this season. Tired of seeing all the damn short sighted haters who kept crapping on the kid or the Sixers in general.

Yeah the high volume of worst case scenario posts when talking about Sixers players is old. I'm glad I haven't seen a Saric thread. Half the posts would be "he's going to be the next Petrovic and die in a car accident."

[LloydFree]

If Embiid plays even 20 minutes per game, he got this ROY award in the bag.

Outlandish 2014 Draft Prediction in Signature Bro!

Yeah, and that came from a 76er fan who has spent the last two years celebrating both of Embiid's injuries, all in the name of wanting to be proved right.

[rumdiary]

If Embiid plays even 20 minutes per game, he got this ROY award in the bag.

Outlandish 2014 Draft Prediction in Signature Bro!

Yeah, and that came from a 76er fan who has spent the last two years celebrating both of Embiid's injuries, all in the name of wanting to be proved right.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

If Embiid shows or develops a lefty hook, it's over for the league. I think I vaguely remember him being able to shoot jump hooks with his left back at Kansas.

[Marcus]

If Embiid shows or develops a lefty hook, it's over for the league. I think I vaguely remember him being able to shoot jump hooks with his left back at Kansas.

it was a work in progress but there was some development of the lefty hook.

Kid is a sponge so I'm sure we'll see it at some point. He's still learning what he can and can't do at this level and where he should and shouldn't be. He'll figure out the speed of the double teams and understand how patient he needs to be fairly early in the season and it should be up from there. Right now he appears to be out to try and prove everything he's capable of and it can be detrimental on occasion but he'll settle in and he makes adjustments so fast and so easily that the flashes he's showing will turn into consistent happenings sooner rather than later.

[simon24]

Are we really going to act like he didnt make his debut? The guy looks LEGIT! Smooth on both ends, athough he struggled with the double team. After almost three years off the floor its finally good to see this man on the court.

He's my pick for ROTY.

[joeyAdaMan]

plz...plz be legit and stay healthy

[Eyeamok]

What is this BS I am reading here!!! Basketball fans, outside of the philly faithful, writing about how special Embiid is. He was a unicorn, Greg Oden 2.0, Arron Gordon & Exum were better and safer picks, than he was. He would never play in the NBA, Hinkie made a mistake picking this guy. Now people are jumping on the Embiid express, talking about ROY after a few preseason games.

What's gonna happen when he is doing this all season long?

Love Hinkie or hate him picking Embiid 3rd might go down as the greatest 3 pick ever in the NBA draft history.








Next to MJ of course.

[The Skyhook]

I still remember how bummed I was when the Lakers didn't move up in the lottery that year, and again when he didn't drop to 7. I loved this kid in college. Just really happy that he's playing well so far.

[Shock Defeat]

The Embiid hype has gotten out of control. Let's see if he can stay healthy first before praising Hinkie or proclaiming Embiid Hakeem 2.0.

No one has doubted Embiid's skill level. There is nothing surprising about how he's played in the preseason, what is surprising is that he's not hurt.

[tsherkin]

The Embiid hype has gotten out of control.

No it hasn't. There are some positive comments about his potential in this thread, and some counterpoints about the concerns over his health. There is nothing "out of control" about what's going on here.