National Commentators on Embiid

[PhillyFan11]

1 player not playing well doesn’t bring down the other

Surely you don't believe this.

When five players are working together, if one person doesn't carry their weight, it increases the burden on the others. One player not playing well absolutely does bring down the others.

If this team is built around Joel Embiid as the #1 scoring option/franchise player and he can’t succeed in the playoffs because of Ben Simmons then he just flat out ain’t good enough. We need a dominant go to scoring option that can get his own shot in any opportunity. Joel came up small in that role this playoffs. He’s still young and gaining experience, we all have to hope he grows into that guy next year. If not we could be in a lot of trouble.
And again, none of that has to do with Ben Simmons. Great players win in the playoffs, and great players have won with FAR FAR less on the court than Ben Simmons.

[rzzzzz]

If this team is built around Joel Embiid as the #1 scoring option/franchise player and he can’t succeed in the playoffs because of Ben Simmons then he just flat out ain’t good enough. We need a dominant go to scoring option that can get his own shot in any opportunity. Joel came up small in that role this playoffs. He’s still young and gaining experience, we all have to hope he grows into that guy next year. If not we could be in a lot of trouble.

Sam's evaluation of Joel was that he would dominate if he could fully recover from his injury. Hard to anticipate the friendly head butt orbital fracture last year. And the untimely combo infections this year. The knee? That's open to some serious reflection on usage and conditioning vs a history of injury. The hometown bias has got to be that accentuating the former will minimize the latter, and help him gain that dominance that his stunning +/-, even with all this year's problems, suggests. But regardless, the notion of tapping into Ben's potential has got to be an equal priority. One unicorn, properly developed and deployed, might be able to put a team on his back. Two unicorns, both at the top of their game, would be phenomenal to behold.