October 03, 2024
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Joel Embiid and the Sixers are being cautious as they ramp him up ahead of the 2024-25 regular season, which begins for the team on Oct. 23.
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS -- For the first time since Sixers training camp opened in The Bahamas, Joel Embiid spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon to discuss his ramp-up period ahead of the regular season, what has stood out to him from camp to date and more.
A host of notable quotes from Embiid, head coach Nick Nurse and newcomer Caleb Martin after the team's third official practice concluded:
• Embiid on what he has been doing in training camp, with some praise for a new teammate:
"I haven't played [in scrimmages]. I'm just doing a lot of drills... But the guys have been looking good. Probably, our best player has been Jared McCain, which is pretty good."
• Embiid on what stood out about McCain:
"He competes. He's tough... Great shot. I mean, shot-maker. He's been shooting the ball extremely well. Great energy. I think he has a pretty good chance. I don't want to put expectations out there... He's been good. Great personality."
• Embiid on why McCain excites him:
"I saw the same thing with Tyrese [Maxey]. He's exciting, I think... He seems to be more in control... Both are great shooters, great personalities, seem to always be smiling for no reason."
Jared McCain impressing at Sixers training camp: 'He's a scrapper'
• Embiid on the status of his knee, which was injured for much of last season:
"Slowly building back up... I think that's the main thing."
• Embiid on developing a strong relationship with new teammate Paul George recently, culminating in George's arrival in Philadelphia:
"I'm pretty reserved, especially if I don't know you, and I like to chill. But from the beginning, these All-Star games, we always connected. When the time came and we had a chance to get him, I thought just from the previous time and the previous relationship, I felt like I knew him... We had the same agents in the past... We've known the same [people for a long time. All I'd always heard was he was a great guy."
• Embiid on whether it will be difficult to follow through on his promise to preserve his health at all costs moving forward given his competitive nature:
"It'll be tough. If they have to punch me or slap me or take my stuff away, for me not to get on that court, they're going to have to do it. I might get mad, I might curse people out, but it's a relationship. We've been working together for years now. Now I look at the big picture. I've always listened to [the team's training staff], but I think, it's more of a time to actually listen to them and see what they have so say."
• Nurse on the team's strong execution early in training camp:
"I can't really out a finger on why it feels like we're so far ahead, but maybe it's just that the depth of the talent in the group has enabled us to do a little bit more."
• Nurse on the chemistry of the group:
"I think it feels pretty good... It's kind of complicated at times. Because I know when I'm just going over some late-game situations, and I'm looking at all of the different options, like, 'okay, who's taking [the ball] out?' because we don't have [Nic] Batum as our automatic guy... I can move the pieces a lot and I guess that is a little time-consuming."
• Nurse on the team's optionality when it comes to having different offensive initiators:
"[George] likes to bring the ball up the floor. He's good at not, and he's got a little package of things that he's kind of used to doing bringing it. And then that would throw us into some addition for [Maxey] off the ball. It's nice to have some variety in that because bringing the ball up the floor 100 times a game can be a very taxing thing to do. At this point, I'm pretty open-minded it. [Martin] is bringing it, [Kelly Oubre Jr.] is bringing it, [Maxey] is. We've got a whole fleet of guys bringing it right now."
• Martin on his first impressions playing for Nurse:
"I've got a lot of experience playing against those guys to see how well-prepared they are and the type of style he coaches. Obviously, me being close to Kyle [Lowry], I know what type of relationship they have... He brings good energy every day. I think it's pretty effective for everybody here."
• Martin on reuniting with Lowry, his former teammate with the Miami Heat:
"When you think of Kyle, it's the savviness, the IQ... Just so much experience on how to win the game. He just knows what he's doing and knows how to do it. He and Nurse have that great relationship. I can tell why they have a good relationship... I always love him as a teammate."
'He's a winner': Sixers grateful to have Kyle Lowry back in the fold for full season
• Martin on his first impressions of being teammates with Maxey:
"I love Tyrese, man... He's a winner and he works. He works his butt off every day, he's in here early, leaves late... It's crazy to see somebody that young who you already feel like is getting it and still wants to learn as much as he wants to learn."
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
