As Brett Brown was standing and answering questions after practice at PCOM on Tuesday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers’ biggest question mark (both literally and figuratively) was shooting at the basket behind him.
I know what you’re probably thinking, something along the lines of, “Oh no, not this again.” That’s fair. After how the Joel Embiid situation unfolded in 2014-15, you might feel jilted like every member of Fleetwood Mac. You don’t want to get hurt again. It’s understandable.
But along with the upcoming draft lottery and the potential of landing Ben Simmons (or possibly Brandon Ingram, or someone else making a late charge), Embiid represents the Sixers’ best chance at the superstar they so badly need. Here is what I wrote back in June:
Embiid’s murky future makes the Sixers even more of a mystery because of the three bigs, he’s the most complete player. Okafor brings elite offense to the table while Noel offers elite defense, but Embiid has both.
While Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor (playing better lately!) are going through tough seasons, the original point still remains. So when Embiid starts to go through light shooting drills and flexibility/strengthening exercises with the team’s new strength and conditioning coach Todd Wright before games and after practices, it’s noticeable.
“Everybody sort of sees more of him for a reason,” Brown said. “We think he’s heading in a really, really positive direction both physically and mentally. We’re going at a pace we’re all happy with, we understand how crucial it is that we don’t miss a beat and he does, too.”
Whether it’s the presence of Wright, a year of experience under Embiid’s belt, an additional year of understanding for the Sixers, or something else, Brown says that the 7’2” center’s rehab has gone smoother than it did last year.
“All over the place, he’s in great spot,” Brown said. “The more you come into the gym and see him, I think you would agree. I think you’re seeing something a little bit different and a more frequent than you would have last year.”
We will see if this process actually produces some results. Notice how Embiid was mostly shooting jumpers in the video above? He works on post moves as well, but Brown did comment on how critical Embiid’s shooting will be if he can get back on the court.
After seeing the spacing issues that a Noel-Okafor frontcourt causes, Brown knows that having a shooting big man will be key.
“If this [shooting] ends up being something that he can do well and I believe he will be able to… then we have to do that,” Brown said. “That is very unique to see a 7’2” man have the touch, form, and release of his wrists. You watch the strength of his wrists, and that thing comes off easy. That is just really special.”
The Chippah
Brown was close with Chip Kelly, and he confirmed that he talked with his fellow New Englander after Kelly and the Eagles parted ways. Here is what he had to say:
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