Their season just ended but Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers already has some concrete plans for next season: he intends to take home the Most Valuable Player award.
As reported by Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
Joel Embiid has his sights set on MVP consideration next season.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) May 10, 2018
Embiid obviously has high-standards for himself. Or maybe he's just playing catch-up after missing two full seasons. He was selected third overall in 2014 but didn't play a single NBA game up until the 2016-2017 season, where he played and started in 31 games. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocked shots per game on that year.
This season, he took his game up another level by making his first All-Star appearance and at the same time, guiding the young Sixers squad to the playoffs. In the regular season, he logged in 22.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in 63 outings.
They were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in five games. Yet this beating did not discourage Embiid. He immediately moved on from the loss and after the game, he and Ben Simmons had a short talk about their plans for their careers. Per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, the 24-year-old Cameroonian said:
“Me & Ben have a lot of room to grow. Looking at KD and Westbrook, what they did the first season together, I think they won 28 games… We have a bright future. [Simmons] came up to me, showed me his hands, and said there's going to be a lot of rings.”
To fulfill his lofty ambitions, he was precise about the things he intends to achieve in the offseason. Per Derek Bodner of The Athletic, Embiid said he'll focus on his stamina and quickness:
Embiid said his focus this summer isn't so much to lose weight. Says he currently weighs ~280, and could see himself playing at 270-275. Says his focus is more on stamina and quickness, but wants to retain ability to bully people inside with his size and strength.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) May 10, 2018
Follow Us
Subscribe