Handpicking his teammates
That’s the Phillyball attitude. But there is more. Joel Embiid is now helping the coach of the team. You see, he’s hinting at players he enjoys playing around him. Encouraging Robert Covington:
Embiid to Covington (1-9 from 3): "They're going to double team me and I'm going to find you. Just keep firing it." https://t.co/UEWVngEvdj
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) January 4, 2017
On his outreach to Ben Simmons who is still rehabbing:
Embiid wanted to include Simmons on NYE bc he knows rehabbing apart from team can be hard. Said Noel helped him feel included during rehab.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) January 2, 2017
On his play alongside his friend, Nerlens Noel:
Embiid on playing with Noel: "I thought defensively we were pretty good and offensively we’ve just got to figure it out."
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) December 24, 2016
The fact of the matter is that Joel Embiid is aware of those around him. He is so young, merely 23 NBA games so far. That is 28 percent of one NBA season so far. And yet, he is already aware of his teammates, and their own journeys. Phillyball.