The Sixer Sense
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Is Joel Embiid ready to lead these Philadelphia 76ers?

Bret Stuter|
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on prior to the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on prior to the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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The natural leader of the Philadelphia 76ers is center Joel Embiid. But is he ready to lead this team?

Leadership can mean a lot of things depending who you talk to, who you are talking about, and the situation involved. So it falls to reason that when you talk about  it falls to reason that the leader is Joel Embiid.  So what if the young man is only a 31 game veteran of the NBA?  So what if his history of basketball play is extremely shallow in the grand perspective.  When it comes to the doings of the 76ers, Joel Embiid is a good barometer of the team.

But there is a distinct difference between barometer, and leader.  A barometer is the passive indicator.  So which is Joel Embiid?  And after that distinction is made, then the more difficult test: is he ready?

In short, the old military adage is: Lead, Follow, or Get Out Of The Way!  Is Joel Embiid a leader or follower?

Leader, Reader, Impeder?

Well, to determine whether he leads or reads the team, let’s focus on the social media aspect of Joel Embiid. Specifically, let’s revisit one tweet indicating a little tiff between himself and Lavar Ball:

It’s fairly clear from this exchange that he is not reading the team, but rather leading the team.  In fact, that is pretty clear in most of his social media statements. He does not shirk from setting high goals for his team. He does not avoid campaigning for the NBA All-Star game, or for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.