Touting the most loaded starting five in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers will aim to still be greater than the sum of their parts this season. Conventionally speaking, that requires sacrifice from every single player on the roster, especially when it comes to the stars. Well, Joel Embiid does not seem to completely resonate with that, although he has a pretty good justification to that effect, even if the media and the public –– reactionary as they are –– just got fresh material to spin it negatively.
Speaking after their preseason finale, Embiid flat-out said that he was against the concept of sacrificing. The All-Star doubled down instead on each player doing what he does best with the team having his back without anyone necessarily taking a back seat. That is the dynamic and the approach he sees forming with this group, and he certainly is not wrong. Still, there is room for malice to force its way into the equation.
Joel Embiid's recent 76ers quote could be seriously misunderstood
Embiid's banner statement about him being against players sacrificing for the team will be especially prone to likely impending foul narratives about him not wanting to do that when, in fact, he was simply casting a different light on the traditional definition of making sacrifices for the squad.
While he could have said it better, Joel is most likely driving home the point that the 76ers will be at their best if their stars play like themselves without having to think about cutting corners and retrofitting themselves into a restrictive box. Obviously, individual numbers will take a hit given that five All-Star-caliber players are going to be sharing a single scoring pie, but in the grand scheme of things, there is still ample room for individual brilliance to flow.
Finding that synergy and a harmonious balance between shining individually and transmuting it into something beneficial for the team is most likely what Embiid meant when he said he was against players making sacrifices. That is obviously not rocket science conceptually, although it will be much easier said than done, given that the 76ers have a slew of stars who have been alphas at some point in their careers.
Nevertheless, Joel Embiid and the 76ers seem to be confident in this group's ability to coexist on the court despite potential clashes and overlaps. Ultimately, each player will have to give more than they can take, and no matter how anyone calls it –– sacrifice or whatnot –– it will require full-on commitment from every single guy on the roster if they want to realize their goal of getting over the hump and finally winning the championship.
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