Philadelphia 76ers: 5 goals for Joel Embiid in 2017-18

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(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

1. Be named an All-Star

If Embiid can achieve the aforementioned goal of playing in at least 60 games, this should be a mere formality.

First of all, the Eastern Conference as a whole was significantly weakened this summer. All-Stars Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and Paul Millsap have all departed their teams and landed in the Western Conference.

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Not only does this eliminate three potential rivals for an All-Star spot, but it’s going to assist with the success of the Sixers purely due to the drop in talent of these three rival teams, all of whom made the playoffs last season.

And as we’re all well aware, team success has a significant bearing on All-Star selection. Just two seasons ago, the Atlanta Hawks had four players chosen to the All-Star game due to their 60-22 record that year. So a combination of a weakened Eastern Conference and a seriously improved Sixers roster will do Embiid’s chances no harm.

If we are judging things by his most recent stretch of games, it will be hard to see how Embiid cannot be chosen, assuming he able to stay on the court. Over Embiid’s final 12 games last season, the numbers were simply jaw-dropping.

First of all, the Sixers posted an 8-4 record, with Embiid averaging 23.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game. But the difference when Embiid was on and off the court over this span was astonishing.

When Embiid was on the floor, the Sixers recorded an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 108.5, which dropped to 98.1 when he was resting. In other words, they went from having a ninth-ranked offense to dead last.

Furthermore, the Sixers recorded a defensive rating of 97.5 when Embiid was playing, and 107.2 when he was resting. This was equivalent to ranking first in defense, but then ranking 21st overall.

Simply put, if Embiid is healthy, it’s almost unfathomable that he does not become an All-Star inboxed the 2017-18 season.

If you have any doubt, just listen to Houston Rockets’ head coach Mike D’Antoni. After Embiid posted 32 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in his final game for the season against the Rockets, coach D’Antoni was full of admiration:

"“Just talk to him. You knew he had talent, but then he has intelligence for the game also, so it was a no-brainer…..He’s good. He’s very unique, and he’s over seven feet, and he can shoot threes, he can run, has great hands, his intelligence. There’s no reason why it would take him a while.”"

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Moving forward, coach D’Antoni certainly won’t be the only coach singing the praises of Embiid this season and beyond.