Philadelphia 76ers: Morey’s moves puts the pressure on Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers never really set Joel Embiid up for success. Now, Daryl Morey has given him the pieces he needs to reach the ceiling we know he has.

Josh Richardson and Al Horford were not devoid of talent in their own right upon joining the Philadelphia 76ers last offseason. Such was what made them desirable acquisitions to begin with. But from the start of their Sixers tenure, it was evident that they lacked the tools to thrive in their assigned roles.

The Sixers were 19th in 3-pointers made last season and 22nd in attempts, hardly the recipe that equates to basketball success in 2020. A middle-of-the-pack offense was the result. To pump life into a dying offense, newly-appointed president Daryl Morey swung two draft-day deals sending out Richardson and Horford to bring in Danny Green and Seth Curry, two snipers who have canned at least 40 percent of their career triples.

It’s incredible how just one front office addition and the vision he carries out can change the entire outlook of a franchise in less than 12 hours. That’s exactly what Morey did on draft night after the 76ers hired him less than one month prior. Suddenly, one of the league’s most confusing starting units has taken a nice form. It conveys a sense of functionality to even the most casual of NBA fans.

The Sixers didn’t swiftly leap into the title conversation with these moves but they took the best possible next step to be on their way there. Whether they can take another will depend largely on if their best player is the one to put his foot forward.

Last season’s shortcomings for Joel Embiid, and subsequently the Sixers, were always viewed as a product of circumstance.

Sure, his longstanding conditioning issues were most notable in a first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics. Embiid terrorized Boston’s weak interior in the first half to the tune of 17.0 points on 56.4 percent shooting only to wear out by halftime and put up 13.0 points on 34.3 percent shooting in the second.

It was shocking to see a dominant interior presence take more mid-range shots (239) than he did looks within the restricted area (238) last season. Despite being a career 31.9 percent outside shooter, Embiid was taking over three a game.

But of all the problems that contributed to the Sixers’ downfall, how many land on his shoulders? When he had to work so hard just to catch an entry pass farther from the basket than he’d like? When defenses swarmed his preferred spots because Philly’s awkward spacing allowed them to without remorse, pushing the distance of Embiid’s average field-goal attempt to a career-high 12.4 feet?

The Sixers were swept out of the first round by Boston. Despite lofty preseason expectations that had many predicting a Finals berth, hardly anyone was surprised when the dust settled. Not when their oddly-constructed roster prevented a superstar-level talent from making a superstar-level impact.

Those around Embiid ensured a hard cap on Philly’s ceiling far below expectations. After an offseason full of change within the Sixers organization, his surroundings open the door for so much more, a double-edged sword that puts pressure on the star big man to capitalize on the opportunity.

It’s easy to spend the excess of offseason free time available shedding fat and packing on muscle. The challenge that’s evaded Embiid — assuming we take his summer practices at his word — is maintaining that progress and the habits that built them throughout an entire season.

Embiid hoisted nearly three catch-and-shoot triples a game last season, having taken it upon himself to try and offer some semblance of space within Philly’s cluttered offense. When others can now capably shoulder that responsibility in his place, can the player who’s tried so hard to implement the 3-pointer into his game finally concede and hunt the shots that produce the best results?

Maybe a player with Embiid’s talent should be somewhere above the deterrents that have kept him from leading Philly past the second round. Most superstars are to some degree. LeBron James still possesses the strength and athletic burst to propel him to the bucket anytime he wants. A quick trigger allows Stephen Curry to instantly fire away from beyond the arc.

But more than their perimeter counterparts, bigs have always been more reliant on teammates to thrive. They work within a specific section of the court with limited creativity to get the shots they seek. Complimentary shooting is a prerequisite for contending teams, even more so when sharing the court with a player as averse to 3-pointers as Ben Simmons is.

It’s why concerns over Embiid’s weight and shot selection were somewhat irrelevant. The former wouldn’t have widened driving lanes or cleared the paint. The latter could largely be attributed to those clogged sweet spots.

The Sixers took care of their side of the bargain to get back on the bright track they seemed destined to ride just a few seasons ago. Not only do Curry and Green offer elite 3-point shooting, but shipping out Horford allows Tobias Harris to slide down to the position that bests suits him at this stage of his career.

Time will tell if Embiid, the player who told us he wants to be the best to ever do it, is invested enough to handle his own.