Joel Embiid is the Key to the Philadelphia 76ers’ Future

Forget Markelle Fultz. The fate of The Process and the long-term fortunes of the Philadelphia 76ers rest on Joel Embiid’s shoulders.

Tonight, with the first selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers will add the final piece to the puzzle they have been patiently constructing since Sam Hinkie rode into town in 2013 with his unorthodox plan of aggressive asset collection and multiyear tanking.

Markelle Fultz will stride to the podium, collect a 76ers hat, receive a handshake from Adam Silver, and pose for posterity with the commissioner. Fultz has already injected excitement into the fan base. He will now provide the franchise with the potentially elite point guard that has long been lacking on the roster.

In the fifth offseason of The Process, the end of the rebuild is in sight. However, Philadelphia 76ers partisans should not mistake this final brick in the foundation for the cornerstone. Although the acquisition of Fultz is important, the continued health of Joel Embiid remains essential to the future success of the organization.

Every elite team in the NBA seems to be equipped with an exceptional ballhandler. However, not all of these squads can claim to have an All-Star caliber big man who can fit seamlessly into the space-and-pace revolution that has currently gripped the NBA. In Joel Embiid, the 76ers seem to have found this unique ingredient. His presence in the lineup elevates the team from competent to dangerous.

For 31 games, Sixers fans had the opportunity to glimpse Embiid’s incredible talent. The stats tell the story: 20.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and a 24.1 player efficiency rating (PER). However, stats never seem to capture adequately the caliber of a player.

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Some things just need to be witnessed to be appreciated. After all, how can stats reveal a center who is able to stay with a guard on a switch? How do you quantify the ability to lead a fast break off a turnover or rebound? Can a number truly do justice to Embiid’s shooting skills in the post and from long range?

For those who may have forgotten, feel free to peruse this highlight package that the NBA compiled.

The most disappointing figure from Embiid’s sensational rookie year was 31, the number of games he played. Going forward, it seems Embiid’s health is the only impediment to his ascension. Can he stay on the floor for a full season?

It’s an open question, and certainly not part of a manufactured narrative designed to inject some drama in what should be a hopeful offseason. Embiid has missed two full seasons recovering from a foot injury; he was regularly rested and placed on a minutes restriction this past year because of the aforementioned condition.

Embiid’s third season, which doubled as his official rookie year, ended prematurely after he tore his meniscus. Even the big man’s collegiate career at Kansas was marred by physical ailments; a back condition kept Embiid out of the NCAA Tournament and caused him to slide in the 2014 Draft.

Related Story: A Year In Review: Joel Embiid

Nonetheless, the injuries in Embiid’s past do not necessarily presage his future. He is only 23 and has been playing the game for less than a decade. Embiid is still honing his craft on the court. He also retains access to the Philadelphia 76ers’ medical staff and state-of-the-art practice facility.

Bottom line: Joel Embiid is getting better and has every opportunity to get healthier.

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With all due respect to Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers roster, no player is more instrumental to the future success of the franchise than Joel Embiid. Although Simmons and Fultz are talented individuals, their abilities as professional athletes still exist in the theoretical world of the possible.

The Sixers fans who have taken a more skeptical approach to The Process know that top draft picks are not sure bets. Hinkie’s most ardent followers may have forgotten about Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, but the rest of us still remember.

Both Noel and Okafor are undoubtedly solid players. However, neither seemed to find a niche on the roster once Embiid emerged. For all of Hinkie’s planning, he seemed to lack a vision for how he wished to deploy these three athletes. By the time a trade emerged as a possibility, the value of Noel and Okafor diminished. Once they were expendable, the Sixers lost their leverage. The trade value of both players was further eroded once their skill sets were tested against NBA talent. Okafor proved an adept scorer, but a poor defender. Conversely, Noel established himself as an exceptional rim defender and a marginal offensive threat.

By the time a trade emerged as a possibility, the value of Noel and Okafor diminished. Once they were expendable, the Sixers lost their leverage. The trade value of both players was further eroded once their skill sets were tested against NBA talent. Okafor proved an adept scorer, but a poor defender. Conversely, Noel established himself as an exceptional rim defender and a marginal offensive threat.

We all remember the consequences of Sam Hinkie’s inaction last season. Hinkie’s successor, Bryan Colangelo, desperately tried to unload either player in order to move into the top of the first round. There were no takers.

Noel eventually departed Philadelphia in a trade that brought back serviceable bench player Justin Anderson and a couple of second round picks. There was plenty of griping in Hinkie Land that day, but none of the ire was directed toward the former mayor. Instead, Colangelo was blamed for getting a subpar return in a buyer’s market that was formed by his predecessor’s shortsightedness. So it goes.

I invoke this history not to bash Hinkie with the heavy club of hindsight, but rather to highlight the depreciating value of draft assets. Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz can be everything we expect them to be, but we should also acknowledge that they can stumble as they acclimate to the professional game. They can get hurt. They can fail to meet or exceed expectations. It happens.

Joel Embiid has shown what he can do on an NBA court. He has demonstrated he has the ability to unlock his considerable potential and play at an elite level. Embiid’s shooting touch from beyond the paint opens up the pick-and-roll game and creates space all over the floor for his teammates to exploit. His presence on the floor makes his teammates better. It will also ease the pressure on Fultz and Simmons.

Next: Sixers Final Team Mock Draft

On Draft Night, Markelle Fultz will formally be adopted into the Philadelphia 76ers family. But, as he makes his way to his first professional home, Fultz would be remiss if he failed to acknowledge who holds the key to the door.