Section 215
Fansided

Joel Embiid shedding 25 pounds means 76ers star could be in best shape of career

By Dan Parzych

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 09: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Raptors 112-101. 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 - MAY 09: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Raptors 112-101. 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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With Joel Embiid reportedly shredding 25 pounds this offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers star center could be in the best shape of his NBA career.

Over the years, there have been numerous times in which Joel Embiid has looked like one of the top centers in the league for the Philadelphia 76ers when healthy, but also this doesn’t mean there haven’t been some concerns as well.

While Embiid’s health has been an issue on numerous occasions after seeing how the former Kansas star’s NBA career started off, there have also been concerns over his eating habits as well.

One of the best parts about playing in the City of Brotherly Love is sports fans love a certain player when on top of their game, but will also let them hear it when the struggles have been there.

Looking back at the playoffs, Embiid drew plenty of criticism for some of his inconsistent play in the tough series loss to the Toronto Raptors, as it seemed pretty clear there was room for improvement.

And until Embiid was willing to take that next step as far as making sure he was in the proper shape to compete with the best, it was tough to imagine Philadelphia having what it takes to finish on top of the Eastern Conference, better yet win the NBA Finals.

With that being said, the good news for the Sixers and their fans is Embiid reportedly shed 25 pounds this offseason, making it seem like the star center may have changed his eating habits to put his body in much better shape.

Embiid still has a long way to go when it comes to proving he’s committed to staying in this kind of shape, but this is still an amazing step for Philadelphia to see since if all goes well, it will benefit the team in a huge way this upcoming season.

Despite losing previous key players such as Jimmy Butler (traded to Miami Heat) and J.J. Redick (signed with New Orleans Pelicans) this offseason, the Sixers still seemed to end up with a better squad due to the additions of Al Horford and Josh Richardson.

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But as great as these additions were, Philadelphia knows Embiid’s health and level of impact will be the key difference maker over whether the Sixers fan finally get over the hump of moving past the semifinals of the playoffs down the road.