Training Camp Trends – Part I: Joel Embiid
NBA training camp is finally around the corner. The Sixers will begin their camp in just a few short weeks from Camden, New Jersey with expectations at an all-time high.
As training camp commences, there will be several important storylines for fans to watch. Over the next three weeks, this column will provide a few things for Sixers fans to look for ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season. Training camp this year will be a great opportunity to check in on a number of key storylines crucial to the Sixers success. To begin, the most immediate development of note will be Joel Embiid’s body and health.
Embiid has no doubt had a busy summer. From his Under Armour China tour back in June, to a trip to Africa for Basketball Without Borders, Embiid has become quite the world traveler.
Hopefully, in between his sightseeing and charity work, he got some workouts in. It was evident in the Sixers final playoff series against the Toronto Raptors that Embiid was not himself health-wise. He allegedly had gastroenteritis and was battling a knee injury. Fans immediately ridiculed his dietary habits and national media mocked his pregame Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.
Sixers fans should fully expect this to be a source of motivation for The Process. While Embiid has a fun-loving side, his rise from not even touching a basketball to one of the best players in the world was only accomplished through hard work and dedication.
This Sixers team will go as Joel Embiid goes. And in order to be prepared for a long season with many playoff games, Embiid will need to be trimmer and more fit coming into camp. With the addition of Al Horford, Embiid will not be as heavily relied upon to be such a force every night at both ends. Horford will even be able to play the center position in order to give Embiid a night off every once in a while.
When watching these two highlights, it is evident that Embiid is playing slightly different styles of basketball. Both games feature some of his very best play, but in the Celtics game from this past spring, Embiid hits the floor many times and runs into a lot of contact. In the Lakers game, he is more nimble and light on his feet, enabling him to avoid contact through moves, like his euro step on Brook Lopez.
The trimmer Embiid is, the less contact he will make with others and the floor. And less time on the floor will only bring him improved long-term health. A balance between his bruising 2019 style and his finesse 2018 play will suit the big man perfectly.
As camp begins and videos from Camden began to percolate across social media, it will be clear whether or not Embiid committed this offseason to his body. After his first healthy NBA offseason last summer, Embiid made improvements in points per game, rebounds per game, free throw percentage, and field goal percentage.
Now with what should have been another mostly healthy offseason, he has had ample time to cut weight and be prepared to play deep into June next summer.
Featured Image: Forbes
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