Who Needs Bradley Beal When You’ve Got Joel Embiid?
Despite all of the disarray endured during the early part of the 2021 season, the Sixers are still very much knocking on the door of a playoff place.
Injuries and absenteeism have shaken the Philly franchise’s roster to the core, and yet here they are with a 7-4 record that seems them tapping on the shoulder of the Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Meanwhile, in the Southeast, Bradley Beal is doing what Bradley Beal does; single-handedly dragging the carcass of the Washington Wizards towards competitiveness. This valiant as it is done regardless of the fact that dreams of progressing to the postseason shake-up are fading with every passing game.
Rumors persist that the Sixers are in the hunt for Beal in a trade deal that may or may not involve Ben Simmons. While that would add some always-welcome stardust to their offensive playbook, the question is would the financial implications of trading in an All-Star contender be worth it?
There’s absolutely no doubt that Beal and Joel Embiid, for example, could play together and take the Sixers to whole new levels. Pair those two together and all of a sudden the odds in the NBA betting on bet365 for the Eastern Conference – and of reaching the Championship Finals, even – would certainly be altered.
More Money, More Problems
We’ve seen it time and time again in the NBA when pairing two All-Stars together. Will they gel? Can they play their part in a cohesive unit? Will the addition of big egos and massive paychecks get the best out of both of them?
Right now, Beal is delivering extraordinary levels but Embiid is Sixers through and through, in good times and bad, and he has to be the foundation around which Doc Rivers builds his team.
Anyway, isn’t there strength in showing loyalty to those already rostered? Daryl Morey is a big believer in Simmons, that is no secret. He will surely be willing to take a chance on a 24-year-old who, for all his injury concerns and personal problems, is a young man with tremendous upside out on the court. Wouldn’t giving him plenty of time in the middle be a smarter long-term strategy than breaking the bank for Beal?
With Simmons’ playmaking aided by Embiid’s all-action style, the Sixers are able to create plenty of scoring opportunities. If they can find a guy – a Beal-esque guy – to be given clear shooting chances then they can thrive, it’s that simple. Now, Tobias Harris is no Bradley Beal, but he has been performing solidly in recent seasons and averages around the 20-point mark week in, week out. It should also be noted that he scored more points in 2019/20 than any other campaign in his career, too. If he can up his PPG to the 23 mark, suddenly Philly has an elite operator on their hands.
Add in a supporting cast of Seth Curry, Danny Green, and co, and you can question whether the Sixers – despite the obvious upside – really need Bradley Beal at all.
Featured Image: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
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