No – It’s not too late for Embiid to win.
Joel Embiid has recently signed a 3-year extension with the Sixers, which means he will be with the team until he turns 34.
Embiid has never been past the second round in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean the Sixers made a bad move by keeping him. Sometimes, in the NBA, you don’t win until you win. It sounds stupid, but it’s true.
Many players take a long time to win a championship, and many are all-time greats.
Let’s look at a few players that didn’t win right away.
LeBron James
Everybody understands LeBron is one of the best (arguably the best) players in NBA history, but it’s not talked about much anymore that he took 9 years from when he was drafted to win a championship. Why? Because he’s so great, and he’s been winning for a while now.
When the Cavs drafted him, he tried for many years to win at the highest level with that team, but he couldn’t. Whether it was his own shortcomings or the lack of talent around him, he couldn’t get it done. After a few years of falling short, LeBron decided to “take his talents to South Beach.” After doing so, he finally got the championship he was looking for – 9 years after entering the league.
Embiid is not LeBron, but he’s entering his ninth year in the NBA (which he played in). That puts him right on pace with LeBron to win his first championship. Luckily for us, Embiid is turning out to be one of the most loyal star athletes in professional sports, and that should not be taken for granted. He plays at the highest level when he’s healthy—something only a few players can do.
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk and Embiid have a similar career path. He played for Dallas his whole career, and Embiid looks like he will do the same for Philly. Dirk was also considered a “choker” by many since he could not win in the playoffs for a long time. Embiid also (unfairly) receives criticism as a playoff choker. I believe Embiid is more unlucky than a choker, so hopefully, he can prove the haters wrong with a dominant playoff run and a championship sometime soon.
It took Dirk Nowitzki 11 years to win a championship in the NBA. Embiid still has two more years before he gets to that point in his career. Once Dirk won the title, his whole reputation changed. He would probably have been remembered as one of the greats regardless of championships, but winning one helped boost his reputation in the NBA.
Embiid could do the same thing to his legacy if he wins soon. It takes one year for the cards to fall correctly, and everything changes.
Kevin Garnett
This flies under the radar more, but Kevin Garnett hadn’t won a championship until he played in the league for 12 years. He played for the Timberwolves long before joining the Celtics to get a championship. Many people put Garnett above Nowitzki in the all-time rankings even though Garnett had to leave his team to go play for a super team. Garnett was a phenomenal player, but he still only has one championship in his career, just like Dirk.
None of this means that Garnett or Dirk were bad, but it shows that sometimes it takes a little longer for players to finish the season as the top dog.
What Does This All Mean for Embiid?
Look, my point is that Embiid still has time left in his career. Many people like to point out that centers don’t play well into their later years, but they actually have the oldest retirement age of all positions in the NBA. Embiid’s career is going to last many more years, and he will be good for a lot of those years. Just because he hasn’t been past the second round doesn’t mean he won’t in the future.
Some centers drop off in their play once they hit a certain age, but the all-time great centers adjust how they play and adapt to be the best they can be for as long as possible. Most centers that fall off don’t have a good mid-range or 3-point game – two areas that Embiid is good at. Embiid’s play style sets him up for a longer career than centers that rely more on athleticism than skill.
With Maxey by his side and the continual build of the team with players like Paul George, Embiid has a very strong chance to bring a title back to Philly for the first time in a long time.
PHOTO: Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
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