What to Make of Embiid’s Olympic Performance – Philadelphia Sports Nation

It’s no secret that Embiid has struggled in Olympic play. But why? Is Embiid out of shape? Are the rules harder? Is the game too fast? What about all the other good players on the team now? Maybe it’s a combination of all of those.

Embiid’s Fitness

It seems that every year, Embiid somehow puts on a lot of weight and loses a ton of his conditioning over the offseason. This year, Philly hoped to see a better Embiid coming into the season because of the Olympics, but he still managed to look sluggish and out of shape in a much shorter amount of time.

Not only does the lack of fitness affect the style of play and his effectiveness, but it can also lead to injury much easier than if he weighed less. Anybody that has played sports or lost weight knows they can move much better and how they want when they are in better shape. This allows people to play better and get in better position to prevent injury. Sluggish steps can put a lot more pressure on joints – especially combined with the extra weight per step.

FIBA Rules

Plenty of NBA players – Embiid certainly not excluded – get a lot of points from manipulating the rules and drawing fouls. In FIBA basketball, the refs are more reluctant to give the superstars the calls they get in the NBA. Many NBA players struggle with this adjustment at first, but the best of the best usually can figure it out. Embiid isn’t adjusting as well as others.

Even though he isn’t adjusting as well now, I think he can still get there. With all of the talent surrounding him, he should have plenty of experience to learn from. His play style makes it harder to adjust too because of no 3-second violation for defense. Embiid can’t drive to the basket as easily since the opposing team can camp in the paint as long as they want.

Hopefully Embiid can get a hang of these rules and start dominating again. If he can, then hopefully the adjusted play style can help him learn to score in even more ways back in the NBA.

Too Much Surrounding Talent?

Unlike when playing in Philly, Embiid might not be the best player on his team. When surrounded by players like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Lebron James, the pressure may seem higher. It would make sense if Embiid is a little bit more nervous to make a mistake with teammates of that caliber.

For the Sixers, it’s not uncommon to see Embiid struggle on his first couple shots and then pick it up after that to make 12 out of his next 14 shots. With so much surrounding talent, he can’t afford to do that. If he misses 3 shots in a row and they go down, then it’s time to let KD or Steph take some shots and find the hot hand.

Should we be concerned?

Is it fun to see Embiid struggle on one of the highest stages? No. Nobody loves to see our beloved Sixer struggle, but we should not be concerned. Remember, this is a whole different league with new teammates, a new coach, and new competition. It would definitely be nice and encouraging to see Embiid dominate at this level, but we already know how dominant he is in the NBA. The NBA caters to their stars and isn’t going to change to FIBA rules. Embiid will still dominate when he’s healthy and struggle when he’s out of shape. Overall, we know the Embiid we will get and not much will change.

Picture by Michael Conroy