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It is not all that often that Joel Embiid speaks extremely highly of an opponent. The Philadelphia 76ers superstar is typically content to stay in his lane and keep focused on himself and the team. However, Embiid was asked about the play of Evan Mobley following the Sixers’ blowout loss at the hands of the Cavs and was not shy to give him praise.
As Embiid put it regarding the 21-year-old, “I like him a lot. I think he has a lot of potential. I think, you know, he can really become one of these great big men in the league that have so much skill…I don’t know, you talk about, who are the best? (Nikola) Jokic, Karl (Anthony)-Towns, you know I think he can be that good. He just needs to have more opportunities and that’s what I see in him. So like I said, it’s all about opportunities and if he gets them and he gets a chance to keep making mistakes and learning from it and keep getting better he can get to that level. But he’s already really good.”
Mobley’s Unique Opportunity
Embiid prefaced this statement by discussing the unique career path Mobley is on. As he put it, “He’s obviously on a good team. Sometimes, it’s good to be on a good team when you start, and sometimes it’s also good to be on a bad team because you get to work on your game.”
Embiid’s main message was that Mobley must continue to work through his mistakes as he climbs up the NBA pecking order. This is a more difficult task considering the expectations that are already on him, but still a manageable goal. During his rookie season, the Cavaliers went 44-38 and made the play-in games. Cleveland further fortified their win-now intentions by trading for Donovan Mitchell this offseason. This was a much different situation than Embiid came into the league as the Sixers were still a few years away from contending.
Despite the high pressure, Mobley is averaging 15.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game throughout his young career. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team last year due to his strong play and clearly has earned the respect of Embiid. He has a bright future ahead of him and there are sure to be some thrilling matchups between the Eastern Conference big men in the future.
Embiid’s Outlook Moving Forward
It was not Embiid’s best performance against Cleveland as he ended the loss with just 19 points, six assists, and six rebounds. He did add three steals but shot just 6-16 on the field for the night. This was not all because of Mobley, although it should not come as a shock if the Cavaliers’ big man sees his name on some All-Defensive teams moving forward. Doc Rivers attributed the sluggish loss to the schedule and the number of games the Sixers have played of late.
The most noteworthy storyline surrounding the Sixers is the upcoming return of James Harden. The star guard has picked Monday as his targeted return date after straining a tendon in his right foot on November 2nd. Philadelphia has seen success with both Harden and Embiid taking the reigns early this season, but the team needs to see growth with both of them on the court.
While there have been flashes of brilliance, the Sixers must consistently be at their best when their two best players are on the court and this has not been the case enough. This was discussed during the viral clip of Doc Rivers prior to the season and the injuries to both players have prevented these issues from being ironed out. The remainder of the regular season should hold the goal of figuring this out and it will require sacrifices from both guys. This will be the ultimate key for the Sixers to reach their peak and should be the biggest focus moving forward.
