Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers and T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers reach for a loose ball during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center on October 24, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers were forced to make some difficult decisions when getting under the 15-man roster limit ahead of the season’s start. One of the unfortunate casualties of these roster cuts was Trevelin Queen. The former G-League MVP was handed a non-guaranteed deal shortly into free agency and given a chance to compete for a roster spot. While Queen had some intriguing moments, the flurry of other additions and concussion in preseason ultimately sealed his fate.
It did not take long for the 25-year-old to land on his feet as he signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers. The Sixers notched their first win of the season in a matchup against the Pacers in which Queen made his return to Philadelphia. While he did not log a minute in the matchup, he has drawn praise for his early effort with the Pacers. His return to Philadelphia also allowed him to reflect on the opportunity and open up to media members on his takeaways during his time with the team.
Former Sixer Trevelin Queen gets up some early warm-up shots ahead of Sixers-Pacers matchup
Queen’s Relationship With Joel Embiid
When asked about players who he felt built the strongest relationships with him during his time with the Sixers, Queen brought up Joel Embiid first. As he stated, “I guess everybody had a certain relationship with me, but I felt like Joel Embiid. I was pretty cool with him. I was pretty close with him. He liked me as a player. He liked me as a person, so he was pretty cool. James (Harden), I met James in Houston, so I already had a familiar type encounter with him,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
This is somewhat surprising considering how much of an introvert Embiid typically is known to be. The superstar has been under the microscope regarding the type of teammate he has been for several years and this is a great sign to see him looking out for a young player. Embiid has reciprocated this praise for Queen as well. During Daryl Morey’s time on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez Podcast, the general manager revealed that Embiid expressed his displeasure with Queen not making the team.
Trevelin Queen… 👀
This is not the end of the journey for the young guard who has been through far more difficult situations already in his life. Queen also expressed his appreciation for the opportunity during the interview and stated, “It was a blessing being around a bunch of Hall of Famers. A great organization with good people. I feel like I learned a lot there just about myself and basketball, in general, just being around James Harden, Joel Embiid, and all these veteran players that just have so much already invested into the game so I take it as a learning process for me.”
Embiid’s Season Outlook
The Sixers have started the season 1-3 with Embiid carrying a good portion of the responsibility for the slow start. Through four games, the reigning MVP runner-up has averaged 26.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. While the raw numbers still look solid, Embiid is shooting just 48.1% from the field and 21.4% on three-point attempts. He also has appeared a step slow on the defensive end.
De’Anthony Melton, Isaiah Joe, and Trevelin Queen were the last @sixers out on the floor today.
So @JoelEmbiid joined the drill.
🥹
The superstar is working his way back into game shape and has discussed his off-season battle with plantar fasciitis. His inability to work out due to the ailment has put him behind heading into the year. Embiid has shown progression through the early games and is traditionally a slow starter, so this is not a major concern.
However, the Sixers will need him to be at his best for them to reach their potential moving forward. James Harden has proven to be everything the Sixers hoped for and more to start the season, but the team will need the two superstars to get on the same page. There is still plenty of time left for this to occur and they will have a chance to take their next step in this direction by facing off with the Toronto Raptors.